Bible:
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. Exodus 2:1-2 ESV
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Hebrews 11:23 ESV
We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29b
Reflection:
In the United States in 1961, it was illegal in some states for black people to ride in the front of a bus, and for white people to ride in the back of a bus. There were separate restrooms and waiting areas for black and white people in these states. These laws came about because many people thought that black people weren’t as good as white people. But there were other people who knew that this was wrong. In 1961 some black and white people together organized what they called Freedom Rides. They got on buses that were traveling to states that tried to keep black and white people separate. The white people sat in the back and the black people sat in the front. When they came to a bus station, the black people used the restrooms and waiting rooms for the white people, and the white people used the restrooms and waiting rooms for the black people. Doing this was against the law. They disobeyed a law that was wrong, even though other people got very upset. When they got off the buses, they were beaten by these angry people.
In Egypt long ago there was another law that was very wrong. This law said that all baby boys born to the people of Israel had to be thrown into the Nile River to drown. God’s people knew that this was a wicked law. There was one mother and father who wouldn’t obey this law. When God gave them a beautiful baby boy, they didn’t throw him into the river. They hid him in their house for three months. They were taking a terrible risk to do this. If the king of Egypt or his soldiers found out, they would be punished very badly. But they weren’t afraid. They knew they were doing what God wanted them to do. They trusted that God would work things out for them.
God wants us to obey the laws of our government, our schools, and our homes, but it’s his law that is most important. If there are any laws or rules that tell us to break God’s law, then God wants us to disobey. Sometimes it’s hard to know what is the right or best thing to do. It’s always good to talk to an older Christian–your mom or dad, a teacher, or your pastor–if you’re not sure. But the best answers come from God’s word, the Bible. This is where God tells us what is right and wrong, and where we can find the answers we need.
If we disobey a rule that is wrong, we might get into trouble, even bad trouble. God gives his people faith and courage to face this kind of trouble. We can’t do it alone. Jesus faced trouble, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. He let people beat him and push him and put him to death on the cross. He did that because he wanted to take all the sins of the world on himself. He took all our sins, and all the sins of other people to the cross. We can go to God for forgiveness when we don’t obey his laws. We can give forgiveness to other people too. We can do this because of all the love and forgiveness Jesus has given us.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to obey your laws. Thank you for forgiving me when I don’t. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Source:
Home Devotions 