ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 6 DAY 4

Mark 6:21-29

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately 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, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and 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 his body and laid it in a tomb.

Consider these statements below:

“Horror movies don’t bother me, I just think they're funny.”

“I just like the music, I don’t listen to the words.”

“I know they put a lot of garbage in that show, but it is such a good story.”

We talked yesterday about the danger of wanting our ears tickled, but keeping our heart unchanged. The problem is, when entertainment is the goal, overtime our hearts are changed by what entertains us the most. When we are enslaved to entertainment, anything is acceptable if it entertains us; anything becomes excusable as “just entertainment.” 

Slowly we become used to, or addicted to, things that do not please God. We more easily give into the pressures of the world around us, just like Herod did. His lust for entertainment caused him to make a rash oath, because the dancing pleased him.  His loyalty to people, over God, caused him to follow through with that oath and kill John the Baptist, a man he knew to be “righteous and holy.”

Have you recently excused something as entertainment and let it have lordship over your mind and heart? Confess it before God, and agree with Him that it is sin. Then agree with God that He has forgiven you and Jesus paid the price for that sin! Next time you encounter “entertainment” that grieves the heart of God, ask Him to help you turn away.