Daily Dose of Hope

March 23, 2026

Scripture: Romans 13

Prayer: Holy and Almighty God, We come to you today in humility but also with expectancy. We need to hear a word from you. We need to sense your presence and be reminded of how you walk alongside us. In these next few moments of silence, help us settle our mind and gather our scattered thoughts, focusing on you and you alone...In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope daily Bible reading plan. We are currently journeying through Paul's pastoral letters and we find ourselves in Romans. This is our sixth letter.

Today's reading is Romans 13. This chapter begins with a text about submitting to the governing authorities. This is an interesting one, considering that most of the disciples and even Paul did not obey the governing authorities, continuing to preach the Gospel many times after being thrown in jail and told to stop. And throughout the ages, many Christians have boldly (I would say rightly) challenged their governments in times of war and persecution.

So remember, when something doesn't seem right on the surface when we read Scripture, we need to go deeper. I personally think that Paul is teaching that authority as a structure exists because God is a God of order, not chaos. In a perfect world (and we know that doesn't exist but stay with me here), government exists to provide law and order, to punish evil, and protect the innocent. Government is God-created and should be a good thing. But to honor or submit to the government does not mean never to question or even challenge it. This Scripture does not teach blind obedience, even though some might have you believe it. Why? Because our ultimate submission is to God first.

And Paul is not saying every command from every leader automatically equals the will of God. If that were the case, Daniel would have sinned by praying to God when the law said not to. The apostles would have been sinning when they preached the Gospel after being told not to. Paul would have been sinning when he continued to spread the Good News. We submit to God first. He is our ultimate governing authority. Thus, we can honor our leaders and pray for them, but the laws of God always trump the laws of man. Governments are intended to protect us and provide accountability but they never replace God's perfect laws of justice, love, and compassion. Respect for the laws of the land NEVER replaces the laws of God. Hope that helps.

Let's move on in the chapter. Paul goes on to say that love actually fulfills the law. When we say yes to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and makes a home within us, changing us from the inside out. We become new people and that change should be obvious in how we treat people, the words we speak, and how we behave. Paul is getting at this truth. He makes the point that because the day of salvation has come, we should behave accordingly. We should experience salvation to its fullest now as we will experience salvation in its fullness in the future when Jesus returns.

There is an urgency to this. We aren't supposed to sit around, eat bonbons, and think, "One day I'll get my act together." Rather, the time is now. Not only do we never know what the future holds, but we also know to whom we belong and who we represent. Of course, we will mess up here and there, but overall, our speech and actions should reflect mature Christ-followers, people who are striving for a life characterized by holiness. This isn't legalistic but comes from a true desire to look more like Jesus.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki