Sticking to Wrong Promise

Mark 6: ¹⁹ Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; ²⁰ 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.

²¹ Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. ²² And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” ²³ He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

²⁴ So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”

And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

²⁵ Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶ And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

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“Get a pair of pants from the store” the person told me. The demand came from a person in an organization I wanted to be part of but alas I had no money. “Figure it out” were his words implying I should steal them. “Okay I promise I will get them!”

• There have been times I have made the wrong promises.
• There have been times I have followed the wrong crowd.
• There have been times I have wanted to be part of something so badly, I would do something that was wrong.

Herod’s position as king would be weakened if he went back on an oath. Unfortunately his daughter asked for a political nightmare, namely the execution of John the Baptist. He stuck with his promise and got nowhere with GOD.

• GOD wants me to make promises that grow HIS kingdom.
• GOD desires that I follow HIS ways without political affiliations.
• GOD longs for a relationship with me versus me building a kingdom of followers.

Desiring to be part of something can drive me to decisions that may not be centered on love. GOD sees through the loneliness and fills my heart with love for others. When HE does this I am never alone.

• Are you lonely?
• Do you look at GOD as a political affiliate or do you seek HIS face for HIS true power and love?
• Will you stop trying to follow humans and start following GOD today?