Rulers Do Not Take It Well – January 24, 2022

You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.”
Acts 4:25,26

Rulers Do Not Take It Well

The Bible tells us about a young man named Timothy who was mentored by a famous missionary named Paul. There are even two books of the Bible—1 Timothy and 2 Timothy—named after him. Both books are letters written to him by Paul.

Timothy’s life wasn’t always easy. For example, we know that he was imprisoned for being a Christian. Hebrews 13:23 says, “I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released.” That’s not commonly talked about when Timothy is remembered, but it shouldn’t surprise us. David, who lived a thousand years before Jesus died, said that kings of the earth rise up against the Lord. Just twenty years after Jesus rose from the dead, rulers banded together to have Timothy and others arrested.

It is still going on today. Whole nations rage against the Lord, rejecting the morality of the Bible and scoffing at the news of forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus.

But not so with you. Like Timothy, who remained faithful to the end, you have no reason to rage or plot against the Lord. Instead, you can take comfort that God is stronger than any nation, king, or ruler. When government officials thought they had put an end to Jesus’ work by killing him, he rose from the dead and demonstrated how God uses even powerful opposition to carry out his purpose.

God’s purpose is to love you. God’s purpose is to save you. No ruler can prevent him from doing that for you.

Prayer:
Lord God, I do not have power over governments, but you do. Grant us a peaceful society where we are free to learn about your love for us in Jesus. Amen.