Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly, To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
What does God require of us? We need to be fair, be forgiving and remain humble. It is nothing to do with us but everything to do with our triune Godhead.
Isaiah 2:12
For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low—
Romans 12:16-21 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
When we return to God and accept Jesus we will once again experience the blessings of Jehovah God in our lives. Then the promises of Abraham to be a blessing to all the world will be restored. What has been stolen by satan in our rejection of God will be reestablished in our acceptance of the Son of God. Carla
This instruction seems to draw on the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 5:39). Although believers will encounter opposition, Paul urges them to live peacefully, not taking revenge upon those who wrong them. Paul cites Proverbs 25:21–22 to encourage believers to show their enemies undeserved kindness, which might elicit a response of shame and perhaps repentance. This approach leaves room for God to render punishment if He chooses (Romans 12:19). Overcoming evil with good is the consequence of the Christian ethics in verses 14–20. Good will prevail over evil when Christians respond to their enemies with love and blessings instead of revenge and curses. Faithlife Study Bible
Because believers are a body, when one part hurts, everyone feels the pain; when one is joyful, everyone can rejoice. Christians cannot be indifferent to the suffering or joy of their fellow believers (1 Corinthians 12:25, 26). The word good in this verse means “morally good,” “noble,” or “praiseworthy.” This is the positive side of the negative command not to return evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9). A Christian should not concentrate on the evil in others, but instead should focus on what is good. By doing so, we encourage others around us to aspire to the good.
The believer’s aim should be to live peaceably. But sometimes peace is not within our control; this is why Paul limits the command. Believers are not to seek personal revenge, but rather to let God punish. Freed from vengeance, believers can give themselves to mercy, even toward their enemies. By acts of kindness, the believers will heap coals of fire on the head of their enemies, perhaps bringing shame and repentance to them. It is possible for an enemy to become a friend. This is the phenomenal power of God’s love that believers are connected to through Christ. The NKJV Study Bible
Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
Proverbs 25:21–22
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.
Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
Proverbs 24:29
Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
Proverbs 3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and depart from evil
“Dear God, anchor us in the stillness beneath the noise. Guide our hearts to respond with courage, compassion, and clarity when the world feels too heavy to hold. Amen.” (Thank you, Maria Shriver)
“Courage is one of the most contagious things you can imagine.” (John Meacham)
It doesn’t matter what we expect from life, but what life expects from us. In other words, we can choose.
We can choose to unbridle our heart, in order to be our better selves.
We can choose to release grief, to heal emotional wounds, and to open ourselves to forgiveness.
We can choose the gift and healing power of courage.
Viktor Frankl reminds us: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way".
So, here’s our question. How do we remind one another of the courage and sufficiency that is within us, when times are tough, dark and hurtful?
And how do we remember, even in the belittling and demanding places, that we can hear and affirm that voice of courage, and with it, walk one another home?
It is so easy (and tempting) to see our vulnerability as a weakness, or limitation or flaw, and not as the affirmation of a strong and resilient heart.
“I hope you’re finding ways to recall and sustain the joy in your soul. Maintaining your joy is an act of defiance in a world that wants to shut people down. The grief and anger you may be feeling just affirm that you care about people. But joy is the deeper life force, the part of you that knows beauty, the part of you that knows love.” (Thank you, Deb Pierce McCabe) Sabbath Moments
May God bless us with discomfort — discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.
May God bless us with anger — anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.
May God bless us with tears — tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless us with foolishness — enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. A Franciscan blessing
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