“‘See, I am against you, O arrogant one,’ declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, ‘for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.'” – Jeremiah 50:31

On August 17, 1969, a group of 24 people in the posh Richelieu Apartments in Pass Christian, Mississippi decided to have a “hurricane party.” Hurricane Camille was bearing down and these residents decided to ride out the fierce storm that was coming.

Pass Christian Police Chief Jerry Peralta pulled up to the apartments sometime after dark. Facing the Beach less than 250 feet from the surf, the apartments were directly in the line of danger. A man with a drink in his hand came out to the second-floor balcony and waved.

Peralta yelled up, “You all need to clear out of here as quickly as you can. The storm’s getting worse.”

But as others joined the man on the balcony, they just laughed at Peralta’s order to leave. “This is my land,” one of them yelled back. “If you want me off, you’ll have to arrest me.”

Peralta didn’t arrest anyone, but he wasn’t able to persuade them to leave either. He wrote down the names of their next of kin. They laughed as he took their names. They had been warned, but they had no intention of leaving. At 10:15 p.m., the fury of Camille’s 205 miles-per-hour winds leveled the apartments. Not a trace of the twenty-four was ever found.

Arrogance is an abomination to the Lord. Today in prayer, confess any sin of arrogance and seek to humble yourself before the Lord.

“Christ sends none away empty but those who are full of themselves.” – Donald Gray Barnhouse

God’s Word: “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.” – Psalm 5:5

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2003, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS pkennedy@devotional.com