Eaten By Worms

June 10

(Acts 12:18-23 NIV) ““In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. {19} After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. {20} He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply. {21} On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. {22} They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." {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.””

(Acts 14:8-18 NIV) ““In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. {9} He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed {10} and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. {11} When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" {12} Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. {13} The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. {14} But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: {15} "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. {16} In the past, he let all nations go their own way. {17} Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." {18} Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.””

The main difference between the disciples and Herod was who they sought to glorify with their lives. The disciples sought to glorify God. Herod sought to glorify himself. But God’s patience with Herod finally ran out. When the people praised Herod as a god, instead of correcting them, he accepted it and soaked it up. For his sin, he was struck down and “eaten by worms”. Herod thought of himself as a god, and it cost him his life. It still costs us our lives when we think of ourselves as gods. We mock God when we serve ourselves rather than the Lord -- when we are absorbed with self-glorification rather than glorifying Christ. We walk with Herod when we advance ourselves rather than advancing the gospel. We worship ourselves when we rationalize our sin and excuse behavior that is offensive to the God of Heaven. This is the basic flaw of humanity. Never fail to give glory to God. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day