Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 20:21-25
Prov 20:21-25
An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end. Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good. A man’s steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way? It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,” and to reflect only after making vows.
Rom 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
Nothing is more natural than for us to try to get even when someone hurts us or does something to us that we feel is wrong. If someone hits us, we hit them back or if someone says something bad to us, we say something back that is just as bad or worse. We tell our children to hit back or stand up for themselves. But this is the opposite of what Jesus said we should do. He said turn the other cheek. He said do not fight back. He said be at peace and accept being done wrong.
Why would he say this? Why did Paul say to overcome evil with good? Because we are to let God take care of it. We are to trust God enough that we don’t fight back or hit back or talk back. We trust God and pray that he will take care of us in our trials and leave it to him to apply vengeance, when are where it is needed.
We are to be like God. We are to imitate Jesus. God loves us when we are his enemies. Even when people trample underfoot the blood of the beloved Son of God, he still loves us and wants us to be saved. When they were taking Jesus to be killed, he told Peter to put up his sword because those who live by the sword will die by the sword. Pray for your enemies. Do good to those who mistreat you. Show love to those who hate you, even feed them or provide their needs.
O Lord God, it is not easy to follow your will when it goes against my nature of looking out for myself and even defending myself. Yet, I know that you will take care of me, and you will punish evil in your time. Increase my faith so that I will trust you enough to follow your will, even when I don’t understand why. Fill me with your Spirit so I will show your love and be at peace with others, as much as it depends on me. Thank you for loving me when I was living in sin. Thank you for giving your Son to die for me when I was your enemy. In his name I pray.
Robert
