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Disobeying Authorities
• Charity M. Kiregyera • Daniel 3:16–18, Acts 4:16–22, Acts 5:27–42, Exodus 1:15–21
Years back, my nephew told what he had experienced. His mother, who at the time was not a Christian (she has since been saved), was trying to take him and his sister to a witchcraft-worker supposedly to get protection. The girl refused, but the boy went. When asked later why he had agreed to go, the boy responded, “but God says to obey your father and mother.”
While God commands us to obey our parents (Ephesians 6:1-3) and other authorities, these authorities are supposed to honor those who do right and only punish those who do wrong (Romans 13:1-4). So, when human authorities demand we do evil and break the commandments of Almighty God, who is the Highest Authority, we should not obey them.
The apostles of the Lord Jesus, Peter and John, refused to obey the religious authorities who commanded them—more than once—to stop speaking in the name of Jesus. Peter and John were arrested after performing miraculous signs and sharing the good news of Jesus. The Jewish religious authorities told the two apostles not to
speak or teach in the name of Jesus again. “But Peter and John replied, ‘Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him?’” (Acts 4:19). So they continued to preach the message that “Jesus is the Messiah” every day (Acts 5:42).
In the Old Testament, two Hebrew midwives—Shiphrah and Puah—were commanded by Pharaoh to kill all the male children at birth. These midwives were faced with a choice: to obey the human authority, the pharaoh, and kill Hebrew baby boys, or to obey God, who is the Highest Authority. They chose to obey God. The midwives disobeyed Pharoah’s orders and delivered the babies alive! God was pleased and dealt well with these women (Exodus 1:15-21).
Then, three Hebrew boys—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar’s orders to worship a golden statue, even though Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them alive into a burning fiery furnace. They knew God could save them from the furnace, but even if He didn’t, they told the king, “we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18). The boys chose to continue worshipping the only true and living God. And God rescued them from the fire. • Charity Kiregyera
• Have you ever faced a situation where you had to choose between obeying God and obeying a person? When you find yourself in such a situation, you need help and support, counsel and encouragement. Who are trusted Christians—such as pastors, parents, and church elders—you can go to for help?
The apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Acts 5:29b (NLT)
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The Geese Listen
• Rick Taylor • 1 Kings 19:11–13, Matthew 6:26, Mark 9:7, Psalm 104:27
We live by a lake in the northwest. If we awoke from a twenty-year-long nap, like in the story of Rip Van Winkle, and we didn’t know what month it was, we could guess by looking at the lake. Different seasons bring us different wildlife, mostly waterfowl.
Canada geese drop in to rest each spring and fall as they head north or south. They fill the skies, obeying God’s call to go where He has prepared a place. Later, white-backed mergansers come in their dozens and stay the winter, chasing fish and snails that multiplied all summer. Round black coots, painted wood ducks, and buffleheads all spend the late winter finding different food in and around the lake.
In summer, they’re replaced by gangly cormorants and green-headed mallards with fluffy ducklings. Hummingbirds, swallows, and woodpeckers return too. Each is called here in their season to receive the bounty God provides. They hear, trust, and come.
“Listen” is one of the most frequent commands in the Bible. In the NIV, the word "listen" appears more often than "trust," "praise," "obey," and even "worship." However, the word "love" exceeds them all. As you listen for God’s call, listen especially for love. God invites us to trust His love for each of us, which He perfectly expressed in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God the Father tells us to listen to Jesus, who is God the Son (Mark 9:7). And as we follow Jesus, our loving God helps us to love one another.
As you spend time in God’s Word and listen to the “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12) that He speaks just to you, remember that the lake God has for you may be different from the one He has for your friends. Every year, I watch different geese fly past us for weeks. They don’t all stop by our lake because they each get a unique call. Similarly, all Christians are called by the same God, but our lives will not look the same. God has given us each unique paths. And, as we listen to Him, we can trust that the God who cares for the birds will also care for us. • Rick Taylor
• How do we learn to listen to God? If we know Jesus, the Holy Spirit is in us, reminding us of everything Jesus has said and helping us discern God’s voice (John 14:26). We also need to talk to trusted Christians and help each other answer questions like: "Does this agree with the Bible?" "Does this glorify God the Father and God the Son(John 16:12-15)?" "Does this bring the fruit of the Spirit and hope (Galatians 5:22-23; John 10:10) or condemnation and fear (John 3:17; Romans 8:1)?" "Who are trusted Christian mentors or peers you could talk to about this?"
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. Psalm 104:27 (NIV)
