Your
Truth Reaches to the Skies
“In return for my love they act as
my accusers; but I am in prayer. Thus, they have repaid me evil for good and
hatred for my love” (Psalm 109:4-5). Their
response to his good intentions distressed David, “to the bereavement of my
soul” (Psalm 35:12). David said that they opposed him because he followed what
was good (Psalm 38:20). Jesus told His disciples that they would suffer
persecution for following what was good. He told them, “If the world hates you,
you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world,
the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose
you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18-21). Because
we love Jesus and follow Him, we may expect persecution for doing what is good.
So, how should we respond if repaid evil for good? The Proverbs teach us, “Do
not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the LORD, and He will save you” (Proverbs
20:22). The apostle Paul said that we should never pay back evil for evil to anyone.
“Respect what is right in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17). “See that no
one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good
for one another and for all people” (1 Thessalonians 5:15). Likewise, the
apostle Peter wrote that we should not return evil for evil or insult for
insult, “but give a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose
that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Dear Father, thank You for sharing Your
goodness with us. When we are confronted with evil because we follow what is
good, help us to respond to evil with good. Help us to be a blessing always to
all people. Fill us with Your Spirit, so that Your light may shine in us to those
who are lost in the darkness. Perhaps our persecutors will become followers of
good. And perhaps with them, we will inherit the blessing of eternal goodness.
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