Is Your Heart Hopeful Enough?
Good Morning Friends,
Only when God’s perfect love fills us to overflowing, casting out all fear will we be transformed by the Holy Spirit… only then will we be able to love our enemies in ways that transform and do not exploit our desire to duty… only then will we know God’s will and act on it. This is when God brings deliverance. The challenge is to love and that is not always easy.
The challenge is to be patient enough for God to act. Is Your Heart Hopeful Enough?
Scripture: O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.” Selah But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. Rise up, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. Deliverance belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
Psalm 3 (NRSV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:38-48 (NRSV)
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
1 Corinthians 3:16-23 (NRSV)
and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Romans 5:5 (NRSV)
Message: Today we again take the chosen text from the lectionary. The heart of it is from Matthew and comes from the Sermon on the Mount.
To understand the message we must hear it with the ears of a first century Jew living in a land under Roman occupation. It is in this context that Jesus gives a sermon about litigation and compensation and why in that place and time it makes sense to be generous with grace, be stingy with hatred…why it makes sense to carry a Roman’s supplies for two miles instead of the required one under Roman law. In today’s message we learn to value Godliness over earthly status. We learn we are neither to be exploited nor to exploit but to take careful aim at the right target. Here we learn that the world’s operating systems do not work in the kingdom to come. They are not compatible. Today we embrace the cornerstone of Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom… about love…about the power of the Gospel message to save everyone, even our enemies. The focus, the target is on the power of love to change us…to change everything. Here the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit creates hope in us to be made whole. Here we too can boast in our hope of sharing in its glory….of sharing a love in the Holy Spirit that transforms us and others.
Pray that we learn to love with the kind of love that changes everything. Pray that this love consume us, burning in our hearts with a passion that transforms our relationships and molds our speech and breaks our hearts for those in need. Pray that we pardon as an act of faith, that we set at liberty even our enemies to enjoy peace, fellowship, joy and the hope of God’s glory. Pray that we stand in God’s agape love…in this place of grace…this place of power of believers united. Pray that we in hope of what God makes possible practice responsible generosity. Pray in the hope of Jesus’ sacrificial love making others whole as well. Pray that our hearts overflow with love, hope and charity. Pray we realize that when we love, God will help fight our battles for us.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 