The following comes from my book, MORE
Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals
June is Humility Month
because “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1
Peter 5:5). God doesn’t take kindly to those who flaunt themselves and what
they do. But don’t take my word for it. On three different occasions Jesus said
everyone who thinks of himself as great will be brought down (Matt. 23:12, Luke
14:11, 18:14). When King Nebuchadnezzar lifted himself up, he went insane.
When King Belshazzar mocked God by drinking wine from the gold and silver
vessels taken from the temple, he died that night. (Dan. 4:30-33,
5:1-30).
And then there’s King Herod Agrippa who died in an unusual way. Acts 12:21-23 tell us: “And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. And the people kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”
The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived 37-100 AD, confirmed this event. “[Herod] put on his garment made wholly of silver … his garment being illuminated by the reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner,” giving him a brilliant appearance. “A severe pain also arose in his bowels in a most violent manner … and [he] said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life.’” (Antiquities of the Jews 19.8.2)
Imagine watching this. Herod enters the theatre in a robe of silver. The sun reflects off the silver coat, making him look as if he’s glowing. The crowd cries out that he’s a god, and he receives their worship. Then, at that moment, he falls over dead “because he did not give God the glory.”
How do we humble ourselves? Simply by yielding completely to God and asking Him take control of our lives. We live according to what He wants and not how we want. Pride always dies when we shine the spotlight on God instead of ourselves. www.makinglifecount.net www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com
