Operation Pride: are you Saul?

The Most High calls a man, colleges him and then instructs him on the kingdom agenda journey for his hands and feet to partake in. We all play our part. The Most High has called many to the vineyard only a few are chosen because operation pride hinders man from accomplishing all the Most High has colleged him to do.

Along the way there are test we take to show that we have learned the lesson and we will remain faithful. When the final exam comes so does judgement. We take test after test until we pass them to get to the final exam. Every test is one of obedience will we obey the Most High or not.

During the time the Most High colleges us He ensures we have exactly what we need to discern, respond and obey. When the final exam comes it is a combination of every test, pop quiz and exam from previous years to see will we now stand in obedience refined by His fire or will operation pride succeed over us.

Saul was tested when he sacrificed wihtout Samuel, here he failed to obey. The mistake many make is thinking that pride starts or comes along later on down the road on the journey with the Lord. That simply is not true operation pride starts when your calling or gifts are revealed to you. The enemy realizes the truth of your destiny and now seeks to steal, kill and destroy every area of your life he can. He seeks to hinder and delay the will of the Most High from happening in the earth. He knows he can't stop destiny so he tries to hinder or delay by causing discontentment in us so we walk in our own will and not that of the Father.

In 1 Samuel 13:8-10 we see that Saul only needed patience to wait for Samuel he failed the test. In leadership we can some times see the need for the work to be done and we jump in feet first but were we called to fulfill that role or wait for another to come and do that portion of the work? Saul took on more than what was his portion not only did he fail the test of patience he also failed to obey and respect the Lord's will. Clearly put he overstepped his boundary established by the Most High. How many of us are operating in soemone else's shoes all in the name of having to do the work or someone has to do it, or it has to be done?

When pride steps up to the plate and makes itself known we are often already on a path of self deciet. Pride starts early as a seed. Prov. 16:18 says pride begins before destruction. It precedes the fall long before actions show it. Prov. 21:4 says the Most High sees pride in the heart before it manifests outwardly. 1 Samuel 9–10 shows Saul’s humility was actually false humility a form of pride inwardly disguised. This is why later pride erupted quickly.

When left unchecked it often leads to self deception. Jer. 17:9 says pride blinds a person to their own motives. Obadiah 1:3 directly connects pride and self-deception. Exactly what happened with Saul when he said, I have obeyed the Most High.1 Cor. 10:12 says pride creates the illusion of spiritual strength. Gal. 6:3 says self-deception is the fruit of unchecked pride. When one is self decieved the spirit of error enters and leads the person away from the cure, repentance. Prov. 14:12 says self-deceived people think their disobedience is right. James 1:22 says disobedience breeds deception. Psalm 36:2 says self-flattery suppresses conviction just like Saul. Titus 1:16 says people think they’re serving the Most High while walking in rebellion.

Pride leads to a hardness of heart an outright refusal to repent. It deceives, and that deception hardens the soul. Prov.28:13–14, Heb. 3:13, 1 Sam. 15:24–30 Saul says I have sinned yet refuses accountability for his own actions. He blames the people and still looks to be honored in his disobedient state which is false repentance. At this point pride brings destruction Prov. 15:25, 16:5, 29:23. Job 33:17 pride removes a person from their destiny just like Saul.

We can see the stages of pride in Saul. First the seed, 1 Sam. 10:21–22 Saul hides among the stuff, false humility. 1 Sam. 13 He offers sacrifice on his own terms here pride is taking root. The plant grows into self deciet/ self-deception 1 Sam. 14:24 says he made rash spiritual vows to impress people. 1 Sam. 15:13 says he declares he has obeyed the Most High (self-deception manifested).

Pride flourishes and the rebellion of the heart is seen outwardly. In 1 Sam. 15:12 Saul puts up a monument (statue) for himself of himself. 1 Sam. 15:22–23 says rebellion equals witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15:30 shows no real desire to obey but still wants the honor of his poistion. We see in 1 Sam. 18–19 in him trying to kill David instead of submitting to the Most High he walks the lonely road of self destruction. In all that took place Saul did not realize that the favor of the Most High had departed from him.

The self destructive stage is when the reprobate mind takes over the person. Strongs concordance G96 is the greek word adokimos which means reprobate, not standing the test, unapproved, rejected, that which does not prove itself such as it ought, unfit. In short its a mind no longer responsive to truth its been abandoned to its own corrupt desires. We see the destruction in 1 Sam. 28 when he seeks a witch before dying in defeat in 1 Sam. 31 thus the full cycle of operation pride has destroyed the man's soul.

While we do not have kings that reign over us today as in times past. We must be careful for the wolves in sheeps clothing. Some men are called and put in position by the Most High and somewhere along the way they have put more focus on the work of the Lord than they have their own households. Some people know they are called to ministry instead of being colleged by the Most High they seek to make it happen in their own timing because just as Saul was too impatient to wait so are they. Going against the timing and alginment of heaven only ends in self destruction.

However, there be many that have lost their own way and still lead the people of the Most High so, the question becomes who brings correction when leaders start to fall away. We must always be humble and remember to ask have I done anything that would blot out my name from the Lambs Book of Life? Have I neglected my first responsibilties? Have I in any way ignored the knock of the Lord during His visitation? I often ask in what ways do I think more highly of myself than I ought? In what areas of my life could I stand to be more humble and graceful to others? There be many that are called to the vineyard of the Most High but only a few endure the refiners fire.

Abba, I ask that You would reveal to our hearts any area we have neglected to allow the fire to refine us in. Give us eyes to see any errors we are making that would cost us eternity with You. In Christ name we pray Amen.