Today's Devotional

January 4, 2005

Subject:  You Didn't Put Me Here, God Did

John 19:10-11 - "Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin."

A friend was telling me yesterday how upset a Christian radio host was with the actions of our President.  The radio host feels that he and "his people" are owed a sense of allegiance and the President's submission to their agenda because they "elected" him.   In other words, we put you in office and we can take you out of office if you do not respond favorably to us.  Well that's the democratic process for you.  

This is quite like the type of attitude that Pilate had when Christ was brought before him for trial.  Pilate felt as though Jesus surely didn't understand the system.  "I'm in charge and everybody jumps when I say jump."  Well that may be how Pilate felt and that may even be how we at times dictate our desires to people, but Jesus responds with a quote that would serve us all well to remember when people begin to "lord" their authority over us as though we owe them for what God has done.  Paraphrased, He said, "you're not responsible for where I am, God is."  

The Christian radio host feels like he and his people elected the President, so he owes them.  In reality, all authority is given by God and they are responsible to Him for their actions.   We would love for the President, our husbands and wives, our children and friends, our neighbors and coworkers to all be on our agenda and respond to our desires, but in the end, they don't owe us, they owe God.     

Carlen