Soulful Connections: Daily Devotions to Deepen Your Faith

SUNDAY, 14 JANUARY 2024

TEXT: Luke 6:27-36

27: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28: bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29: If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.

30: Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

31: Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

33: And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

34: And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

35: But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

36: Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: WE HAVE ALL SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF GOD'S GLORY

Today, we come to that part of the Lord Jesus' sermon that is difficult to put into practice.

Although the Lord's instruction is very clear, we try to find excuses for our failure to obey. For example, Christians under attack would say that they have already turned the other cheek and so are now free to retaliate whatsoever wrong done against them.

In fact, many times, we even find it very difficult to love our fellow brethren, talk more of loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us.

While preaching on this passage during an occasion, I was rudely interrupted by someone in the audience who shouted that the Bible does not state which kind of prayers to pray for our persecutors and so, praying for fire to consume them is in order!

So, we end up preaching one thing and living a different thing. Instead of making excuses, we should ask God for His grace to love and bless our enemies, and to bless the poor and the underprivileged and all those in need.

QUESTION: Are you living what the Lord Jesus preached?

PRAYER: Almighty God, have mercy and give us the grace not to make excuses but live what the Lord preached to us, in Jesus name. Amen.