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Years ago, a transport plane that had onboard a navigator and several crew members was flying over Alaska. When they ran into a fierce snowstorm, the navigator contacted his base. They told him he had veered off course several hundred miles. They told him how to get back on course, but he chose to ignore their advice and trust his own instincts. Soon the plane ran low on fuel, so the crew decided to abandon the plane and parachute down. But outside the plane, the temperature was 70 degrees below zero, so they all froze to death in minutes. Pride can cause us to ignore wise advice and make foolish decisions. That happened long ago with ancient Israel. God blessed them, but this led to arrogance—to think they could mistreat others and get away with it. We learn from Hosea chapter 10 that God charged them with injustice, mistreating the poor, and making empty promises they had no intention of keeping. God said injustice had sprung up among them like poison weeds in a farmer’s field. Since their actions violated their covenant with Him, God said their enemy would take away all they had acquired, and their empty worship would do them no good. Still today, if we are not careful God’s blessings can fill us with pride, and our downfall will surely follow.
