Pride incapacitates our mind and heart

Verse: 1 Samuel 14: 24-29 (NIV)
24 Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

25 The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.[a] 28 Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

29 Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.

Title: Pride incapacitates our mind and heart

Message: Unwise decisions spring from pride and these apparently bring us harm than safety. Saul forbade the soldiers not to eat food at the time that they needed it most, thus making the men experience hunger and fatigue. The king decided on the matter in the absence of wisdom and put his men's life to a great danger.

Promise to Claim: Our father provides us our daily bread to make us physically strong, to fuel our system and make our body parts function in the way they should. Food is vital for our survival. God knew it and He catered us such.

Command to Obey: Depend on God, not on anybody else. Consult God about your decisions and you'll never go wrong.

Warning to Heed: Pride shuts out our discernment of good and right. It leads us to selfish decisions and most often than not brings us failure.

Application: I am reminded of all the wrong decisions I made only because of pride and those good ones I came up with because I prayed for them. Thus, I'll consult God for my every decision and rely upon Him for each matter that I'm incapable of handling and understanding.