God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them
Now that is something to deeply meditate on.
Lord, you ask the hardest things sometimes,
to love those who hate us,
to act kindly towards those who wish to harm us,
to bless those who wish us dead.
O Lord, give me the strength
to break the chains of hate
that tie us to sin’s blackness,
weighing us down with anger,
and pain,
retaliation,
shame,
breeding darkness from darkness,
grief from grief..
When I see the depths of anger and hate that surrounds us,
I recoil in fear and disgust and disbelief,
for such a thing comes not from above,
no matter how much they do it in the name of God,
or Peace,
or Right,
or Self-determination.
Such things come only from the pit.
Teach me how to be an instrument of your peace
In an era fraught with danger, hate and night.
Touch my hands that they may act in peace
your way, for your reasons.
Touch my lips, that they may say words of blessing
the way you would have it be,
even to those who would harm me.
Touch my heart
That I may learn how to act lovingly
Even when my mind screams out for blood,
Help me to do this because you asked it,
Help me to do this through your help,
Help me to do this for your glory,
This day, and always,
Amen.
Yes and amen.
I don’t know how to discern in a precise refined way . . .
. . . a time to plant, a time to harvest . . .
a time to forgive . . . always time to forgive . . .
sometimes, though . . . a time to discipline and even punish. And, in terms of evil, to terminate.
Only Holy Spirit can guide in such bone from the marrow distinctions, I think.
We wrestle not against flesh and blood . . .
We must at least have the CAPACITY to hear God direct our hearts and actions lovingly toward an enemy in a given situation.
. . .
Thx