-January 11, 2025-
Good morning beloved, happy Saturday,
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those you who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
(Matthew 5:44).
It is one thing to love your friends and those who love you back; it is quite another to love your enemies and those who hate. Jesus taught us to love and forgive, and pray for those who wrong us, even those who have malice of intent.
We can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we don’t react to the ill treatment of others, it can have a powerful effect on them.
Jesus tells how to love our enemies and showed us by His words and actions. He tells us three ways to show love: bless, do good, and pray. Each of these responses is the opposite of how the world would handle enemies.
• Bless those who curse you – King David experienced this upon fleeing from his son Absalom who had usurped his kingdom. A belligerent, obstinate man named Shimei, showed up and cursed him, kicked dust, and threw stones at him and his men. David showed tremendous restraint.
• Do good to those who hate you – Doing good for nice people is easy, but doing good to those who hate you shows the love of Christ.
• Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you – It is so important to pray for those who harm us, disparage us, and make us look bad. Some even lie about us.
May the Lord give us the grace to love the unloveable, show mercy to the merciless, and kindness to the unkind. Have a blessed day. Stay safe and healthy.
Showing the love of Jesus can melt the hardest heart.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 