Tag: Matthew 5:43-45
Day 5–Bless as You Serve!
Scripture reading for March 20: Matthew 5:43-45 “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.””
Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
As we finish this week on being a servant of our Lord, it is good to be reminded of the words of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Servant/Leader. Normal human behavior is to love those who love us and to hate those who hate us. This creates a culture of division and strife that binds up those involved in it. Jesus taught His followers that God’s adopted children must change their own ways to accurately reflect their heavenly Father.
God is Love and His Love gives blessings to all, the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. He sends rain to all, showering them with blessings. The sunshine of His Love is rising on all mankind and His goodness leads people to repentance. (Romans 2:4) God’s Love for the world of lost mankind moved Him to sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to demonstrate that love by giving His life-blood to pay for our sins.
As first responders, we can apply these truths to our lives each day. We must be hard workers and help the weak, giving them aid and blessing them with goodness. Even if they may treat us with disrespect or appear as enemies, we can pray for them and bless them. Remember, hurting people often hurt others. Even Jesus was reviled by those He came to serve and save. It cost Him His life, but the reward of seeing lost souls come into God’s family was worth it to Him. (Hebrews 12:2)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for serving me, even when I was self-centered and rebellious to You and Your ways. What a blessing I have received in adoption into My Father’s forever family. Use me to help the weak and give blessing to the hurting. Amen.
Salt and Light
Scripture reading for July 22nd: 2nd Kings 4-6, Matthew 5
Matthew 5: 13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the World. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.”
Jesus began to teach His disciples and followers about their identity as designed by God. He used familiar examples of salt and light to help those in darkness of sin understand God’s plan for their lives. Jesus had earlier demonstrated God’s plan to salt the earth’s people with miracles of healing and deliverance and to bring light to those in Satan’s darkness of sin. Each human life is to be like salt–adding God’s “flavor” to their surroundings. Each person is to bear the light of God’s life wherever they are in this world. God’s light shines through us in the good works we do in response to God’s goodness and the infilling Holy Spirit. Christ’s disciples were to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ bringing glory to Father God!
Matthew 5:43-45 “”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father Who is in heaven.””
Prayer: Father God, I often find it hard to believe that my life can be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ to those around me. Fill me again with Your Holy Spirit and bring out the preserving and flavoring ‘salt’ of Your love and goodness. Flood my inner man with Your Word which is a light to my path and brings light to the World. Help me to love my enemies and pray for those who would persecute me and Your followers. Amen!
2nd Kings 5:13-14 “So he (Naaman the Syrian with leprosy) turned and went away in a rage. But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you: will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” So he went and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the Word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”