Today’s Reading: Acts 24

“Because of you, most excellent Felix, we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight.
Acts 24:2b

The subtext here is important. 

Just as with Jesus before Pilate, the religious authorities defer to and flatter the secular authorities. For years, prior to Jesus’s arrival, many religious authorities reacted against Roman rule. They yearned for the day when they would be a free people in their land again, ruling themselves. Of all the peoples subjugated by Roman rule, the Israelites were a rare people who reacted against the Romans. 

But here, with Paul in jail and coming before secular authorities, the religious leaders try and persuade the secular authorities, the Romans, to do their work for them. Time and again in scripture, across both testaments, God calls the people of God to be different, to trust God to provide for them, and to not trust secular authorities. In the Old Testament, this is at the heart of Baal worship or any other form of idolatry: the people are to trust God to provide and not rely on secular authorities. Here, this is its own form of idolatry, with the religious authorities putting trust not in God, but in Roman rule, the same rule they had historically worked against.

Before we judge the religious authorities of Paul’s day too harshly, we must be willing to take a look at ourselves. When do we look for the federal or state government to provide for us religiously, instead of trusting God and leaning not on our own understandings? When has Christianity relied too heavily on secular authorities? In this time of election, where do we see that? 

God calls on us to be different, to trust God to provide, and not rely on secular governments nor authorities. 

Think
Where do you see Christianity relying on secular authorities? What does it mean to place trust in God’s hands, rather than governments? 

Pray
Pray for our governments, for the election, as God commands us to do, and then pray for God to act for the good of the faithful everywhere. 

Do
Find a way to serve others, for its to service to the least of these that we find our power as Christians.

Think, Pray, Do. As we respond in faith to scripture, God moves in power through our minds, hearts, and bodies. We are the people of God. Thanks for reading today. Go in peace. Amen.

Think, Pray, Do devotionals by Ted Goshorn follow the suggested bible reading plan from his website and book, Prayer Changes Us. Find this Bible reading plan at tedgoshorn.org/biblereading. If you have found today’s devotion helpful, don’t forget to subscribe for daily emails at tedgoshorn.org and share with others that we may think, pray, and do faithfully.