When we experience abuse from, others, our natural response is to strike back. It’s our inborn sense of justice, coupled with our prideful desire to punish our offenders, prompts us to retaliate, returning hurt for hurt and insult for insult.
However, God instructs us to do the opposite, to show love to our enemies.
“You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you” – Matthew 5:43-44
One what we can love our enemies is by blessing them instead. In faith, we can choose to bless our enemies, even when we don’t feel like it, or it feels unnatural.
A spoken blessing is a positive. biblical statement that involves the blessing of God on the life of another. The power of spoken blessings comes from God who blessed us will all spiritual blessings in heavenly blessing.
Our words have the potential to do good or do harm. There are a few scriptures that show us the impact of this,
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, those who love it will eat its fruit” -Proverbs 18:21
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” -Proverbs 16:24
“Anxiety is a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad” -Proverbs 12:25
When we bless others we direct God’s goodness onto us.
God tells us that “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”
God will take full responsibility for whatever punishment should be administered to offenders.
“Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult but instead blessing, knowing that to this we’re you called, that you may inherit a blessing. For, he who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him truth away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” -Peter 3:9-12
Freedom from an emotional vengeful reaction for an offender gives us immediate rewards of a hurtful person. But gives us bitterness for years. We should not live in bitterness because of someone else hurtful tendencies. Let God give them their due justice.
Have you ever looked back on your life and thought “How could I have been so stupid?” I look back and wonder why the Lord didn’t show me then what I have learned now. Then I think, maybe I wasn’t ready or even willing to listen. I had my way or the highway attitude.
Not realizing I had to commit my way to the Lord to build my life upon the values of His kingdom in order for all the pieces to fall into place.
So often we walk through life without clarity on where we are headed. And set out without a clear course of trajectory, we rarely find ourselves in the places we want to be.
We usually have a vision of where we want to be in a year’s time.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18
Our lives may be filled to the brim with a steady flow of commitments and distractions, that cloud our discernment and clutter our vision, making it harder and harder to see a way forward.
I’ve learned it’s so important to push the pause button and reassess my priorities and use of time.
We as human beings have an incredible capacity to say one thing and do another.
For example, I can say I will be at a prayer meeting this evening, and then as it gets close to that time, I am tired and want to bow out of it. I know I need to do what I say, and I know I should be there. Do I do what I say I’m going to do, or do I know out? I know I will not regret going once I’m there. I just need to get in the car and go.
Committing to the Lord is sometimes difficult, yet trusting in Him, knowing He will meet me and guide me is clear.
God is the greatest thing you could ever give yourself to. And if we run after Him with all of our heart, mind, and strength we will be blessed beyond measure.
All women have a heavy responsibility to care for many things at once. We need to balance our relationships with Jesus, our homes, marriage, children, and chores, and working outside the homes if it comes to be.
Our lives are re overwhelmed and stimulated, and stressed. Women have been well known for their ability to multitask. Even if we don’t feel like we’re good at it, there are things and people we have to take care of simultaneously.
My first and foremost priority tomorrow and forever is God. Because I know if I make Him Lord over my life, everything else will fall into place. And apart from Him, I can do nothing. I cannot expect to be productive or have a balanced life when I am not abiding in Jesus.
Lead me Father in your ways, even if I have to walk alone.
When I’m tempted to do wrong, make me steadfast wise and strong. And when all alone I stand, shield me with your mighty hand.
In Psalm 5 David’s cry to God is for guidance “Lord lead me.” Those all around are following after their own lusts. David wants none of that.
The temptation to follow the crowd was all around him. David was a soldier and he had a call from God on his life. The ordinary life of a soldier probably didn’t meet with God’s standards. Soldiers had a reputation for rough living. Women, wine, and whatever else they want. Not all soldiers fall into this lifestyle but the reputation was pretty well earned.
David did not want to become like those men. He had a tender heart. A heart towards God that was filled with praise. This did not mean that David refused to pick up a sword but when he did so it was for God’s cause and not his own glory. David wanted to be able to stand before God with a clean heart and hands.
This desire held true for David when he became king too. He conquered much but he did so in the name of the Lord. He struck the people God had instructed Joshua to be removed from the land. David advanced only within the boundaries that God had set up for Israel.
David was not perfect in his actions. If you know the story of Uriah and Bathsheba it is clear. But David had a heart that would receive instruction and connection from the Lord. He wanted nothing to stand between him and the Lord and so he was quick to repent.
Psalm 5 is very appropriate for our lives today. We are living in a time when “anything goes” and even the worst sins are glossed over. Many of the wars raging today are the result of “bloodthirsty” or “boastful” men. Genocide is on the manifest of some of the wars raging. Control and boasting rights are hidden with many others. But war is not the one place we see these behaviors.
