Wed.’s Devo - Pray For Your Enemies

Read: Jer. 10:1-11:23; Col. 3:18-4:18; Ps. 78:56-72: Pr. 24:28-29 The people of the days of Jeremiah remind me of the people of today. Times were troublesome then like they are now. The people of Jeremiah’s city where he lived plotted his death but God preserved him and he outlived most of his enemies. They wanted to blot out the memory of Jeremiah but his legacy and words live on. God knows the plans of the enemy and will make them known to the righteous. God defends his people and brings justice to all who commit their cause to Him. We need to guard our own hearts that we don’t hate our enemies like ISIS but that we pray for them. God turned Saul, an enemy of God into Paul, the great apostle. He can do that with the terrorists of today. In Colossians, Paul speaks to every person a personal command: to wives he says to submit to their husbands as long as it fits in God’s laws. To husbands he tells them to love their wives and be forgiving toward them. To the children he says to obey their parents no matter what they tell them to do because this will please God. To the fathers he warns them not to do things that would stimulate them to anger and discouragement. And to servants he says to obey everything their masters tell them to do in the spirit of Christ. Everything we do should be to honor God so our relationships with others should exhibit what is in our hearts. When we honor and obey the ones God has put over us then we honor God. Lord, help us today to honor the ones You have put over us. We pray that you would raise up a Paul in the midst of our enemies.