Extracted from 'Our Daily Bread'
Hard Sayings
Read and meditate
Love for Enemies
Hard Sayings
Read and meditate
Love for Enemies
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you. what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:27-35)
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells a story of an old cobbler named Martin. After the death of his wife and child, he cried out in despair to a godly old friend, "What now is a man to live for?" His friend replied, "For God, Marin. For God." And how much one live for God?" Martin asked. "Christ has shown us the way," said the believer. "Buy the Gospels and read. There you'll find our how to live for God. There everything is explained," he said.
So that same day Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. The more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him and what it meant to live for God. And his heart grew lighter and lighter.
Then one day Marine read Luke 6:27-35, and it suddenly hit him that Jesus' words were hard sayings. He pondered the command in verse 29, "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." As he began to see how his life didn't measure up to Jesus' words, he cried out, "O Lord, help me!"
We also may feel that obedience to Jesus' words is too difficult for us. His hard sayings seem impossible to obey. Like Marin, we must cry out, "O Lord, help me!" Without Him we can do nothing. - David Roper
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you. what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:27-35)
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells a story of an old cobbler named Martin. After the death of his wife and child, he cried out in despair to a godly old friend, "What now is a man to live for?" His friend replied, "For God, Marin. For God." And how much one live for God?" Martin asked. "Christ has shown us the way," said the believer. "Buy the Gospels and read. There you'll find our how to live for God. There everything is explained," he said.
So that same day Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. The more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him and what it meant to live for God. And his heart grew lighter and lighter.
Then one day Marine read Luke 6:27-35, and it suddenly hit him that Jesus' words were hard sayings. He pondered the command in verse 29, "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also." As he began to see how his life didn't measure up to Jesus' words, he cried out, "O Lord, help me!"
We also may feel that obedience to Jesus' words is too difficult for us. His hard sayings seem impossible to obey. Like Marin, we must cry out, "O Lord, help me!" Without Him we can do nothing. - David Roper
Obeying Christ can seem too hard,
But we must come to see
That all He asks is for our good
To make life full and free. - D. De Haan
The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience.
Extracted from Every Day with Jesus written by Selwyn Hughes
We hear not just what is said
Read and Meditate
Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
I am stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.
You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.
Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statues.
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.
Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (Psalm 119:17-24)
We continue with the point we made yesterday, namely that although the cross and the power that flows from it never change, we do. Dr Bruce Theileman makes this point: 'We hear things not just the way they are said, but the way we are.' What he means is this: we evaluate the things we hear in ways that are very personal to us. Two people sit side by side in church listening to a message and, although they both hear what is being said and understand it, because of who they are and where they are in their lives, they will interpret the sermon quite differently.
One of the things that has amazed me over the many years I have been writing Every Day with Jesus is that when as sometimes happens, I receive letters expressing appreciation of something I have said on a particular day, the letters reveal that the readers have interpreted the point differently. In the early days I would think to myself, 'But I didn't say that!' and it took me a long time to realise what was happening: 'We hear things not just the way they are said, but the way we are.'
Is it any wonder that the Bible holds such fascination for the millions of Christ's followers who read and study it day after day? We may see a text differently today from the way we saw it yesterday, not because the truth has changed, but because we have changed. The text does not change its meaning from one day to another - truth never changes. However, we are likely to discover a different application. It is the same with the cross. Its meaning never changes, but throughout this Easter season it may well be that you will hear its message differently.
Yes, Father - grant that this may happen. Let the old, old story come home to me with a freshness such as I have never known before. Take me day by day from clarity to clarity, and from one new unfolding to another. In Jesus' name. Amen.
But we must come to see
That all He asks is for our good
To make life full and free. - D. De Haan
The cost of obedience is nothing compared with the cost of disobedience.
Extracted from Every Day with Jesus written by Selwyn Hughes
We hear not just what is said
Read and Meditate
Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
I am stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.
You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands.
Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep your statues.
Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees.
Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (Psalm 119:17-24)
We continue with the point we made yesterday, namely that although the cross and the power that flows from it never change, we do. Dr Bruce Theileman makes this point: 'We hear things not just the way they are said, but the way we are.' What he means is this: we evaluate the things we hear in ways that are very personal to us. Two people sit side by side in church listening to a message and, although they both hear what is being said and understand it, because of who they are and where they are in their lives, they will interpret the sermon quite differently.
One of the things that has amazed me over the many years I have been writing Every Day with Jesus is that when as sometimes happens, I receive letters expressing appreciation of something I have said on a particular day, the letters reveal that the readers have interpreted the point differently. In the early days I would think to myself, 'But I didn't say that!' and it took me a long time to realise what was happening: 'We hear things not just the way they are said, but the way we are.'
Is it any wonder that the Bible holds such fascination for the millions of Christ's followers who read and study it day after day? We may see a text differently today from the way we saw it yesterday, not because the truth has changed, but because we have changed. The text does not change its meaning from one day to another - truth never changes. However, we are likely to discover a different application. It is the same with the cross. Its meaning never changes, but throughout this Easter season it may well be that you will hear its message differently.
Yes, Father - grant that this may happen. Let the old, old story come home to me with a freshness such as I have never known before. Take me day by day from clarity to clarity, and from one new unfolding to another. In Jesus' name. Amen.
