worms

It’s easy to think, reading about the struggles of the early church in the book of Acts, that things were sometimes out of control. For every wonderful success story, like God sending the Spirit to the Gentiles, there’s one or maybe two tales of imprisonment or persecution. It seems like those early years were touch-and-go, and the future was by no means certain.

But then I read about a meeting some citizens had with Herod, in Acts 12:21-24 “On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
“But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.”

It seemed like Herod had all the power, but at the very moment God decided it was time, he died in a pretty gruesome way – eaten by worms. Killed by parasites, because he wouldn’t honor God.

God tolerates a lot from us, I think because he’s a gracious God. But he won’t tolerate everything. As I watch what’s happening, and sometimes am tempted to join Christians who are jumping on the tolerance bandwagon, it’s good to be reminded that God won’t tolerate everything. And people who mistake his patience for unconcern or impotence run the same risk Herod did.

God is in control, and he will not be mocked.