Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 9, 2025
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.
Good Morning. Love one another!
When we are little children, we are willing to play with anyone who shows up on the playground. At some point, a disagreement happens, and we are told by our accompanying adult to shake hands and say we’re sorry. We begrudgingly do so, but are we sorry? Probably not! What about the time after a youth sporting event when we go down the line saying good game, when we feel like something unfair happened and we should have won? Do we believe it was a good game? Again, probably not!
So why are we required to do such things? Perhaps it is a way to plant seeds that will eventually grow into a vine that connects us all of God’s children. It is unlikely that we will all ever agree on the best way to do things, but we can love one another regardless of our differences.
It’s hard to open our hearts and minds to love our enemies and those who harass us, but this is what Jesus teaches us to do. As with most things that are hard, we need lots of practice, and we have to take baby steps, but if we are diligent in our efforts, by God’s grace, we can accomplish all things, even loving our enemies.
Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
January 9, 2025
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.
Good Morning. Love one another!
When we are little children, we are willing to play with anyone who shows up on the playground. At some point, a disagreement happens, and we are told by our accompanying adult to shake hands and say we’re sorry. We begrudgingly do so, but are we sorry? Probably not! What about the time after a youth sporting event when we go down the line saying good game, when we feel like something unfair happened and we should have won? Do we believe it was a good game? Again, probably not!
So why are we required to do such things? Perhaps it is a way to plant seeds that will eventually grow into a vine that connects us all of God’s children. It is unlikely that we will all ever agree on the best way to do things, but we can love one another regardless of our differences.
It’s hard to open our hearts and minds to love our enemies and those who harass us, but this is what Jesus teaches us to do. As with most things that are hard, we need lots of practice, and we have to take baby steps, but if we are diligent in our efforts, by God’s grace, we can accomplish all things, even loving our enemies.
Loving Lord, Maker of all things! The words are easy to say or read, but so hard to do. Thank you for your mercy when we are slow to learn. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God loves our enemies as much as he loves us!
Love one another (mic drop)! Pastor Liz
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