In the boardrooms, the stock exchange, and even the classroom, these behaviors are exhibited. Tactics of deceit, aggression, and intimidation are poured out on the unsuspecting. These things are poured out in those who choose to take a stand for the Lord. We have to pray like David for God’s strength to help us stand. And for His guidance for walking the paths He had called us to.
There is so much wrong with our world today and it’s only going to get worse. We are fast approaching the time when Jesus will return, if we read the Bible, we know it is going to get really bad before the end. Luke 21:28 tells us,
“But when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
I do not know home far that ending is but I trust God will get us there in His time. I trust that God directs my path and protects my heart in this process.
In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?
Hard work makes me feel fulfilled because I know I am pleasing God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God. Hard work remind me that above all I aim to please God, no people
The Bible tells us the importance of developing a solid work ethic, and putting our all into everything we do.
It’s easy to get discouraged or feel like our jobs don’t have a purpose. Colossians 3:23-24 tells us that whatever we do, work at it will all our hearts, not for others, but knowing we will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. We need to remember it is the Lord who we need to serve, no man.
When I am working I ask myself, “Is what I’m doing pleasing God.”
We are living in a time where there is censorship and cover-ups of truth. Increased restriction and widespread propaganda especially with the children who are the most vulnerable.
Ephesians 5 speaks of the days we are in. This book gives us instructions during these trying times.
It instructs us to oppose and expose the deeds of darkness.
It instructs us to be watchful, awake, and alert.
It instructs us to make the most of the opportunities we have.
It instructs us on the only way to survive such days…through a Spirit-filled, Spirit-controlled life.
The Bible warns us,
“Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8
The Apostle Paul begins with Psalm 5:11-12 saying,
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in Secret.”
We need to remember Jesus was very tactful when he exposed darkness. For example at the well with the Samaritan woman, He didn’t say that the woman was a prostitute or I know what you did last night. Instead, His life brought the greatest sense of love and conviction, and ultimately transformation.
Ephesians 5:13-14 tells us,
“But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says, Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
When I do watch the news I see people who are asleep, they are not aware they preach social and radical propaganda.
This command holds great significance today.
Watching in a Spiritual sense, means to alert and aware of our surroundings. It involves having a renewed mind that is attuned to divine realities. We must stay awake and vigilant, not oblivious to the schemes of satan, by being alert, we can discern the attacks from satan and his minions while resisting them with the power of God’s Word.
Honestly and integrity are the traits I try to uphold in my life. I value these because I used to not uphold these values. Now I hold onto them because they please God.
Being truthful and transparent in my actions and words does not only mean I am trustworthy, but also that I respect myself and others. Saying what I know and believe even when doing so might lead to negative consequences.
Integrity is adhering to my strong moral principles. It is what I do to create a foundation for trust and respect in relationships.
When people are honest and have integrity they take responsibility for their actions. These are necessary to establish and maintain a healthy relationships.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy. I think he had it wrong. But I think worrying is the thief of joy.
Some people make worrying into an Olympic sport. It’s one of the most destructive habits the ensnares human beings and is as common as breathing and blinking. It is such a skilled and deceptive thief that it’s victims don’t even know they have been robbed of peace, time, mental energy as well as emotional well-being.
God never intended us to live fearfully focused on the future -hostages to an emotional heist. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us,
“In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua.”
Worry is like a leather headband that puts pressure on the mind and interweaves three things. The distress of yesterday, the trials of today, and the fears of tomorrow. It is a vice grip that compresses our joy, cramps our peace and confines our freedom.
Worry is like a thief that steals out peace. Its an exercise that leads to fear and stress instead of faith and rest.
When Jesus talked about worry m He redirected our focus to God. Our worries does not change anything, it only takes away our joy. Focusing on God changes how we handle our worries.
“Cast all your worries on Him because He cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7
When we worry we have no resources within ourselves upon which to draw that will affect our situation. Jesus wants us to cast ourselves on Him. He wants us to be dependent on Him for life. When we do this Hr gently picks us up and carries us.
Worrying is like a rehearsed tape in our minds. We know we shouldn’t worry but we cannot seem to turn the tape off… then we worry about worrying.
Fortunately, Jesus doesn’t just tell us to stop worrying without telling us how to stop worrying. While our thoughts and memories can not be erased, the tape can be replaced.
Jesus tells us to focus on,
“Whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things. The things you learned received and saw in Me, so these things and the God of peace will be with you” – Philippians 4:8-9.
