Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Judges+006

 

Judges Chapter 6（ESV）

The Call of Gideon

11 Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

 

REFLECTION

Have I gone through a long period when God seemed distant, silent, and stoic to the set of circumstances that have ground the life out of me?  When I cried out to Him, did an answer come?  If so, how did it come?  What scripture did God bring to mind that helped take the focus off of me and put it onto Him?  What promise did He give me to trust?  What command did He give me to obey?

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord,

How hard it is for me to see myself as a mighty warrior,

me the runt of the litter.

So often I’ve seen myself as someone merely grinding out my daily bread,

not someone going off to battle.

And yet You’ve singled me out not to farm but to fight.

Help me to go forward in the strength You’ve given me,

trusting Your promise to be with me,

obeying Your command that has sent me,

and focusing on Your adequacy rather than my inadequacy.

Please help me with the image I have of myself as so small and weak…

 

HYMN

I Will Wait For You (Psalm 130) – youtu.be/CFRLyDIrDn4

 

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Judges Chapter 5（ESV）

The Song of Deborah and Barak

1 Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:

2 “That the leaders took the lead in Israel,

that the people offered themselves willingly,

bless the Lord!

3 “Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;

to the Lord I will sing;

I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.

4 “Lord, when you went out from Seir,

when you marched from the region of Edom,

the earth trembled

and the heavens dropped,

yes, the clouds dropped water.

5 The mountains quaked before the Lord,

even Sinai before the Lord, the God of Israel.

6 “In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,

in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned,

and travelers kept to the byways.

7 The villagers ceased in Israel;

they ceased to be until I arose;

I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.

8 When new gods were chosen,

then war was in the gates.

Was shield or spear to be seen

among forty thousand in Israel?

9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel

who offered themselves willingly among the people.

Bless the Lord.

 

REFLECTION

1. Deborah’s song praises God for His deliverance and for the people’s cooperation with God (v2). Deborah rejoices to see the Israelites once again worshiping God and placing themselves in His hands.  As we see again and again through the Old Testament, this devotion and cooperation never remained constant.  The people cycled from living “with God” to living “with gods” that enticed them.  Only by God’s continued leading and the people’s ongoing cooperation would they see God’s good promise worked out.
2. Deborah modeled willing cooperation with God. In a patriarchal society, she took on the role of highest leadership, offering her gifts and her passion to God for His use.  Her deep devotion and commitment to guiding others back into the “with-God” life led her to become a model of discipleship for all generations.
3. In my life right now, am I more in the position of Deborah, guiding and encouraging people to offer themselves wholly to God, or in the position of the Israelite people needing this encouragement?

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord, help me to “count myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 6:11); to dedicate myself forever to You, truly no longer having control over my own life, but to wholeheartedly surrender my life to You without any hesitation. Grant me grace so that I may be kept from cycling as the Israelites did between offering myself to God and offering myself to idolatry.

 

HYMN

Lay Me Down – youtu.be/5zqPjzBjVco

 

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Judges Chapter 4（ESV）

4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. 7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” 8 Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” 9 And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.

 

REFLECTION

1. Deborah served Israel as judge, prophet, spiritual leader, and guide during a period some two hundred years after the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land. In this story, we see a contrast between Deborah, a woman who is obedient to God, and Barak a man who lacks confidence and trust that God will be with him.
2. In the opening chapters of Judges, women are respected; they even occupy positions of authority and leadership such as Deborah. However, as the book proceeds, the deteriorating conditions caused by the people’s disobedience increasingly lead to the victimization of women.  Then, as now, the equitable treatment of women and all those without power is a major indicator of a people’s adherence to God’s will and practice justice and righteousness.

 

PRAYER

Father, I thank You for no one can hinder Your work.  You’ve chosen the weak and foolish of the world to accomplish great things for You.  Help me not to reject Your calling lest I miss out on Your blessings.

 

HYMN

Gracefully Broken – youtu.be/31qv5dBYkZ8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Judges+003

 

Judges Chapter 3（ESV）

Othniel

7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. 8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

 

REFLECTION

1. God intended for our lives to be an unbroken walk of fellowship with the Lord. Our experience is distorted because of sin.  God’s promise is to restore us whenever we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.  However, repentance is not simply a turning from our sins but also a turning to God and the purposes He has for our lives.  When we forget God’s forgiveness and grace, and return to the same sins again and again, our hearts can become hardened against God.
2. This chapter briefly outlines the story-cycle of two early judges.

Israelites	Othniel	Ehud
Sin	v7	v 12
Servitude	v 8	v 13-14
Supplication	v 9	v 15
Salvation	v 9-10	v 13-29
Silence	v 11	v 30

3. We can break cycles like this in our lives only by obedience to God and resisting the temptation to sin.

 

PRAYER

Lord, the cycles in the book of Judges illustrate the monotony of sin and the creativity of Your saving works on behalf of Your people.  May I not linger under sin’s dominion, but quickly return to You when I fall into disobedience.

