November 15 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

Romans 13:1-10

¹Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
²Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
³For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
⁴For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
⁵Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
⁶For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
⁷Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
⁸Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
⁹For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Devotional:

It is obvious that God expects church leaders to enhance their authority by ruling well, as Timothy admonished the elders (I Timothy 3:5). Ruling well in the home is a criterion of our ability to rule well elsewhere.

But as parents we do not possess authority basically because we have earned it. Our authority has been established by God. It is delegated.

God is a God of order, hating confusion and anarchy. No one knows as He does the state of man's heart. He is aware of the incipient rebellion in the spirit of a fallen man, even when that man has been redeemed. So he has set up a framework in which men are to operate. He has set up authority. That is why even the worst of governments is to be respected since it is better than no government at all!

There is such a thing, also, as usurped authority, or self-delegated authority. The woman who decides that her husband is not going to rule over her, or the child who resists his parents' control, is like the person in Romans 13:2 who resists authority in a civil government and, like this person, the woman or child is opposing the ordinance of God.

God's perfect plan, woven into the warp and woof of creation and human history, may not be circumvented. We are to 'render to all their dues' (13:7). This is 'for good' in the state, in the church, and in the home (13:4).

Husband and father, God has made you to exercise authority. Do you wield this authority in accordance with His law of love? Do you rule in awe, remembering it is only because God delegated authority to you that you have a right to it?