Love my Enemy!

Oh Lord, thank you so much for the refreshing morning jog and time of praise with You. I am finally released from all restrictions after the surgery and can get back to life and get back in shape. It has been killing me in more ways than one to just sit and not do anything strenuous! I love to exercise most of the time or at least love when I am done!!

This weekend at Hominy Baptist Church was just awesome. Susan Hughes traveled with me and we had a great time! She is so fun and always laughing! The evening event was wonderful. They had so many door prizes it was unreal. It was possible that nearly half of the women left with a prize. I mean good stuff too! I am still unsure of how the message delivery was. I am not sure it was as clear as I had wanted. Lord, we had 2 Muslims in the midst and I pray that something rang "home" with them. They were both in the midst of Ramadan, but still took part in the evening. They were 2 foreign exchange students staying with ministers' families from that church. What an opportunity. I pray for a miracle there.

Lord, this morning we studied back-biting. This is when the astrologers came to the king and said that "some Jews" were not abiding by the rules of bowing at the sound of the horn and to the golden statue! You could just hear the words off the page - sounds like the person that is leaning in close to you to reveal a rumor or something like that! But it could also sound like one of my kids tattle telling with their hands on their hips! Either way it is not good. It was a great lesson.

But what I have on my mind this morning is our lesson from Sunday School. I mean Wayne is so good. We were talking about Loving Your Enemy! What a hard thing to do. But first we have to decide who our enemy is. We discovered it was hard to find an enemy. There were lots of people that we don't like and ones we even hate, but an enemy - what is that? We came to the conclusion that an enemy is a boss, friend, parent, peers, other church members, and I have to say those that don't encourage you to get where He has for you spiritually or ones that block/mistrust/question His ultimate plan for you. And the one that can do the most damage in my life is.............................me!!! I think I am my worst enemy because will misinterpret what one was doing or saying and might turn them into an enemy. If I would further inspect the situation, the statement, etc. I would see there was no ill-will against me, but I have already set them up that way. I am more insecure than I would like to admit!

The most important thing about loving your enemy is that until horizontal relationships are made right and taken care of the best that we personally can, our vertical relationship, the most important one of all, will not be right. Until the moment I was saved, I, too, was an enemy of God. (Romans 5:6-10) Then once He made it alright by His forgiveness I was redeemed into His family! So our Lord Jesus did not just pray for His enemies, He died for them - the ultimate sacrifice. So why couldn't I at least pray for my enemies, He is not asking me to die for them!

But Lord, you really ask more of us than just to pray for our enemies. You ask us to pray, bless, and do good to them as well (verses 39-42,44). But still are not asking us to die for them as You did! It is again what I call putting feet to your faith! It is one thing just to believe a concept, think on it, and accept it in faith. But He calls us to internalize and act on it - put feet to your faith! Lord, show me who I view as an enemy. Allow me to pray for them, bless them, and do good to them with a pure heart!!! There is the key!! Forgive my actions thus far. Forgive those times I have not acted in Your ways. Forgive my "un"trusting heart. Work in me and on me! I love you!