 

HYMN

Lord, I Need You – youtu.be/c6ocJ3zd6Ks

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Judges+002

 

Judges Chapter 2（ESV）

The Death of Joshua

6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.

 

REFLECTION

1. This passage makes it clear that each generation influences the next. Here the text tells us that “after the whole generation (which had fought with Joshua for Canaan) had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel” (v10).  Somehow a whole generation had failed to communicate the reality of its experience with God to the next.  The parents failed to trust God and their children didn’t know God.
2. We can’t guarantee our children will know the Lord or live for Him. But if we trust God enough to act on His Word, if we are obedient in our daily lives, our children will never be able to say of God, “I didn’t know Him.”
3. There is nothing more important we can do for our children than love, trust, and obey the Lord; and teach them in His ways.

 

PRAYER

God, indeed there is no guarantee that I can influence anyone to know You and trust You.  However, help me to live a life of trusting, loving and obeying You daily.  Use me as an instrument for You to influence and change the lives of those that are dear to me.

 

HYMN

Only Jesus – youtu.be/VXIBP2BdYR8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Judges+001

 

Introduction

The books of Joshua and Judges tell the story of the early years of Israel as a nation. They describe how the Israelites conquer and occupy the land of Canaan, and then struggle to live up to their covenant with God. The Bible’s drama here moves to an important new stage—God’s people are in God’s land. Yet it becomes clear that the road to reconciliation between God and humanity will not be easy.

The story describes the preparations and battles of Israel’s invasion, as well as how the land was divided among the tribes. Since pockets of resistance remained, Joshua in his final speech urges each tribe to take full possession of its territory. Next he leads the people to renew their commitment to the covenant relationship with God.

Judges then relates the troubling cycle of Israel’s repeated covenant breaking, falling under the rule of other nations, and then crying out to God for help. God responds by raising up “judges” to fight for them and save them. But the relief is temporary as Israel falls back into wrongdoing once again. (“Judges” are both military leaders and legal authorities.)

Just as Israel was made up of twelve tribes, so the book tells of twelve judges. But as the people persist in going their own way, we see that they have rejected their true Judge and Ruler. As the anarchy and atrocities increase, Israel’s need for a king becomes more evident. By the end the questions are urgent: Can Israel fulfill its destiny and calling to be God’s light to the nations? Who can rule Israel to help it find its proper role in the drama?

www.bible.com/zh-TW/bible/111/JOS.INTRO1.NIV

 
Judges Chapter 1 （ESV）

17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. …….

27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.

29 And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.

31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob, 32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

 

REFLECTION

v17, the total destruction of Canaanite cities symbolizes total devotion and obedience to God and God’s purposes (Deut 20:17-18). The other tribes did not follow Judah’s example. They failed to drive out the Canaanites in their territory, they simply enslaved them. This hesitation to obey God led to dire consequences for the people of Israel, as we will see in the rest of the Book of Judges. Disobeying God’s commands for us means that we are outside His will; and the result is that what we experience falls short of what is best for us.

 

PRAYER

Invite the Holy Spirit to examine my heart. Is there any issue in my life that I am struggling with? In what ways am I cooperating with what God is doing and how am I in opposition to Him?

 

HYMN

Have Thine Own Way, Lord – youtu.be/0CYI1zgiWzc

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Romans+016

 

Romans 16 English Standard Version (ESV)

Personal Greetings

¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, ² that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.⁵ Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

 

REFLECTION

• The list of names in this chapter reveals the warm and loving relationships which bound the early church together.  Paul was not just a theologian, he was a friend.  He did not just count up converts; he cared for people as individuals.
• Let this remind us that in the eyes of God and in the church of Jesus, each person is important enough to be known by name.
• How many people do you know by name at your church?  Bring out the church directory / photo album and read it through.  Upon the ones you don’t recognize, mark it up.  Begin to notice and get to know these brothers and sisters in the church.

 

PRAYER

Lord, as I see this long list that Paul has written, I see Your life and great love manifested in him. Each name on this list represents someone who was in his heart, and they were in Your heart as well. This list reminds me that every person who appears in my life is a precious, unique, and beautiful creation of God. You love each and every one of us, regardless of our appearance, background, experiences, or character. You accept and embrace us all. You gave Your life for each and every one of us, and like a shepherd, You gather us together, unwilling for any of us to be lost. Lord, in the church and in many other circumstances, I have come to know many people. Some I am familiar with, some I only know by name, and there are even some whose names I have forgotten. Today, I want to place all these people in my heart once again. I lift them up into Your hands. May they become Your little lambs, and may their names have a place in Your book of life. Amen!

 

HYMN

He Knows My Name – youtu.be/hXsiWoyjw60

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Romans+015

 

Romans 15 English Standard Version (ESV)

The Example of Christ

¹ We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

⁸ For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs,⁹ and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name.”

¹⁰ And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him.”

