June 16th

June 16th   

Luke 6:27-28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”

Letting go of our right to defend ourselves is hard to do, it may be the hardest thing for some. But we must keep in mind that if we defend ourselves, that is it, that’s all we get, whatever results we manage are all there is for us. However, as Christ followers, when we give up that right to defend ourselves, we are granted a bigger defense. We have the undefeatable defense of God Himself. When we step aside, He steps in and takes over the defense, and He not only defends, He rolls out His vengeance with wrath and judgement. I don’t know about you, but I would rather my enemies face what He can pour out than what little damage I can do.

Hebrews 10:30-31 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Oh I’m not saying it is easy. It is frustrating, hurtful and often just ticks me off but I pray for His help so that I can handle it correctly because I don’t want my results, I want HIS results.

There have been times that I have just said, “Lord I know I am supposed to pray for my enemies, so I am praying for “so and so” right now, but I sure don’t feel like it. Please help my emotions line up with this obedience. Help me not to hate them. Help me to see them through your eyes.”

Sometimes we just obey even when we don’t feel like it and later the rest of our heart catches up with the obedience. I always ask the Lord to help me know how to pray for my enemies because I don’t know how especially when I don’t feel like it.

2 things He showed me at different times when I was praying for my enemies. One was that the real enemy is satan not the people being used to persecute me. That helped me because I realized that the person is in bondage to lies and the father of lies. The other thing the Lord showed me was that some of my “enemies” won’t always be my enemies, some of them are just lost souls that will eventually becomes Christ followers and be my family in Christ. I realized that if that was me, I would want someone praying for mercy for me and for my salvation. So now I pray with that qualifier: Lord you know if they will ever choose you, and if they will then please have mercy on them.

The vengeance of God is nothing that you ever want to be on the receiving end of and so we have to pray mercy for those who will someday choose Him.

Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

God’s vengeance and vindication is our heritage from the Lord, we may not see it when we want it but He does not fail to do it! He works in ways that we can’t see and sometimes that is preventing something that seems totally unrelated to us but we can’t underestimate the Lord. He is perfect, He cannot lie, and His Word is always true. So these verses today will accomplish what they are supposed to in our lives. Thank God!!

Jesus, thank you for being faithful even when I don’t realize it. Thank you for having my back and help me to be careful to walk in your ways. I’m sorry for the times that I get in the way or try to take things into my own hands. Help me to wait on you and recognize that you are working even when I can’t see it. Thank you for my heritage in You!