Daily Devotional
"When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him... Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, 'Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."
Matthew 2:3, 7-8
Herod was called “the Great,” and he was great at many things, just not great things. He was a brilliant politician, an incredible builder, and he kept the peace in a volatile region. But he was also paranoid, violent, and ruthless. When the wise men arrived asking about the one “born king of the Jews,” Herod heard one thing: threat.
The word “troubled” in the Greek is tarasso, meaning to be deeply agitated, stirred up, thrown into confusion. This was not mild concern but full-blown panic. Herod had a kingdom, a throne, and control. Jesus threatened all of that.
Here is the sobering truth: rebellion against God is ultimately irrational. If the prophecy about Jesus is true, if He really is the promised Messiah, the King of Kings, then resistance is futile. You cannot defeat God. You cannot outmaneuver the Almighty. Yet Herod tried anyway, and so do we.
We may not plot murder like Herod, but we often treat Jesus as a threat. A threat to our lifestyle. A threat to our decisions. A threat to our control. We carve out areas of our lives where we say, “This is my throne. You are not welcome here.” And in doing so, we respond to the King with hostility.
Herod died a paranoid, miserable man. His kingdom crumbled. But Jesus? He is still on the throne.
Today's Challenge
Are there areas of your life where you have been treating Jesus as a threat rather than as Lord? What "thrones" have you been reluctant to surrender? What would it look like to lay down your resistance and bow before Him?
Prayer
Father, I confess that I have sometimes treated You as a threat rather than as my King. I have carved out areas of my life where I wanted to remain in control. Forgive me for the foolishness of resisting You. Help me to see that surrender to You is not loss but gain. Show me the thrones I am clinging to, and give me the courage to step down and let You reign. In Jesus' name, Amen.
