Week 27 Devotions

July 2 - - As we have been reading about the various kings of Judah, Israel, and other nations, it is obvious that the direction of a whole kingdom of people is largely determined by the moral compass of it’s leader or leaders. “When the wicked are in authority, sin increases” (Proverbs 29:16). “When there is moral rot within a nation, it’s government topples easily. But with wise and knowledgeable leaders, there is stability” (28:2). Paul writes in the New Testament, “Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God” (Romans 13:1&2). Ideally, governments exist to help protect moral order for it’s citizens. And moral order can only exist when government’s laws are based on God’s laws. If individuals within a society are disobeying God’s laws, then government has the moral responsibility and authority to punish those doing wrong (Rom.13:3-7; I Peter 2:13-17). On the other hand, a Christian has no moral obligation to obey government’s laws that directly conflict with God’s laws (Acts 4:19-22; 5:26-33). But, God has demonstrated His ability to use both good governments and bad governments in ultimately accomplishing His plans (Isa.14:26&27). Christians are to pray for those in authority in government, that God would give them wisdom in establishing and enforcing His laws (I Timothy 2:2). Why? “So that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.” Christians should also pray that godly people be in positions of leadership in government. Why? Because if godly people are not in positions of leadership within government, a nation of people will not live in “peace and quietness.” The writer of Proverbs reminds us, “When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding” (28:12). “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan” (29:2). With God on our side and with prayer at our disposal, we are responsible for the kind of government that will lead us, and the kind of nation we will be. If we are content to let the wicked rule, we have no right to complain. If we desire the godly to rule, then we must pray for those in present and future authority over us. And we must do what is necessary to see that God’s laws are what we are governed by and not man’s laws. For scripture reminds us that God will bless that nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12). What type of government do you want leading you? What are you doing to establish such a government? July 5 - - No matter how nice the house is that we live in or the number of houses we may own; no matter how intelligent we may be or the degrees behind our name; no matter how famous we may be or the number of famous people we call our friend; death is an unbiased equalizer. Solomon says, “none of us has the power to prevent the day of our death” (Ecclesiastes 8:8). The Psalmist assures us that no one has sufficient enough riches to escape the grave (Psalm 49:6-9). Our wisdom and our careful planning cannot prevent us from escaping the same fate which visits us all (49:10&11). Because this is true, Solomon went so far as to conclude, “it is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time” (Ecc.7:2). Funerals help us reflect on how we want to end this race we call life. Jerusalem is often equated with heaven. “So he took me in the spirit to a great, high mountain and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It was filled with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper” (Revelation 22:10&11; Isaiah 60:1&2,19). The Psalmist says, “Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem” (84:5). In other words, those who “set their sights on the realities of heaven,” who “do not think only about things down on earth,” who “let heaven fill their thoughts” (Colossians 3:1&2); those who “place their hope in the resurrection to a better life” (Hebrews 11:35), and those who “look ahead to the great reward God will give them” (Heb.11:26) will discover when they physically die, an existence that “no eye has ever seen here on earth, no ear has ever heard, and no mind can even begin to compre-hend” (I Corinthians 2:9). “A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!” (Psalm 84:10). Far better to be a gatekeeper in the house of God than possess financial riches in the house of the wicked. God will not withhold anything good from those who love Him and do what is right (84:11). We should all long for that day when the Lord says, “this one has become a citizen of Jerusalem” (87:6). So, what are you doing right now to plan for that day? What steps are you taking and decisions are you making to someday see the new Jerusalem? We would be wise to think about such things because death does come to us all.