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Day 35 Matthew 14:1 Matthew 14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. 9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. Hatred and fear can make you do terrible things. People have been known to kill because of their emotions. A Tetrarch was a ruler appointed by Rome. Herod Antipas was one of four heirs of his father, Herod the Great. He was not given the title of king, but Tetrarch. According to the Law of Moses, Herod had committed adultery with his brother Philip’s wife, Herodias, taking her as his wife. It was for that reason John the Baptist was put in prison, because he condemned Herod for his actions, since his brother was still alive. He also in a rash act, had John beheaded because of the fear and hatred of Herodias. When Herod heard about Jesus and how famous he had become shortly after he killed John the Baptist, he thought it was John come back to life to haunt him. As Christians, you are told to put away all such emotions, because they cause sin to bloom in your life, and when sin blooms, it brings forth actions leading to death. James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. (KJV) You are to cast down those thoughts and imaginations of your heart and take up the weapons of warfare against such thoughts. 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. When you set aside those thoughts and emotions, you will not be guided by them, and Satan will have no control over your thoughts leading you to do things against the law, and you won’t have anything to bring fear into your life. Because when you do something wrong, you always look over your shoulder, expecting someone to find out and turn you in for what you did. It’s not easy keeping your thoughts and emotions in check. However, when you do, you sleep easier at night. Herod lived in fear after he beheaded John the Baptist. He knew what kind of man John was, and didn’t want to kill him, but events played out against him, and due to hatred on the part of Herodias, he did what his stepdaughter asked of him after her famous dance. Don’t let Satan persuade you to do something that is against man’s and God’s law. Nothing good will ever come of it. Instead, cast Satan down, and live without fear. Let’s pray: Father, help me cast down all thoughts that lead me down the wrong path, leading to fear and destruction. Instead, help me focus on you, and cast Satan from my life, my thoughts, and my actions. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 24 May 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay