Now Herod was very angry with the people of
Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their
cities were dependent upon Herod's country for food. The delegates won the
support of Blastus, Herod's personal assistant, and an appointment with Herod
was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his
throne, and made a speech to them. The people gave him a great ovation,
shouting, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!" Instantly, an
angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's
worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and
died. Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new
believers. Acts 12:20-24
Give me a kingdom of worshippers--and beautiful flowers. Is this what Herod wanted?
Several times we read in scripture that Peter and Paul were "worshiped" by people--but the both vehemently denied that declaring that they were only human. Not Herod. Unlike Paul and Peter, Herod adored being worshipped--receiving the praise of men.
For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 (NET)
Think more highly of others than yourself...that is like "love your neighbor as yourself." Such wisdom. If Herod had thought to please God...instead of seeking glory from men, then God may not have struck him will illness and worms. Ugh! We have similar choices to make. Please God or go for glory from other people. What will it be for you today?
Prayer
~ Dear Jesus, help us to make good choices today and choose to serve You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Daily
Bible Reading: Acts 13-14
©
2017 Text and Photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted
No comments:
Post a Comment