CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 : TOPIC – WHO IS YOUR AUTHORITY FIGURE?

DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

DATE: Friday, September 1, 2023

TOPIC: WHO IS YOUR AUTHORITY FIGURE?

MEMORISE  Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you (Titus 2:15)

READ: 2 Timothy 4: 1- 4

[1]. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

[2]. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

[3]. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

[4]. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

EXPOSITION

An authority figure is someone in authority over another person’s life. It is someone who is given the privilege or right to rule over others. In relation to the Bible, your authority figure is someone God places over you to convince, rebuke and exhort you (2 Tim. 4:2). The persons who are supposed to fill this gap the most are your parents and church pastors (2 Cor. 10:8; 1Thess. 5:12). Certain pastors cannot exercise this pastoral role today for some reasons. Some fail to do it for the fear of rejection and loss of loved ones. Some pastors cannot hit the nail on the head for their own security and also for their bellies’ sake (Rom. 16: 18; Phil. 3:19).

One major reason why you should stay under the leadership of any genuine minister of the Gospel is to feel his/her positive impact in your life as your authority figure. Any leader who fears to confront you when you do what is wrong and ungodly is not worthy to be your pastor. It is the good and perfect will of God to be kind to your pastor, and to take care of him/her (Gal. 6:6; Heb. 13:7). But you should not allow your pastors to turn you to their semi-God. It is a dangerous signal to your physical and spiritual life, if you do not have an authority figure that people can report you to, with the belief that the person can call you to order (Prov. 16:18; 18:12). Learn to obey your pastors with all humility when they exercise their pastoral care and authority over your life (Heb. 13:17).

SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY:

CAC GHB 522

1. Jesus is our Shepherd, wiping every tear;

Folded in His bosom, what have we to fear?

Only let us follow whither He doth lead,

To the thirsty desert, or the dewy mead.

2. Jesus is our Shepherd: well we know His voice,

How its gentlest whisper makes our heart rejoice;

Even when He chideth, tender is His tone:

None but He shall guide us; we are His alone.

3. Jesus is our Shepherd, for the sheep He bled;

Every lamb is sprinkled with the blood He shed:

Then on each He seateth His own secret sign:

They that have My Spirit, these saith He, are Mine.

4. Jesus is our Shepherds; Guarded by His arm,

Though the wolves may ravin, none can do us harm:

When we tread death’s valley, dark with fearful gloom,

We will fear no evil victors o’er the tomb.

Amen.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Father, make it easy for me to put myself under the authority figures You place over my life.

2. I rebuke the spirit of arrogance that makes it difficult to be submissive.

3. Pray for our young people to be humble, obedient and submissive to their God-sent authority figures.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:

Jeremiah 34-36