Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Ever wish you could tear certain pages and passages out of the Bible? Oh yeah,I feel ya. This is one of those pages. I would be perfectly content to rip this one out and pretend it was never in there. You know how it goes don't you? Someone says or does something to us that wrongs us in some way. It is a REAL not an imagined wrong.Might be as minor as a simple misunderstanding;or it could be something more sinister. Something INTENDED to do us harm.It could be aimed at us,a member of our family, or our reputation before others. No matter what it is,we feel the threat and see it as an attack. If you are like me,your first reaction is to DEFEND yourself,your family member or your reputation.And most times if we begin by defending ourselves,that defense many,many times turns into offense.You know..like the old football saying goes,"A good offense the best defense." Or is it the other way around? Anyhoo,you get my drift don't you?
However,that isn't the way God handles it is it? His ways are not our ways are they?
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The world and its systems tell us to crush those that offend us.It counsels us to defend ourselves against accusations and injustices. But, Jesus acted a little differently didn't He? He rarely,IF EVER defended Himself to His accusers did HE?
Isaiah 42:2-3 (ESV) 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
The Lord Jesus spoke about a different way didn't He. Look again.
Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) 27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Yeah,I hear ya. I wish I could tear that one out too.
It's easy to proclaim that the battle is the Lord's......a little more challenging to actually trust Him with the battle AND the outcome!
But
BUT, in the face of difficult circumstances,He makes us a promise if we do just that doesn't He? Doing just what Ronnie? Well,loving our enemies for one,blessing and praying for those who curse and abuse us for another. Please let me tear that page out!! Smile.
However,there is a SILVER LINING in this cloud. Look with me at this.
1 Peter 3:9 (ESV) 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
Spoke with a friend today at work.We spent most of the day talking about a range of issues and one of the topics we discussed was"calling." Well,Todd looks like we have found our calling.lol
Pay particular attention to the latter part of this verse
".............but on the contrary,bless,for to this you were CALLED,that you may OBTAIN A BLESSING." (caps mine)
Brothers and sisters,as my buddy used to say,"This is where the rubber meets the road." The Lord Jesus is not only calling us to be passive in our defense of self,but He also instructs us to be ACTIVE in the sense that we pray and bless those that use and abuse us. Amen or O me!BIG SMILE!!
I wish I could tear that page out.
Psalm 3:1-4 (ESV) 1
2 many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God.
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.
God Bless
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