The Israelites cheered when the ark of the covenant was brought to their camp. They felt certain that this alone would bring them victory in war. And the ark's presence scared the Philistines. But yet the ensuing battle was a disastrous loss for the Israelites.

Their pridefulness was their downfall. Instead of going to God in prayer seeking His power, wisdom, and direction, they celebrated, certain that the ark's presence was all they needed.

How often am I like that? How often do I cloak myself in pridefulness or even false humility (is there any difference between the two), certain that calling myself a Christian is all I need? How often do we as God's people fail to seek Him because we think we already know it all? How much justice is missed because we go about things pridefully rather than humbly and with a true seeking of God?

Good questions for today. Good questions for any day. Good questions for an election year in these United States.