❤️
Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,
the one who shared my food, has turned against me
(Psalm 41:9; NLT).
1. Help me, Lord,
To bless all those who curse me,
And to pray for all those
Who berate me.
2. Help me to forgive
All those who hurt me,
And, Lord, to do good
To those who hate me.
3. Help me turn my cheek
To those who bruise me,
And, like you, to love those
Who abuse me.
Father, forgive them,
for they don’t know what they are doing
(Luke 23:34; NLT).
References
1. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you (Luke 6:28; NLT).
2. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you (Matthew 6:14; NLT).
Do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27; NLT).
3. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also (Luke 6:29; NLT).
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered (1 Peter 2:23; NLT).
Love your enemies (Luke 6:27; NLT).
We are patient with those who abuse us (1 Corinthians 4:12; NLT).
Having a forgiving attitude towards assailants is something I particularly struggle with, especially for other people. Over the years I have learned that such attacks are spiritual battles that are best entrusted to God Almighty. Thank you for this timely reminder to trust Him. God bless you Ruth.
Yes, I fully agree with what you wrote, Alan. It’s very hard. I’ve written quite a bit over the last year about how to deal with these difficult situations, but just don’t have the energy to organise it all for my blog yet. Maybe I’ll manage this in 2021! Praying for you both, and thinking of you. With love from Ruth XX.
This is a timely word for me today, Ruth. My mind sometimes like to run what I call the “highlight reel” of some of the more serious wrongs I have suffered. The reality is, apart from Gods grace, I am capable of the same!
The thought occurred to me the other day: Not only is is wrong to judge others, it’s also wrong to assume that they are judging me.
I’m delighted if today’s poem is helpful for you, David. Working to recognise an unwanted train of thought, then to nip it in the bud, is a lifetime’s effort XXXX