“So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.” Acts 12:21-23 (NKJV)
One thing I have learned in life is that it is easy to take for yourself the glory that belongs to God. Even the most respectful man can begin to think that everything he has achieved was by his power. So, instead of giving the glory to God, he takes the glory for himself. This was the case of King Herod in our opening text. His subjects chanted and praised him after giving a speech qualifying his voice as the voice of a god and not man. Given to the flattery, Herod forgot his place and began to glory in their praise. Then an angel of the Lord struck him so he died. He died not as a god but as a mere man.
Beloved, we must never be tempted to take God’s place or His glory. As Christians it’s our sacred duty to know that the Almighty is God, and no matter what position, wealth or authority is bestowed on us, our praises should only go to God for all He has given to us.
God hates pride, and this is illustrated in Jesus’ parable of the rich man. He said, “…the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? ’Luke 12:16-20 (NKJV).
From this parable, we observe that God wasn’t pleased with the rich man’s attitude towards his possessions. He did not give glory to God for the things he possessed, rather, he gloried in himself as though he had achieved them all by his strength.
Let us take a lesson from his story, and give all the praise to God instead of getting intoxicated by flattery, power or wealth. This is a key to long life and unending prosperity. Hallelujah!
Today’s Rhema
As you make progress and achieve great things in life, never attribute the glory to yourself but to God!
Confession for the Day
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving me the ability to make wealth. I know that all I have is not by my power. I acknowledge that you are the giver of all things. All I have is yours and all You have are mine in Christ Jesus. Amen!