¹² And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

 

REFLECTION

• Paul reminds us of the attitude we must have if the unity of the body of Christ is to be preserved. We are to “bear with the failings of the weak”. For Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of our fellow believer, we “please [our] neighbor for his good, to build him up”. We are to “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed” us.
• Jesus opened His heart and welcomed us when we were sinners, hostile toward God, clothed in the filthy rags of our own pretentions of righteousness, and despite our flaws. This is how we are to relate to others. And just as Jesus’ redeeming love has begun to transform our lives, so in a loving, accepting community of faith, the sinful and the weak will also be transformed.
• Paul concludes this passage with a vivid prayer (v. 13). Consider these words, and try to picture this reality. How can we become those whose lives overflow with joy, peace and hope?
• Spend time praising God for the joy, peace and hope we have in Christ. Think of a person to pray for with v13.

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for speaking to me once again through the teachings of Paul today, helping me understand that to please You, I should not seek my own pleasure. I desire to learn the character of humility and selflessness from You, speaking words that build others up with love. By doing so, You will grant me heavenly peace and joy, and I will have hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to offer the prayer of St. Francis as my prayer to You today: Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt, let me sow faith. Where there is despair, let me sow hope. Where there is darkness, let me sow light. Where there is sadness, let me sow joy.  Oh, Lord, help me to seek less for myself, to seek less to be comforted, but rather seek to bring comfort to others. Help me to seek less to be understood, but rather seek to understand others. Help me to seek less for love, but rather give love wholeheartedly. In forgiving, we are forgiven. In letting go, we receive. In embracing death, we enter eternal life. Amen!

 

HYMN

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace – youtu.be/g8eorCEMIK4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Romans+014

 

Romans 14 English Standard Version (ESV)

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

¹ As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ² One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³ Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.⁴ Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

⁵ One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰ Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; ¹¹ for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”

¹² So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

 

REFLECTION

• The Bible contains many clear commands. But it is also silent or ambiguous about many moral issues. These “gray” areas have always been a source of dispute and conflict among Christians. What principles should guide us when our actions are criticized by others or when we feel critical toward them?
• Paul launched into the very heart of the issue. “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions”. Paul reminds us that the church of Jesus Christ is God’s family. Here every child of God is to experience welcome, and so feel the great value God places on him or her. The church of Jesus is home; it’s where we can relax and be ourselves, knowing that here we belong. And here we are loved.
• Therefore, acceptance is one of the most important gifts you can give another person. And one of the most valuable gifts you will ever receive.
• However we may differ from others about issues the Bible does not label as “sin”, and however passionately our convictions are held, our brother or sister in Christ has been accepted by God. And we are to welcome him or her too.
• Thank God for His gift of acceptance to you. And ask God to help you give freely and gladly the gift of Acceptance to someone this week.

 

PRAYER

Lord, I thank and praise You! Though I am a wretched sinner, You still love me and accept me. You sacrificed Yourself on the cross for me while I was still a sinner, to demonstrate God’s great love for all humanity. Today, by faith, I have become Your disciple and a child of God, and I must strive to live a life that aligns with the faith I have received. I desire to emulate Your sacrificial love, living a life of humility, gentleness, holiness, and selflessness. I desire to imitate Your acceptance of me by accepting those around me, including the unbelieving, disobedient, and weak in faith. As I interact with my brothers and sisters in the church, we may have differing opinions on many matters, but through Your love, we can learn to be patient, tolerant, and supportive of one another. Grant us a spirit of unity, breaking down the walls that divide us, so that we may learn to love one another in the sacrificial love You have shown us. Amen!

 

HYMN

House of the Lord – youtu.be/IqfV0zeEvT8

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Romans+013

 

Romans 13 English Standard Version (ESV)

Submission to the Authorities

¹ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷ Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

 

REFLECTION

• In this passage, Paul commands Christians to fulfill your obligations as a citizen.  Pay your taxes, pay your bills, and respect your leaders.  For Christians submission is a choice we make freely, gladly. We live as good citizens of our nation, because we are citizens of Jesus’ kingdom, and represent Him here on earth.
• What is your obligation as a citizen to Canada and to the kingdom of God?  In what specific ways can you respect your leaders?
• Find a list of names of your local officials (mayor, city councillor) as well as your MPP and MP.  Pray for each one of them by name.  Pray that God would use them to lead wisely and justly.

 

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for revealing to us the supreme truth: that we should love our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and love our neighbors as ourselves. This is the essence of God’s law and the teachings of all the prophets. When You came into the world, You did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it with Your great love. Lord, I pray that You be with me every day, engraving this invaluable truth on the tablet of my heart with Your love. Make me humble, gentle, patient, and forgiving, never seeking to harm others. For all the debts and hurts I have caused to others, especially to my loved ones, I am willing to make every effort to make amends and seek their forgiveness and reconciliation. Grant me courage and wisdom to know how to act. Remind me daily to fulfill my responsibilities in various roles, to submit to and respect authorities, to be a good member of my family, a responsible citizen of my country, and above all, to be a good citizen of the kingdom of heaven, pleasing to You. Amen!

 

HYMN

Shine Jesus Shine – youtu.be/nTIGVIcHsFE