READ:
Matthew 5:38-48
He makes His sun rise on
the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on
the unjust. -Matthew 5:45
When torrential downpours beat on the heads of my newly planted petunias, I felt bad for them. I wanted to bring them inside to shelter them from the storm. By the time the rain stopped, their little faces were bowed to the ground from the weight of the water. They looked sad and weak. Within a few hours, however, they perked up and turned their heads skyward. By the next day, they were standing straight and strong.
What a transformation! After pounding them on the head, the rain dripped from their leaves, soaked into the soil, and came up through their stalks, giving them the strength to stand straight.
Because I prefer sunshine, I get annoyed when rain spoils my outdoor plans. I sometimes wrongly think of rain as something negative. But anyone who has experienced drought knows that rain is a blessing. It nourishes the earth for the benefit of both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).
Even when the storms of life hit so hard that we nearly break from the force, the "rain" is not an enemy. Our loving God has allowed it to make us stronger. He uses the water that batters us on the outside to build us up on the inside, so we may stand straight and strong. -Julie Ackerman Link
Lord, we know that we don't need to fear the storms
of life. Because You are good, we can trust You
to use even our hard times to build our faith in You.
We lean on You now.
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The storms that threaten to destroy us
God will use to strengthen us.
INSIGHT
In today's reading, the basic intent of our Lord's teaching is not complete pacifism that enables evil behavior. It is an exhortation for attitudes of graciousness, generosity, impartiality, and non-retaliation in the believer's personal dealings with others. The righteous use of force to restrain evil is clearly taught in other passages of Scripture. The powers of governmental authorities are ordained by God (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14).
Have a blessed day.
God Our Creator's Love Always
Unity & Peace
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