Daily Devotional Tuesday Thoughts | September 8, 2026
It’s Tuesday and time for your daily devotional. Romans 13 is a sobering chapter, as it speaks of submitting to earthly authorities. God is our ultimate authority, but there are governing entities in this realm. God established a system of rule on earth to maintain peace and order. In today’s daily devotional, submitting yourself to what God has ordained is a way to walk pleasing unto Him.
Trust What God Ordains
Walking by faith doesn’t just pertain to spiritual things; it concerns everything God has appointed for your life. In verse 1, Paul declares that every soul should be subject to the higher powers on earth because they’re ordained by God. If you resist those powers, you’re resisting God’s authority.
The Old Testament is filled with examples of Israel’s resistance. In your daily devotional, what God establishes on earth is meant to protect you, not cause harm. When you trust God, you trust that what He ordains is best for your life.
Not Above the Law
When you live inside the law, you have nothing to worry about. When Paul and other apostles walked the earth, they were arrested for preaching the gospel. In America, that’s not the case. Unfortunately, preachers have been jailed, not for preaching, but for breaking the law. No one is above the law, and ministers are expected to be law-abiding citizens as well.
Verse 3 says, “Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.” If you obey the law, you’ll stay in the government’s good graces. In this daily devotional, focus on living right and obeying the law’s mandates, whether it’s paying taxes, bills, or respecting officers, and you’ll never have to face criminal charges or pay restitution for wrongdoing.
Love Fulfills the Law
Verse 8 says, “Owe no man anything, but to love one another.” Don’t pile up debt by living above your means. When you love others, you won’t commit adultery with their spouse, commit murder, steal from them, lie on them, or covet what they have.
Paul quotes Jesus in Matthew 22:39, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Love doesn’t conspire or act disrespectfully towards neighbors. In your daily devotional, love focuses on doing right by others; therefore, love is the fulfillment of God’s law.
Awaken to Righteousness
It’s past time for God’s people to awaken to righteousness and leave sin behind. There’s no excuse for disobedience to God. You have the revelation of His Word. Laziness is living in darkness, and Christ sacrificed His life to free you from that. You’ve been translated into light and walk in the Spirit. Wear God’s full armor as protection against dark forces.
Live life honestly; don’t run with the world by being disruptive, drinking, dishonoring God’s temple, and living in lustfulness. Don’t cause or promote strife and don’t envy others, as they lead to wrongdoing. In this daily devotional, conduct yourself as a model citizen both in God’s Kingdom and the earthly kingdom in which you dwell.
Live as a Good Citizen by Respecting God’s Law
In Tuesday’s daily devotional, Paul closes Romans 13 with “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Throughout Romans, Paul lays out instructions for believers. If you conform to the world without renewing your mind, you’ll do the things he warns against. In today’s daily devotional, when you put on Christ, you don’t live to please your flesh. You live righteously, respectful of the laws of God and man.
