In The Presence Of My Enemies
Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,”
Morning dear friends! I pray this finds you already up and ready for the day ahead; full of thankfulness that God again saw fit to allow you the grace of another day. May today bring only positive emotions, occurrences, just joy in every moment! As in every day, we pray in earnest that anyone who is considered not a friend, not a foe; just won’t make an appearance in some awkward moment during our day or our week. We want to believe that joy only comes when we avoid the negativity of those who could cause harm, cause fear, cause distress mentally, will just finally realize they need to stay away from our inner circles. But, in all fairness, the devil uses this as a crutch to keep you from being what God called you to be. Though the people who fit that category can be eliminated from your life, the devil will pick others to put in that place. He will test you daily to see how he can ruin your peace and your relationship with God. Truth is, finding peace with your past is one daily prayer we all pray; and totally giving it to God, will aid in your restoration. This is why the scripture above becomes one that we need to learn and use at those times. God said to love your enemies, ask Him to bless them anyway, ask Him for the strength to do good toward even the hardest of hearts, to pray more fervently for their souls. This is not just to help them, but to truly help yourself; it gives you the freedom from your own heart becoming hardened. It allows you to find the peace that surpasses all understanding. This also, allows you to see that no matter how strong the devil thinks he is, God is stronger; and with God all things are possible. When we show love, it doesn’t mean we approve the wrong that the enemy does, it focuses on the heart and keeping hatred from dictating our actions. This means we do not become like them, we do not let the enemy win; we become Christ-like in character as well as in our hearts. When in the presence of any enemy, whether a person, place or thing; look to God and become a weapon that forces evil to leave!
Scriptures:
Read: Exodus 14:14, I Peter 3:15, Matthew 5:35-38,44, Romans 12:14,20-21, Psalm 18:1-6, 19-20,30-36,48-49, Deuteronomy 28:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Psalm 109:2-4, Proverbs 24:17-22, Proverbs 16:7, Psalm 138:7-8, Exodus 23:20-22, Psalm 23:5, Psalm 34:7-10, Luke 6:27-28,35, Ephesians 6:10-18, John 16:33, Isaiah 41:10, Ephesians 4:32, Leviticus 19:18
Prayer:
Dear God, we come today thanking you for grace and mercy, for your presence when we face the enemy. Thank you, God, for the guidebook that can give us complete instructions on how to deal with whatever evil the devil sends our way. Help us, God, to call on you when we need strength, solace, understanding. Dear God, please continue to our real weapon against this evil world. Amen.