Under God or Under What?

October 15, 2017

Under God or Under What?

1 Peter 2:13-17

God gave the people of Israel the Old Testament to instruct them and to offer the nation hope. The Father’s commands were designed not to ruin His children’s fun, but rather to help them avoid harm.

In Deuteronomy 8:19, we see that God holds believers accountable: He will bless and protect them, but if they turn away, they can expect His judgment. Were He to operate in any other way, He would be permissive and unreliable. But we can trust the Lord to do exactly what He says, because the Bible records that’s just how He interacted with His beloved nation of Israel. In fact, Israel’s history was a continuous cycle of blessing, waywardness, judgment, repentance, and blessing. If God deals with the “apple of His eye” this way, what can we expect?

We can count on the Lord being true to His principles, no matter which country we call home. According to Romans 13, believers are to be respectful, responsible citizens because “all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Rom. 13:1, Rom. 13:6-7 NLT). Those who observe His standards can anticipate blessing, just as repercussions await those who ignore biblical principles.

The Lord is long-suffering, but if we deliberately ignore His guidance, we can expect to deal with the consequences. 2 Chronicles 7:14 encouraged believers of that day to humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from their wicked ways. We must do the same if we want God to hear from heaven and heal our lands.

Bible in One Year: Mark 6-7