Command 10 : Love Your Enemies | Day 66 Neutralize Their Venom! In the jungles of Africa, a missionary tramped through the tall grass toward a village. Suddenly, he felt a piercing bite on his leg and looked down to see a very poisonous snake. Within minutes he could expect to have excruciating pain, nausea, swelling, and weakness. However, none of these symptoms occurred, because he was prepared for this type of attack. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small unit that he used to give an electrical charge to the affected area, neutralizing the snakes venom. When an enemy curses us with bitter words, the effect is the same as that of a poisonous snakebite. In fact, God describes bitter words as poisonous venom. (See Psalm 58:3-4 and James 3:8.) These venomous words will do their deadly work in our emotions unless we quickly neutralize them with a heart response of blessing. This is one of the reasons that Jesus commands us to bless those who curse us. No wonder Scripture states: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Joseph was cursed by his older brothers but refused to curse them back. Instead, he looked to the Lord for his vindication. We see his attitude in the response he later gave to his brothers: ... Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). In another case, a father angrily shouted at his son, You idiot! You will never amount to anything. These words went deep into the heart and soul of this son, and for years they damaged his ability to respond to his father or establish relationships with other people. It was only when he blessed his father that he was freed from the emotional bondage he was experiencing. Blessings should begin by using the name of the Lord and can include the qualities that are deficient in the lives of our attackers. For example, a cursed son could say, Lord, would you bless my father with true wisdom and understanding. Keep him strong with kindness and compassion. Cause your face to shine upon him that he might radiate genuine love, and give him grace to know and do your will. Cursing our enemies is like drinking poison and waiting for our enemies to die! I can personally attest to the power of this command as different individuals have attacked me with the most venomous words possible. When I ask God to bless them with the qualities that they seem to be lacking, my attitude toward them begins to change; God fills my heart with genuine love toward them and expectations about what He will do in their lives. May God give each of us the wisdom and grace to counteract the damage of venomous words by learning to bless those who curse us. Through Christ our Lord, Bill Gothard “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you ...” (Matthew 5:44). Online Resources for Command 10 » Make sure your Daily Success e-mails always go straight to your inbox by adding [email protected] to your address book. You are receiving this e-mail because you are enrolled in Daily Success, a ministry of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). E-mail addresses are never sold or given out to third parties. You may unsubscribe at any time. Copyright © 2005–2013, Institute in Basic Life Principles. All Rights Reserved. The Institute in Basic Life Principles is located at 707 West Ogden Ave., Hinsdale, IL 60521.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 14:26:32 +0000
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