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FACING HATRED!
Matthew 5:11 – Devotional
Matthew 5:11
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”
I once had a man from our congregation drop by the parsonage and ask to talk with me. I was delighted and hopeful that he wanted spiritual counsel of some sort. We enjoyed a light lunch before going into my office. Suddenly, out of the clear blue, came these words: “I hate your guts!” Wow! You could have knocked me over with a feather. Prior to this outburst there did not seem to be any hint of a conflict between us, so his statement was a blow.
With my mind reeling, I prayed silently for God’s wisdom and strength. With as much sincerity as possible I answered, “I am so glad that you feel free to share your feelings with me.” From that incident I would like to suggest a few ways to respond to and love the unlovable.
- Rely on God’s wisdom in dealing with the person.
- Realize that these unlovable people need love—perhaps more than others.
- Remember how unlovable our sins are in God’s sight.
- Rejoice that we are counted worthy to encounter persecution.
- Respond with love rather than retaliate with resentment.
What happened on that Sunday evening so long ago? We spent time together as he poured out his heart. As he was leaving he looked me directly in the eye and said, “Pastor, I love you so much!” Wow! That was a dramatic change from the comments he made earlier. God is so good!
Blessings dear hearts! May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
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One Year Bible Scripture for Today
One Year Bible Reading for October 27th:
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- Jeremiah 51:1-53
- Titus 2:1-15
- Psalm 99:1-9
- Proverbs 26:17
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Today Pastor Cecil is reading from the New King James Version (NKJV) if you’d like to follow along in your Bible.
Scripture Reading for October 27th
New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs Scripture Reading for October 27th:
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- Titus 2:1-15
- Psalm 99:1-9
- Proverbs 26:17
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Today Pastor Cecil is reading from the New Living Translation (NLT) if you’d like to follow along in your Bible.
If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.