HASTE

“Comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb!” This saying has been around long before you or I came into the world; and you can confirm it by looking into the mirror… I did! Again, the age old phrase applied to winters arrival and departure, I have selected in reference to sin.

You will probably recall the name, John the Baptizer. He preceded the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a cousin by birth. He was a rough and rugged preacher, a “tell it like it is” person. His attire did not match our modern preachers and he taught in the “wilderness”, by the Jordan.

One of the stories about John was that he preached about divorce, and ruffled the feathers of Herod the king and his brother Philips wife, who Herod took as his wife. John called it as he saw it, and Herod put John in prison.

At a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’ daughter danced so beautifully that Herod offered her anything she wanted, “up to half my kingdom.”

With this background, the “unbelievable” happened. The child did what most youngsters would do. Hurriedly going to her mother, she sought advice. The mother gave counsel and the child “hurriedly returned to Herod”. The words she uttered: “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

Herod “immediately”, because of his audience, ordered the request be adhered to. John was beheaded and his head was presented on the platter. Try to imagine this gruesome scene, and at a birthday party no less.

What God has said in His Word, the Holy Bible, is truth. One can be sure that the unrepentant heart will reach depths that cannot be imagined. This mother shows the depth of hatred that dominated her. That she would involve her child into such an atrocity is unimaginable. Herod’s heart had to be harder than steel. His pride would not allow him to retract what he had issued by order. (Mark 6:14-29)

Sin originates in the heart and moves rapidly unless restrained by the Holy Spirit of God. It cannot be removed, but it can be brought under subjection by a willing submission to God and His Word. (Romans 3) Think it over! Pray it over! Submit it to God prior to any action. (James 5) Discover the difference when applying the diligence of common sense, and doing it God’s way.