August 05, 2025 | Be God's Family
Submitting to Authority
Scripture: Hebrews 13:17a(NIV)
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Devotional
Wow, did we just get a doozy of a verse today? "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority." Really God, have you met my congressperson?
We just read the easiest translation of this verse too. The King James says, "obey those who rule over you, and be submissive." Oh boy, does that grate on our American ears! "Obey" and "submit" have become dirty words in our culture.
If those are tough words for us to hear today, imagine Paul's audience thinking about their Imperial Roman leaders when he wrote, "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted." (Romans 13:1-2)
After years of listening to people on both sides say, "not my president," maybe we have hit on something after all. God's word says it IS NOT your president. Neither is it your congressman, your mayor, your judge, nor your police officer. They are His and He put them right where they are! They might be in that position for an ultimate good we cannot see. They could be there as a judgement on our actions like the Assryian and Babylonian kings were. God's reason for establishing them might not even be about you. Regardless, HE put them where they are. And if we are to respect HIM, we must respect THEM.
If you cannot respect the person holding the office, you should respect the office itself. Or, as Paul put it in Romans 13:7, "Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor."
In this day and age of social media, it seems like the only voices that get magnified are the ones assuming the worst in the motives of their opponents.
I think every Christian reading this devotional would like to think we give the benefit of the doubt to people and generally try to assume the best in other's actions. Why is it we have such a hard time extending the same grace to our leaders?
Let's commit today to honor our leaders so we can properly honor our greater leader, God.
Poem
I Hope Someone Is Praying
(A Pastor's Plea)
Psalm 70
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 70:5
I hope someone is praying
Someone upon their knees
Ready for Sunday worship
Lord, praying now for me
As I will stand before them
Delivering Your word
That what I speak does come from You
That Spirit’s voice be heard
I hope someone is praying
As I sit by the sick
As I lift up the dying
As consciences I prick
Administering business
Or battl’ing evil’s war
I hope someone is praying
And holding up my arms
I hope someone is praying
When I grow weary, tired
When times I want to quit my call
When by the load I’m tried
Or even when I’m blessing
And joy fills every hour
I hope someone is praying
All asking for Your power
I hope someone is praying
Lord, as I pray to Thee
I know You are at God’s right hand
For me You intercede
Remind me when I’m tired
Or feel like I’m alone
There is no great truth on earth
That by You I am known
