“…in the presence of my enemies”<\/p>\n
The Good Shepherd invites you to the table even when your enemies are around. \u00a0He does not wait until your enemies are gone. \u00a0He does not eliminate your enemies. \u00a0He takes care of you with your enemies present.<\/p>\n
This is not exactly what we would expect. \u00a0“I just want God to come down on my enemies with His righteous anger and destroy them.” \u00a0 Even if He doesn’t take them to task I expect Him to, at least, chase them away. \u00a0But the Good Shepherd does not do that. \u00a0Why?<\/p>\n
There may be several reasons for this. \u00a0First, we will never know how to rely on God for relationship issues of we are not around difficult people. \u00a0 We need trials and testing in our life so that we can experience God’s power, deliverance and provision. \u00a0It is through testing that God reveals His grace and mercy in our lives. \u00a0 Rather than praying for God to somehow eliminate the hostile people from our lives we are forced to depend on God for our sufficiency.<\/p>\n
Secondly, dining in the presence of my enemies allows them to observe God’s care for you. \u00a0As Christians we are called to give a witness to what it means to follow Christ! \u00a0That means we are called to do it even in the presence of those who are against us. \u00a0Think about the powerful words of Jesus on the cross spoken in the “presence” of His enemies.<\/p>\n
“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”<\/p>\n
There is no greater example than Jesus dying on the cross for those who were crucifying Him. \u00a0 It was His peace and His confidence in those moments that reveal to us that He was sitting at the Father’s table. \u00a0His enemies were not only there but seemed to be taking Him down on defeat. \u00a0 Yet, He held the course and came to the table prepared for Him so that you and I would follow His example.<\/p>\n
Today, do not wait to come to God’s table. \u00a0He wants you to come now even with your enemies present. \u00a0Don’t worry…He will be with you (remember the last verse). \u00a0There is something bigger than you going on here. \u00a0God just may use your Christlike attitude as you sit at His table to speak to the heart of the very enemy you want to destroy.<\/p>\n
Commit yourself to be a testimony of God’s grace, like Jesus on the cross, so that even those against Him will hear of His forgiveness.<\/p>\n
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“…in the presence of my enemies” The Good Shepherd invites you to the table even when your enemies are around. \u00a0He does not wait until your enemies are gone. \u00a0He does not eliminate your enemies. \u00a0He takes care of you … Continue reading