Day Six

Day Six

Matthew 2:3-6 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: “But you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah, For out of you shall come a ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel.”
Herod's troubling would best be described here as one who is undone, or terrified, losing sleep from anxiety, Herod was a man filled with fear, why so you ask? Herod was a King who had been appointed by the Romans, in addition he was not of the line of David, and therefore he knew that he was sitting on a throne that was not rightfully his. Yet the power and the perks of being king were of far more value to Herod than human life, hence his command to kill the children. The allure of power and perks is a pit that one dare I say far too many men and women have fallen into over all of time and the results to our society and others around the world have been unbelievably devastating. Let's take a look at a few beginning with the first; the Bible tells us "that satan was the most beautiful of angels" yet his desire for power caused the first great fall, which has consequently led to all others. Next we have the fall of Adam and Eve and their desire to have the knowledge of good and evil or power, led them to disobey and fall, and we could go on and on we know the history. Yet we tend to overlook the modern day victims of the pit of power as I call it, our children, our marriages, our joy, our futures, and our eternal lives, the lust for power has ruined far too many. When I was in the corporate world, a man of great power I learned to despise it, you see I saw what it made me do, how it made me think. I recognize the influence of the power and I despised it with all that is within me. I made far too many decisions based upon the power rather than upon the Word or will of God. For me the best thing to do was walk away, hence I did. Some can handle the power many have been lulled into believing they can or are while in reality they have no control at all. Let me ask you a question if I may "are your decisions based upon the outcome you desire for your business or your ministry and what is best for the people God has placed to serve with you. Or are your decisions and actions driven by profit, pride, or numbers? (By the way the statement being a good steward is over used and over rated). If your honest answer is the second statement I dare say you have missed the mark and let me encourage you to get things back in order. God's order is always His people first including you please don't let it get overturned after all isn't doing His will His way a better path than the pit that waits for the unwary on the road to power?
Daily Prayer: Father I pray for all of us to keep watch and pray, that we might avoid the pit of power, that we might always remember that You are about Your people as we should be, In Jesus name I ask these things, Amen.
"The pit of power lies at the dead end of a bumpy road"
Gene Burroughs Servant