Today's Devotional

October 6, 2003

Subject:  They're Scared Of You

Mark 6:20 - "For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly."

While watching Animal Planet one day I was amazed at two individuals who were in the Amazon tracking down Anaconda snakes.  They had no special equipment and they were walking through these marshes with thick grass looking for these huge snakes.  I thought, they must be crazy.  The amazing part of it was that as they looked for these snakes, it appeared as though the snakes were trying to get away from them.  They would find one and one guy would grab the snake's trunk and the other guy would then try to pounce on the head of the snake.  That was wild!

I think we have the attitude I had about the snakes about some people in our lives.  While we're worried about what some people think of us, whether it's the boss or just someone we have to answer to, often they're fearing us.  The key for us is to live as John did as it says above.  He was  just and holy.  Look at the impact that it had on this unbeliever, Herod.  When Herod heard John, "he did many things."  This means that John's lifestyle had an impact on Herod and additionally, Herod, though an unbeliever, liked hearing John.  And even though he ultimately had John beheaded, Herod feared John, and rightfully, the consequences of harming him.  

So don't change your lifestyle as a believer in the living God, running scared because of the power you think that people might have.  Like the Anaconda is a big snake, so too seem these people in our lives, but don't worry because if you're living in holiness and righteousness, they're scared of you.    

Carlen