Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18

“Pride goeth before a fall” is a saying that is similar to the original Bible verse, found in Proverbs 16:18, but it does not accurately reflect the original text. In fact, the verse says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This shows that destruction is the end result of pride, according to the Bible.

Here is a little Indian Fable that I found called “Pride Goes Before the Fall.”

In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants, who always went about together. Once upon a time they had travelled far afield, and were returning home with a great deal of money which they had obtained by selling their wares. Now there happened to be a dense forest near their village, and this they reached early one morning. In it there lived three notorious robbers, of whose existence the traders had never heard, and while they were still in the middle of it the robbers stood before them, with swords and cudgels in their hands, and ordered them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons with them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had to submit themselves to the robbers, who took away everything from them, even the very clothes they wore, and gave to each only a small loin-cloth a span in breadth and a cubit in length.

The idea that they had conquered ten men and plundered all their property, now took possession of the robbers’ minds. They seated themselves like three monarchs before the men they had plundered, and ordered them to dance to them before returning home. The merchants now mourned their fate. They had lost all they had, except their loin- cloth, and still the robbers were not satisfied, but ordered them to dance.

There was, among the ten merchants, one who was very clever. He pondered over the calamity that had come upon him and his friends, the dance they would have to perform, and the magnificent manner in which the three robbers had seated themselves on the grass. At the same time he observed that these last had placed their weapons on the ground, in the assurance of having thoroughly cowed the traders, who were now commencing to dance. So he took the lead in the dance, and, as a song is always sung by the leader on such occasions, to which the rest keep time with hands and feet, he thus began to sing:

“We are enty men, They are erith men: If each erith man, Surround eno men Eno man remains. Tâ, tai, tôm, tadingana.“

The robbers were all uneducated, and thought that the leader was merely singing a song as usual. So it was in one sense; for the leader commenced from a distance, and had sung the song over twice before he and his companions commenced to approach the robbers. They had understood his meaning, because they had been trained in trade.

When two traders discuss the price of an article in the presence of a purchaser, they use a riddling sort of language.

“What is the price of this cloth?” one trader will ask another.

“Enty rupees,” another will reply, meaning “ten rupees.”

Thus, there is no possibility of the purchaser knowing what is meant unless he be acquainted with trade language. By the rules of this secret language erith means “three,” enty means “ten,” and eno means “one.” So the leader by his song meant to hint to his fellow-traders that they were ten men, the robbers only three, that if three pounced upon each of the robbers, nine of them could hold them down, while the remaining one bound the robbers’ hands and feet.

The three thieves, glorying in their victory, and little understanding the meaning of the song and the intentions of the dancers, were proudly seated chewing betel and tobacco. Meanwhile the song was sung a third time. Tâ tai tôm had left the lips of the singer; and, beforetadingana was out of them, the traders separated into parties of three, and each party pounced upon a thief. The remaining one–the leader himself–tore up into long narrow strips a large piece of cloth, six cubits long, and tied the hands and feet of the robbers. These were entirely humbled now, and rolled on the ground like three bags of rice!

The ten traders now took back all their property, and armed themselves with the swords and cudgels of their enemies; and when they reached their village, they often amused their friends and relatives by relating their adventure.

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you. (NLT) (Psalm 9:10 )

Do you search for the Lord’s will in your life? When you make yourself vulnerable and available for God to have control over your life, it’s scary. It does not mean difficult times won’t come, instead, you have given Him the opportunity to be able to provide for you in the difficult times. Are you looking to God to provide as you search for Him?

When you walk with God, He will provide at just the right moment. When you take things into your own hands and push God out of your plans you prevent Him from having the opportunity to provide for you. In what areas have you stopped looking to God for direction?

Do you have an important decision to make that impacts your future? God has a perfect plan for your future, one that is in your best interest. Invite God to be part of your decision through prayer. Then look to the Word of God for guidance and principles to follow. He will guide your thoughts and show you wise truths to aid you in the decision. Finally, seek the advice of wise, respectable counsel.

From Daily Devotionals App.