Life Lessons From 25 New Testament CharactersSample

Disturbed by the Truth

Herod was a man of power who lived like he was above the law. He often heard "half-truths” and flattery from the crowd that surrounded him, for people feared him and his position of power. But Herod experienced a "holy disturbing" when he heard the truth being spoken by John the Baptist. John the Baptist did not hold back from declaring what was righteous and spoke the cutting truth, even when it meant calling out Herod for the adulterous, illegal, and shameful act of marrying his own brother’s wife, Herodias. What disturbed Herod was that the spoken truth exposed his faults. In turn, even though Herod liked hearing John speak, he eventually made efforts to silence him. Truth can hurt, but it also can lead us to freedom from our wrong ways if we respond humbly and admit our need. Herod wanted to silence the voice of truth and resisted turning from his sins. How are you responding to God’s voice of truth in this season of your life? Are you allowing the truth to "set you free"?

THINK and PRAY:

What is the state of your heart? Soft or Callous?

We are similar to Herod in this respect: we all are given chances to hear the voice of truth which can make us feel conviction. How we respond to that conviction, though, is what matters. Our response is key. The first step of hearing from God requires placing faith in Him and “repenting of our sins” to receive the salvation He wants to give all of us. That is why Jesus came — to save Herod, you, and I from our immorality. When we sense the conviction of our wrongness, God is calling us to acknowledge that conviction and turn to Jesus as our personal Savior. Herod refused this kind of response. He is an example of hard-heartedness to the truth of his need for God’s forgiveness and mercy for his sins. How have you responded? This message of hearing the truth from God and responding to that conviction is also a part of the Christian walk. Along the way, we stumble and wrestle with sin, even if we are saved from our sins and are forgiven in God’s eyes. We, too, must keep a watch on how we are responding to God’s voice of truth. Do we hear Him with a callous heart or a soft heart? Do we respond with confessing our daily need for Him and thanking Him for His forgiveness or do we try to silence Him? Let’s learn from Herod and ask God to keep our hearts and attitudes toward His voice sensitive and obedient.