Acts 12:23 “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
Ok, I admit that this is a random verse; however, it struck me that God is in complete control of our lives. As followers of Jesus Christ, He desires complete anonymity of us, that only the cross is visible when we leave a conversation, an event, a meeting, etc. God desires that everything we say and do give Him glory and point others to Jesus. Our lives should be all about Him.
I love humble people. They have no need for constant attention or to be in the lime light. They are secure in whose they are and usually are others minded. Well, King Herod was anything but humble. As a matter of fact, he wanted the people to think of him as a god. The Bible says that on the appointed day Herod sat on his throne, wearing his royal robes and delivered a public address to the people. The people shouted “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” You know that he had to be taking in that whole scene and enjoying ever little moment of grandeur and recognition. But then the Bible says that he was immediately struck down by an angel because he did not give praise to God. I’m not suggesting that this will happen to us if we don’t glorify God but I am suggesting that we need to be ever mindful as to where our praise and devotion lie. If we are full of ourselves and neglect to place our focus on Him then we are not of use to Him. And if we are not of use to Him then all I can say is, well . . . . . . . . God is in control!
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Dear Lord,
It is increasingly more evident each and every day that You are in control of absolutely everything. You are in control of the weather, our circumstances, those we spend time with, where we work, who you send across our paths, how big our families will be, who we will marry, who our president will be etc. We know that you are even in control of how long we will be stationed here on this earth. Help us to be ever mindful of You and to give You glory in everything we say and do! May Your praises ever be on our lips!
In Jesus Name,
Amen