Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29
Luke 6:12-38
Psalm 67:1-7
Proverbs 11:27
Luke 6:27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
This is a greatly needed passage after yesterday. So yes Lord I am listening. There is one person at work who has repeatedly been very volatile and unkind toward me. I don't have any idea why but he has very aggressively verbally attacked me numerous times not just at work. I have no idea why he hates me so much. Yesterday was one of those instances. Last week it was on my heart to intentionally pray for my coworkers. I put up some prayer request slips and told people if they would like prayer for something specific to let me know. I picked a specific time and invited other to join me. I have to admit that I have not been specifically praying for this person. But today I am reminded that I need to. Thank you, Lord. Please show me how I can "do good" for him and "bless" him and how to pray for him.
Luke 6:33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
The topic of giving was yesterday and praying for my enemies is today. I think the giving without expecting payment is easy. So much easier than doing good for those who are my enemy. As far as I know he has no need for borrowing money and if he did he would never ask me. But I think the spirit of this passage is that we should do the same things for our enemies that Christ did for His. That is the way to be Christ-like because "he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." So that is how we should be. It is not to try to change the heart or mind of the other person it is so that we can do as Jesus would do. Of course God may use that to change the persons heart and mind but that is not our job. Lord show me how I can give to him without expecting payment. Perhaps giving a smile and a kind word every time I see him without expecting a smile or kind word back could be a start.
Proverbs 11:27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to one who searches for it.
It is not our place to punish the wicked. That is God's place. I will seek good. If he continues to search for evil he will find it without me being evil toward him.
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