The are many things to being a believer that cannot be understood until you follow Christ that are purely practical though they do not seem to be. When the most important things in our lives happen we often do not know at that moment what is happening is at the beginning of each day when we find ourselves at the crossroads between the unknown and the knows that we are called to make a crucial choice to trust ourselves or to place all our trust in God in a certain sense the whole life consists of accepting this remarkable offer the sense in which a believer leaves things to God is that he places all his trust in Jesus.
Jesus offers something freely He even offers everything freely and it is through prayer especially the only one that begins our day that we acknowledge this offer and connect deeply with our Creator’s true spiritual growth happens.
When we stop trusting in ourselves and place all our trust in God faith in Jesyd is the only thing that will save us from despair for He is our anchor during life’s storms what matters is the nature of the change itself not how we feel while it is happening, Jesus will guide and strengthen us and it is in this trust that we find true peace.
Psalm 27 introduces us to a spiritual barrier a divine protection that surpasses any security system created by man the Psalm presents us with a God who will not only protect us from a distance but become our personal fortress our living shield in our lives.
There are three principles that can transform a psalm to revolutionize our understanding of God’s protection and presence.
We must allow our hearts to be open to receiving the blessings of Psalm 27. Imagine a highly sophisticated and impenetrable defense system that adapts ti each threat and never fails and this is sustained by an inexhaustible source of energy. This is the kind of protection the Psalm 27.
Psalm 27 describes a God who is actively involved in protecting every aspect of our lives.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When even doers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should camp around against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I will seek after that I may dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, to see the Lord’s beauty, and to inquire of His temple. For in the day of trouble, He will keep me secretly in His pavilion. In the secret place of His Tabernacle, He will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear Lord, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. When you said, ‘Seek My face,” my heart said to you, I will seek Your face. Lord. Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach me your way, Lord. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. I am still confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord” -Psalm 27
These words are a bold affirmation of unshakable confidence that depicts a God who illuminates our darkness moments and ensures our salvation and fills us with His strength with a powerful defender that fear loses it grip on our hearts with such a firm protector anxiety disappears in thr face of His certainty. This Psalm teaches us to activate the Divine barrier in our lives.
This Psalm focuses on the unshakable confidence that arises from true faith this confidence does not come from our own abilities or strengths but from a deep understanding of who God is and what He promises to be for us.
This Psalm begins with a powerful declaration that set the tone for the entire passage.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid.”
God is our light illuminating the path ahead and dispelling the darkness and confusion and doubt He is our salvation rescuing us from danger and securing our Eternal future He us the strength of our lives empowering us to face challenges that arise with such a God by our side that fear becomes irrational. This confidence is not exclusive to David who wrote Psalm 27, but it is for us too, we can develop this kind of unshakable faith in our lives.
We should make God our main focus and have a deep desire in our hearts. King David does not ask for wealth power, or material security, he desires God’s presence he is longing to dwell in the house of the Lord to behold His beauty and to seek wisdom. To have true unshakable faith is built with an intimate relationship with God where what matters most is not what he can do for us when we make the pursuit of God our highest priority everything else falls into place. Our problems become smaller in the light of His greatness our fears dissipate before His love and our weaknesses are replaced by His strength. This does not mean that challenges disappear but that we will begin to face them differently.
When our emotions try to pull us away Psalm 27 exemplifies the truth by showing that even in the midst of dangers are uncertainties we can cling to trust in God as His light and salvation.
Faith is not reserved only for Spiritual giants or heroes of the Bible it is within reach of each of had wherever we are and begins with the simple decision to take the focus off our problems and place it on our provider to shift the perspective from fear to the Father to make God’s presence our highest priority as we do this we find a growing confidence within us not based on our own strength but on the God who holds us in His hands.
Faith is not ignoring difficulties but fully trusting God to sustain us through them. When we cultivate this kind of faith and make our pursuit of God our main mission we will receive the desires of our heart.
This Psalm might be the Divine Refuge keep to seeking God’s face. When we believe God is who He says He is and promises to discover our spiritual bankruptcy.
When we realize that we can no nothing on our own and that we need to leave everything in God’s hands as we seek His face we position ourselves to receive His protection and guidance aligning ourselves with His will and ways. Find ping refuge not only in circumstances but also in fear, anxiety, and despair this trust is offered in Nahum 1:7
“The Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who trust in Him”
This is not just a theological concert but a tangible reality for those who place their trust in Him. He knows us in a personal and intimate way. And He is ready to be our stronghold in times of trouble.
Utah Arizona Border
This was based on some reading I did by C.S. Lewis.
From Pity to Praise 