Devotional Series: Rock: A Life that Can Stand Up to Anything Started: 9/2/2013 Devotional for Wednesday, October 02, 2013 The Absence of Enemies Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you . . . (Matt. 5:44) Years ago I met every Monday morning with a group of men for prayer and talk mingled with Bible reading. On one occasion we were privileged to be joined by Maqsood Kamil. At that time Maqsood was the head of the Presbyterian Church in Pakistan and Professor of Theology at the seminary in Gurjanwala (yes, there is a seminary in Pakistan). Maqsood’s presence with us for an hour was a great gift. He spoke of what it was like to live his faith in a very difficult and hostile setting. This is a man who understands enemies. Real enemies. As he talked with us I think we all became increasingly aware of how easy it is here. Yes, we have our stories here about mass shootings. We know we are not immune to random and senseless violence. We know that terrorism is a real threat in our land. But in the ordinary rhythms of daily life we still assume safety. We shop for groceries and go to school and drive our roads with the assumption that we will accomplish whatever we have on our to-do list for the day. In some ways the absence of enemies is itself our great enemy. Maqsood remarked that when every meal is provided for and easily obtained, the prayer “give us this day our daily bread” doesn’t have much meaning. Of course, we can pray it in our weekly worship services, but those who have little food or who don’t know where a meal will come from will pray the prayer differently. Our bodies may be well fed while our souls are emaciated. Sometimes an enemy poses a real threat to our well-being. These enemies lurk in the dark with both the intent and the capacity to do you harm. They draw blood and leave you for dead; they lie to smear your name or cheat to leave you bankrupt. Our biblical example of a man who dealt deeply with God and constantly with enemies is David. When you know you’ve got enemies you learn to keep your eyes open. You discern their presence intuitively because your life depends on it. But sometimes our most insidious enemies are at work when our well-being isn’t threatened at all. In our comfort and safety we grow spiritually fragile, easily undone by the slightest risk and strangers to a life of bold faith and trust in God. This is why we need the example of the global church. Our brothers and sisters around the world do not merely display bravery in the face of danger. They force us to ask ourselves whether God is enough. They live by grace from day to day and remind us that we are called to live that same way. To stand with them is not simply a gesture of encouragement; it is for us a posture of learning. We might be inclined to think that in a place like Pakistan the enemy has the upper hand. Perhaps here in the land of plenty, where comforts abound and there is little hunger and thirst of soul, the enemy has in fact already won. Next Step: Use this guide to prayer from Operation World to pray for Pakistan. Go to operationworld.org/paki Prayer: Open our eyes, O God, to the reality that so many of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world live with on a daily basis. Use them to teach us, and guard us from the stealth of the enemy that threatens our souls in our abundance. We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen. Mark H. Crumpler Pastor for Teaching and Spiritual Formation markthis.blogspot
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 09:16:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015