Date: Friday July 13, 2012
Today's Chapters: Proverbs 24-27
Message Title: My Grace Is Sufficient

Hello My Friend,

As Christians we are taught to love those who hate us, be kind to those who deceive us, and take care of those who hurt us. At the same time we are also taught to separate ourselves from those who are wicked. So, how are we to show kindness to one another, especially when someone has wronged us, yet remain separated from them? Grace. “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 12:3,18-21.

Grace, it's an a amazing thing, it is the unmerited favor of God, meaning we do not have to earn it, He gives it to us freely, whether we love Him back or not. It is only by God's grace that we get saved when we ask to be saved, simply by asking Jesus to save us. It is also God's grace that gives us grace, unmerited favor toward those who have wronged us, but do not think that its' all in vain, God will take care of those who wronged us simply by being nice to them. “Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off. Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” - Proverbs 24:1,2,12-16.

While we as Christians might make some mistakes from time to time, God's grace is what picks us back up and gets us moving onto bigger and better things. Those who have wronged us with no intention of making things right will fall further and further into destruction. “Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out. My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both? These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.” - Proverbs 24:19-25.

Our judgment can become impaired when we allow ourselves to dwell with the wicked in the first place. “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart. If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” - Proverbs 25:19-22.

When I was with who I thought was my soul mate, deep down I knew I was headed for disaster when introduced some things to our relationship, but I allowed them against my better judgment and of course, I was the one that suffered for it. My first reaction was revenge and I got it, but all it did was make things worse, he didn't leave I just added fuel to the fire. However, once I started to be nice to him he began suffering, and I do not know what he is doing today, but I do know that he will suffer for a long time because he never learns his lesson. “Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” - Proverbs 26:23-28.

We all have a little bit of wicked in us, especially if we have been wronged, we are just as capable of doing to them what has been done to us. So, while we have no room to judge anyone we do have a right to give good judgment, if they do not listen, they are the ones who will suffer. “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” -John 7:24.

By the way, sometimes God will not separate us from our enemies or those who have wronged us, but He gives us grace to be able to handle them, hopefully they will change their ways, but at least we can find joy, strength, and peace. “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

Today's Prayer: God, I still have a hard time understanding how Your grace is enough to keep me saved. All the wrong I have done, You still love me and forgive me no matter how many times I mess up. Thank You for that and for Your love and mercy toward me too. Lord, give me the grace I need to be loving and forgiving to those who have wronged me, let me not be envious, angry, or bitter, but loving, compassionate, and helpful to them. Give me Your power and strength to do what I need to do to find pleasure in my infirmities through my Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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