August 5 ~

Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press down his tongue with a cord? ... the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison ... a fire ... setting on fire the wheel of birth ... Canst thou draw out Dragon with a hook? ... flames come from his jaws ... His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them ... Upon earth there is not his like, a creature without fear ... he is king over all the sons of pride ... Job ... was righteous in his own eyes ... God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it ... he opens the ears of men, and terrifies them with warnings, that he may turn man aside from his deed, and cut off pride from man ...
Job 41:1 (RSV); Js.3:8 (KJV); 3:6 (Amp); Job 41:1 (Sept); 41:19 (Knox); 41:15 (KJV); 41:33,34; 32:1; 33:14,16,17 (RSV)

The final enemy, my soul, is Pride.
In many cunning forms it lurks inside!
Each Christian comes out of unrighteousness
and falls at once into Self-righteousness
-- the Jobian trap! Each of Pride's myriad forms
must be exposed and slain. The Scripture warns
that God will feed thee constant bitter pills
until all Pride in Self He fully kills.
For endlessly doth Pride corrupt thy view
of Self! One hope there is -- one thing to do:
forget that Self e'er lived, and fix thine eyes
on the indwelling Christ. Escape Pride's lies!
Flee into Christ! Keep e'er aware of Him!
Cleansed - sanctified - thou'lt be, and vict'ry win!