Bitterness or Betterness?

# 407 - Today's Living Word comes from Mr 6:19,20 “Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

When the Law is preached, and specific sins are brought to our attention, we have several choices. We can, (1) blow it off and say, well, John, that's YOUR opinion.” We can, (2) get angry at the preacher. we can, (3) allow that Law to actually change our attitudes and guide our behaviors. Or most importantly of all, we can, (4) allow the Law to drive us to the cross and Jesus.

At the cross, we see how far short of perfection we all fall in relationship to the Law of God, and we realize that Jesus is our only hope for forgiveness. The Law can make us “bitter,” or “better.”

There must have been some unusual tension in this household as Herodias was made “bitter” by the preaching of John and Herod was actually trying to be made “better.” We read here that Herod did many of the things that John's preaching called him to do and gladly heard him.

What will you do with the Law of God? Will you (1) Blow it off? (2) Stop up your ears? (3) Use it as a moral guide? (4) Allow it to drive you to the cross? The first three always lead to bitterness. The fourth always leads to “betterness.”

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.