Daily Devotion for October 17, 2013 Pray for those who mistreat you....and if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Luke 6:28, 32 Very profound words from Jesus. He was the ultimate example of lifting prayers for those that mistreated Him. He even went further then prayer, He loved them right where they were. The Scriptures are filled with His examples of loving the unlovely” the sinful but not the sin. Even on the cross, at the pinnacle of His mistreatment, He gave compassion to one of the thieves beside Him and then the love He showed for those that crucified Him with the precious words and the most awesome prayer - Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” Luke 23:24 I had to ask myself this morning if I am like the people that crucified Jesus, am I mistreating Him? I had to confess I hadnt thought of myself as mistreating Him, especially in the way they did when they so blatantly beat Him, spit upon Him, punished Him beyond human recognition, called Him everything but what He is....oh surely I dont do that. However, even though I myself did not push those thorns through his head and brow...I did not nail his hands and feet to the cross...I did not puncture His side to allow His blood to empty out... I did not crush His bones... I did not mock Him on the cross..... surely I have mistreated Him when I doubt, when I fear, when I hurt others, when I do not follow His precious way and believe in His power and accept His precious love. Today, I encourage you to pray for yourself as I did this morning. I asked the Lord to reveal to me when I have mistreated Him and to forgive me for each and every time. I asked Him to help me to be like Him - to not mistreat others, to love and forgive, to be an example of Christ to our Father and to others, to be all He has called me to be and equipped me to be, or is preparing me to be. Friends, we may not be perfect, but the perfection of Christ is in us and available in us to go forth and be like Him. Do you want to be a servant to men or a servant for God? Those that mistreat Him are usually those that dont believe in Him to begin with, but even we believers can forget whom we serve. I encourage you to pray today for power to love those who mistreat you and for you to forgive them. Big shoes to fill, but we at least need to place those shoes upon our feet. They may not fit perfectly, but God can take us through the learning of how to wear them until we have the perfect shoes in heaven. Walk in them through love, forgiveness and change. Christ is with us each step we take! God bless.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 23:39:24 +0000
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