Looking over your shoulder!

Do you see how many people Have it in for me? How viciously they hate me? Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don’t let me down when I run to you. Use all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product. GOD, give your people a break From this run of bad luck. (Psalm 25:19-22 MSG)

I've continued to study a Chuck Swindoll series called "What if......." It continues to be a fascinating study. My life, right now, is a true blessing from God. Trust me when I tell you, I don't deserve my life. I am a sinner and have not been righteous in any sense of the word. But I have found favor with the Lord and my life is truly a display of Gods amazing grace.

So, when I listened to the message today, I had to look back in my life to relate to David. Yes, I have enemies. You can't live for 55 years without upsetting someone or enduring some hate. I also have had phases in my life where my haters were quite numerous. A former principal of mine said, "Your list of enemies or people that hate you, never gets smaller." I have truly found this to be true. I'm not sure I've ever heard someone tell me,or someone else, they used to hate me and now they love me! It just doesn't happen. But, if my detractors are near me, I'm unaware of their hatred. I praise God for his love and protection. He alone is the reason the haters in my life don't impact my day. So, let me give you advice from someone who has endured some hateful people. It may be an overly simplified approach, but I have found the greatest defense from you haters is just to turn them over to the Lord.  If I could tell you how to live, I would say, do not spend your life in fear. Do not spend your days looking over your shoulder. Eliminate distrustful thoughts, shut out those who do not lift you up and only wish to tear you down. Love your enemy. Trust in the Lord to protect you from evil and hate. 

We, which means you and I, can overcome our haters. Yes, we can ignore the life of a hater if we can just radically and unwaveringly follow Jesus. Praise God for his wondeful love and amazing grace. Thank you Lord for isolating me from the hatred surrounding me. I am honored to follow you and renew my commitment to serving you. Amen!

Love the Hater!

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
 1 My God, whom I praise,
   do not remain silent,
2 for people who are wicked and deceitful
   have opened their mouths against me;
   they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me;
   they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
   but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
   and hatred for my friendship.

 6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
   let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
   and may his prayers condemn him.
8 May his days be few;
   may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children be fatherless
   and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars;
   may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor seize all he has;
   may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 May no one extend kindness to him
   or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,
   their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
   may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before the LORD,
   that he may blot out their name from the earth.

 16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
   but hounded to death the poor
   and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
   may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
   may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing as his garment;
   it entered into his body like water,
   into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
   like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers,
   to those who speak evil of me.

 21 But you, Sovereign LORD,
   help me for your name’s sake;
   out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
   and my heart is wounded within me.

I have to admit I have had had these types of thoughts about people in the past. Maybe not to this extreme. Though, I can't ever remember wishing some ones kids be fatherless. But, I am ashamed to say I have had thoughts about wishing bad things toward people. I'm not justifying it, but as sinners, it is in our nature to be this way. I beg forgiveness for these thoughts. As a follower of Christ I should spend my time in prayers for those people who hurt me. I have had a wounded heart before. But, that is not an excuse to wish ill to someone.

God wants us to love our enemies. He doesn't want us to pray for their demise. He wants us to pray for them and to go beyond , by reaching out to them. I find that so hard to do. I find it nearly impossible to treat those that wound my heart so deeply, with love. It is so easy to love those that love me. I would do anything for those people. I need to be willing to do the same for those who hate me.

Dear Lord, Please forgive me for my hate toward my enemies. Please forgive me for not treating them with YOUR love. Give me a changed heart. Give me the strength to love them and go out of my way to help them. I can not do it out of my own strength. I need your help. In you great and powerful name, I pray. Amen!