Hello, King Harod...

I have been reading a wonderful book by Timothy Keller called, Hidden Christmas. I would highly recommend your enjoying it! One of the ideas that most caught my attention was the suggestion that each and every one of us has a bit of King Herod within him. You will remember that Harod was essentially a powerless Roman 'plant' whose major job was to keep peace among those within 'his territory.' Apparently, he took his position to the extreme by putting many to death, even members of his own family.  

When confronted with travelers seeking the King of the Jews, he became very unsettled and sought to find the location of the birth of Jesus. When his plan was thwarted by an Angelic visit, he had all male children two years and under massacred. 

Now Keller is not suggesting that you, dear reader, would do such an abominable thing; he is, however, talking about that part within us that really has no desire to give up our control of our own lives. Many of us, Christians included, are quite willing to place Jesus and God on the 'stand-by' mode just in case we run into difficulties that we cannot 'solve' for ourselves. We really do not want to surrender our rule to anyone, even the God who created both the universe and us. 

What happens when people, with out sinful natures, try to fix things and work things out? Well one need only take a good look at our own lives to see that we can, as Alistair Begg is want to say, make a royal hash of things. When it comes to being qualified to drive our own lives to peace and real happiness, we don't pass the drivers' test. Some of us are sort-of Christians, almost Christians, Christ-less Christians who continue to look one way on Sunday and quite another at other times.

There is only one capable of leading us through the maze that is this life; that would be He who voluntarily came down into this world and lived a fully human life so that He might understand and be aware of what we experience, He who welcomes us to come to Him because His yoke is light, He who was there before time began involved in our creation, He who knows us like no other, even ourselves.

It isn't easy. You will need help from scripture, prayer, others and, of course, the Holy Spirit of God who awaits your open heart. You're not Harod so give up the need to be King. We have an ever-capable King who loves us completely.

Praise our God!