The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Sunday
September 28, 2008
O Lord, you are my rock of safety.
Please help me;
don't refuse to
answer me.
For if you are silent,
I might as well give up and die.
Listen to my prayer for mercy
as I cry out to you for help,
as I
lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
Don't drag me away with the wicked
–
with those who do evil –
those who speak
friendly words to their neighbors
while planning evil in their hearts.
Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!
Measure it out in
proportion to their wickedness.
Pay them back for all their evil deeds!
Give them a taste of what they have done to others.
They care nothing
for what the Lord has done
or for what his hands have made.
So he will
tear them down like old buildings,
and they will never be rebuilt!
Psalm
28:1-5
Sunday night I spent an hour or so on the phone with an anointed man of God who has been wounded by the church. As we talked God began to give me a revelation and one that I just have to share with you.
In Matthew 5:43-46 Jesus taught the deep difference between the Old Testament way of life and the New Testament way of life: "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much." So, what do you say to that?
When we realize that it's all about love? It's not about perfection. God recognized early on that the people He created could not attain perfection so He provided us a Savior. Yes, I believe we need to live as clean a life as is possible, but we are not to look at our cleanliness or our holiness, we are to look at His and then love one another!
Although David was a man after God's own heart, I'm sure there were times His Father was not pleased with his prayers. We are to love those who hurt us and pray for their salvation - not wish them dead!
God wants us to see our heart and maybe that is why He didn't mind David praying prayers like this one. Maybe it is in really speaking what is in our heart that we see how badly we stand in need of a Savior!
Father, I confess that from time to time I have wished that certain people could just be removed from my life because their presence caused me so much pain. I repent - again! Lord, sometimes it is these very people that help me see that there is something about myself that needs to make another trip to the cross and lay down my attitude. Purge me of any false pride that makes me think I am better than anyone else or that I deserve more than someone else. I simply need You Lord. I simply need You.
