GIVE GOD THE GLORY DUE HIS NAME – Acts 12:23
Acts 12:23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
God killed Herod because he thought more highly of himself then he ought. The inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon shouted that Herod’s voice was that of a god and not of a man. Herod was an evil man, he had killed James and had attempted to kill Peter, but the sin that destroyed him was not giving God the glory.
Herod was not a believer and thus he did not demonstrate any spiritual fruit. Nonetheless, by looking at Herod’s death, you learn an important lesson about having a right attitude before God. Herod was living his life to please himself; he was doing that which was right in his own eyes. While Herod was not immediately punished for his violations of God’s perfect law, eventually, his day of judgment arrived and God took his life. Herod died because he did not allow God to receive the praise for what HE had done for him.
In your eyes, you might think that the cold-blooded murder of James would have been the ultimate sin that would have caused God to bring judgment upon Herod. However, you are not God and God’s ways are not your ways. God is a jealous God and the first law of Moses was that you should have no other gods. Jesus told you that the most important commandment was to love the Lord you God with all your heart. Herod had done a lot of evil during his lifetime, but God brought immediate judgment upon him for his sin of allowing others to worship him as a god without giving any credit to God for what God had done to raise him to his current position.
God is the One who has given you your talents and abilities. Without the gifts of God, you could do nothing. The air you breath today is a special gift from God that you should not take for granted. Whenever someone praises you for something that you have done, you should find a way to deflect the praise to God.
God created you in HIS own image. In the same way you desire others to recognize you for the things that you have done for others, so too, God desires to hear your praises for the things that HE has done for you during your life. Virtue is finding those things that are praiseworthy and giving God the praise that HE is due.
Herod had filled his life with immoral, dishonest, and unjust thoughts. Herod did not find ways to give God the praise that HE was due. As such, God took Herod’s life. It is important that you do not follow the example of Herod. You need to fill your thoughts with purity, honesty and justice. You need to find the things that are praiseworthy and ensure that your life is a testimony to the world of how God is working in your life.
When you add virtue to your life, your relationship with God is your top priority. You have put on the mind of Christ and you are finding ways that you can give God the glory due HIS name. You cannot live a virtuous life on your own, but instead, you understand that it is God’s grace that gives you the power to change your thoughts, feelings and actions. With virtue in your life, you are a new person. Yes, there will be days were you sin and fall short of the glory of God. Instead of dwelling in the past, pursue God and give HIM the glory for giving you the strength to overcome the entrapments of the world.