Strength to Love
“Let us be practical and ask the question, How do we love our enemies?
First, we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. It is impossible even to begin the act of loving one’s enemies without the prior acceptance of the necessity, over and over again, of forgiving those who inflict evil and injury upon us. It is also necessary to realize that the forging act must always be initiated by the person who has been wronged, the victim of some great hurt, the recipient of some tortuous injustice, the absorber of some terrible act of oppression. The wrongdoer may request forgiveness. He may come to himself, and, like the prodigal son, move up some dusty road, his heart palpitating with the desire for forgiveness. But only the injured neighbor, the loving father back home, can really pour out the warm waters of forgiveness.
Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Archived Devotions click on title to read in its entirety
A Fresh Start
“A Fresh Start” Ezekiel 37:22-32 The prophet Ezekiel announced God’s judgment upon the nation of Israel in the sixth century as they lived in the clutches of captivity and exile. The pronouncements were written in approximately 571 B.C. and were directed to the Jews who lived in Babylonia. He was a younger contemporary of […]
Waiting Together
“Waiting Together” Acts 2:1-12 We find a glowing picture of the spiritual intimacy of the New Testament church in the second chapter of the book of Acts. Living on the edge of the crucifixion and the resurrection, they were now living in concert with the instructions from the risen Christ. The command was to stay […]
The Coming King
“The Coming King” John 12:12-19 The crowd that gathered in Jerusalem for the religious celebrations, was poised and waiting for the arrival of a true king. In anticipation of the arrival of Jesus Christ as rumored, “they took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the […]
It is Impossible
“It Is Impossible” Hebrews 10:4-10 The direct declaration of verse four in the Hebrews text dispenses with any thought about religious activity significantly addressing the issue and problem of sin. No religious traditions or rituals can solve human brokenness. No number of ritualistic observances can bring about the reality of closeness with God. No religious […]