Is It Right in the Eyes of God for Us to Obey You Rather than Him?

Readings:
I Chronicles 5
Acts 4:13-31

Focus:
Acts 4:19a:"But Peter and John replied: 'Is it right in the eyes of God for us to obey you rather than him?'"

After Peter and John had brought about the healing of a man over 40 years old who had been unable to walk since birth, they were arrested and put in prison overnight. The authorities did not like it that this healing had been done in the name of Jesus, but did not feel they had the power to punish Peter and John, since the people were favorably impressed by the healing. So they just told Peter and John not to speak in the name of Jesus again.

Peter and John were not intimidated. Their loyalty was to a greater power. They said, basically, "Do you think God would like it if we ignored him in order to do what you say? Would he approve of what we were doing if we behaved that way?"

That kind of choice is before us all the time. People or circumstances ask us to behave in ways different from what God asks of us. But is it right in the eyes of God for us to obey the world, society, our friends, our family, rather than him? Would God like it if we ignored him in order to do what our friends, our family, our culture says we should do? If we really believe that God is real, we must consider this. If God is more to us than a nice idea, then is it right in the eyes of God for us to obey anyone rather than him?