You can climb too high for your own good. The story of David and Bathsheba is less a story of lust and more a story of power. A story of a man who rose too high for his won good. A man who needed to hear these words: “Come down before you fall.”

“First pride, then the crash- the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (Proverbs 16:18, MSG)
This must be why God hates arrogance. He hates to see his children fall. He hates to see his Davids seduce and his Bathshebas be victimized. God hates what pride does to his children. He doesn’t dislike arrogance. He hates it. Could he state it any clearer than Proverbs 8:13: “I hate pride and arrogance.”? And then a few chapters later: “God can’t stomach arrogance or pretense; believe me, he’ll put those upstarts in their place” (16:5, MSG).

You don’t want God to do that. Just ask David. He never quite recovered from his bout with this giant. Don’t make his mistake. ‘Tis far wiser to descend the mountain than fall from it.
Pursue humility. Humility doesn’t mean you think less of yourself but that you think of yourself less. “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you” (Romans 12:3, Phillips).

Embrace your poverty. We’re all equally broke and blessed. “People come into this world with nothing, and when they die they leave with nothing” (Ecclesiastes 5:15, NCV)

Resist the place of celebrity. “Go sit in a seat that is not important. When the host comes to you, he may say, ‘Friend, move up here to a more important place.’ Then all the other guests will respect you” (Luke 14:10, NCV).

Wouldn’t you rather be invited up than put down?

God has a cure for the high and mighty: come down from the mountain. You’ll be amazed what you hear and who you see. And you’ll breathe a whole lot easier.

From Facing Your Giants
Copyright 2006, Max Lucado
Used by permission

Question: What wisdom did this devotional have to speak into your own life, or the lives of those you know?

About this Author: Max Lucado

Around the country and the world Friday, legions of grief-stricken fans of the King of Pop mourned the sudden death of Michael Jackson with spontaneous flower-laden and candlelit memorials and emotional tributes, as the autopsy to determine the cause of his mysterious death was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office was to start the autopsy before 11 a.m. Eastern time Friday, but toxicology results were not expected for days, perhaps six to eight weeks. A former family lawyer gave interviews about his recent concerns of Mr. Jackson’s deteriorating health, and indicated that prescription drugs might have been a factor in his death Thursday at age 50. (New York Times)

In later years, Jackson’s enormous musical success was in many respects overshadowed by legal, financial, and personal troubles. His planned comeback tour, scheduled to begin this summer, will remain unfulfilled.

What was your reaction to hearing about Michael Jackson’s death? Does it matter to you at all, and if so, in what way?

Image credit: Pierre Éthier

Her appearance is part of the publicity for “Marley & Me”, co-starring Owen Wilson and opening Christmas Day. But as celebrity magazine interviews go, the film is quickly overlooked and interest instantly huddles around her dislike of Sex and the City and her comments about Angelina Jolie.

I have a mild love for her so I sought out the article and found an edited version online. My good opinion of her only grew. She’s a hippie chick characterized in the tabloids as being love’s greatest loser, but couldn’t give half a hoot.

“I actually feel I’ve been unbelievably lucky in love. Just because at this stage my life doesn’t have the traditional framework to it—the husband and the two kids and the house in Connecticut—it’s mine. It’s my experience. And if you don’t like the way it looks, then stop looking at it! Because I feel good. I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be any further along or somewhere that I’m not. I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

It was a relief to hear such a grounded and healthy opinion from one of Hollywood’s most influential stars. I wonder how much discontentment could be averted if only more people adapted this attitude.

What do you think of Aniston’s opinion of life and love? Are you going to snatch up the December issue of Vogue?

Image credit: popcrunch

Celebrities are going from maternity ward to magazine cover with their little bundles of joy poking out of monogrammed baby blankets. What gets me is the invisible price tag tied to the baby’s pinky toe that celebrity parents are selling the photos for.

A few high-profile examples:

Knox & Vivienne Jolie-Pitt -  10 million +

Max & Emme Anthony (J.Lo’s twins) – 6 million

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt – 4.1 million

Levi Alves McConaughey – 3 million

Honor Warren (Jessica Alba’s daughter) -  1.5 million

The photographs of something sacred, a new and beautiful life, are being marketed for money. Maybe celebrity parents figure publications will get their hands on the photos some way or another anyways so it might as well be on their terms. Maybe it’s just for the money. Maybe it’s to shove their own profile higher or, in the Jolie-Pitt’s case, it’s for charity.

How do you feel about celebrities selling their baby photos? If you were a celebrity, would you sell pictures of your newborn?

(Image credit: JeremyHall)