Daily Devotion

Audio

Living Honourably Under Authority

Today is Thursday, 22nd of May. Let us be still before the Lord.

We pray along in the words of Psalm 57: 1-11:

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    till the storms of destruction pass by.
² I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
³ He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

⁴ My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶ They set a net for my steps;
    my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸     Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰ For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning,
is now, and shall be forever. Amen.

1 Peter 2:13-17

¹³ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

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Reflection

The excitement of national elections may have passed, but the ongoing work of governing a nation continues. As Christians, Scripture offers us guidance on how we are to view and respond to those in authority.

In 1 Peter, we are reminded that moral submission to governing authorities is part of God’s will. Our freedom in Christ is never a license to act irresponsibly or to justify wrongdoing. Instead, we are called to use our freedom to serve God—by living honourably and lawfully.

Rather than seeking loopholes or testing the boundaries of civil laws, we are to live with a deeper motivation: to be faithful servants of God. This includes honouring those in authority, as well as our fellow citizens.

“Honour everyone”—this simple yet profound command speaks directly to our conduct, both in public and private spheres. As followers of Christ, we are not to participate in rumour-mongering, character attacks, or the frenzy of social media slander. We are called to be people of respect, dignity, and grace.

We are blessed in Singapore to live in a nation guided—however imperfectly—by principles of justice, integrity, and righteousness. In many parts of the world, Christians find it far more difficult to apply this teaching literally, especially under unjust or oppressive regimes.

Let us be thankful for the peace and order we enjoy, and at the same time, let us remember in prayer our brothers and sisters who live under harsh governments, that they too may shine as lights in dark places.

Collect

Here is an old prayer for countries which is applicable to ours:

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage:
We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will.
Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.
Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues.
Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home,
and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth.
In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness,
and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail;
all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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Link to today’s Morning Office