Devotional - June 21, 2004

Whom should you obey: the king who is giving bad orders or your sense of reason that tells you you're dead if you do? It may sound like a simple decision, but when you're in a position of authority and you answer to someone else, disobeying an order can lead to destruction to both you and your men. The third of three captains leading fifty soldiers learned that death might be certain in either case.

After two previous scout parties of fifty men and their captain were killed by fire from heaven, the third captain decided to reason with the man of God responsible for their death. (2Ki 1:14) The prophet's name was Elijah and he too answered to a higher authority whose name is Jehovah. In response to the captain's appeal, God interceded and withheld judgment on the soldiers and their captain.

The way you deal with authority can either make or break your day. Elijah's was faithful to obey God. His duties as a prophet was ending, but that of his young servant named Elisha was just beginning.

In Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas preached the word of God boldly, but some Jews incited a riot against them and stopped God's work in progress. How did they do it? They fired up some God fearing women of high standing and some male leaders of the city to provoke others into action against the evangelists.

Obedience to authority can be a good thing unless the authority you obey is at war against God. Be careful in that case for you may find yourself at war with God and He answers to no one.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( 2 Ki. 1:1-2:25 Ac. 13:42-14:7 Ps. 139:1-24 Pr. 17:19-21 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society