The Whole Story: A Life in God's Kingdom, Part TwoSample

Daily Reflection: After a life of ministry that served to herald the coming of the King and his Kingdom, John’s death, brought about by the whims of people driven by greed, selfishness, and pride, serves as a foreshadowing for the impending death of Jesus. If we look closely, we can see aspects of ourselves in each character of this story. The insecurity of Herod who doesn’t want to look foolish in front of his guests, the anger and offense of which Herodias could not let go, or even the innocence of John, who demonstrated loyalty to God’s family and yet still endured persecution.

Daily Demonstration: As you go about your day today, take a moment to reflect on your own life. How can you demonstrate loyalty to God’s family? Whether it’s letting go of the offense, embracing your identity as a child of the King, or remembering that suffering is a part of every believer’s life. Take comfort in knowing that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (see 2 Corinthians 4:17).