Bless My Enemies

When I have to choose between forgiving and allowing anger to harbour in me as part of my sinful nature, I chose to forgive. But on ONE condition. That apologies and remose MUST come knocking on my door pleading for my forgiveness. Was it too much? No, not when I am hurt badly.

Mad Cat made me realised that when God lives in us, we will want to make things right before Him. Regardless of the consequences we have to face, we have to pay our debts. When there is repentance, there will be forgiveness. It takes lots of courage and humbleness, especially from people we truly care about.

But one thing for sure, I will be quick to curse my enemies than to bless them. Sometimes things seems to happen the other way around. My enemies seems to be receiving blessings from God. Why? Does He love them more than me?

I came across an article in Grace@Work, and it game me an insight which I refused to see until now. The author chose the story of Soloman. The son of David whom David had with Bathsheba. The very same woman David had chosen to sinned horredously against God in order to statisfy his lust. Instead of punishing David, whom I would have strike him dead if I were god, God has chosen Soloman to be David successor.

Strange isn't it? Why would God have done something like that? Bathsheba's husband would probably be fuming if he were still alive at that time. Does it mean that God will bless all my enemies too? That does not make God, God of law.

There is a principle in life, noted the author, is that 'we reap what we sow'. The author reminded us that God had indeed warned us of the wages of sins and sins destroy. This is shown in the death of David's child and family tragedies which befall in David's household. Yet David's life was spared.

Nathan warned David that he has outraged Yahweh but Yahweh will forgive him and David shall not die but death will be upon the child born to him.

The author pinted out Psalms 51, where David took full responsibility of his sins and deserves God's judgement. Yet David had the audacity to cry out to God for forgiveness which he doesn't deserve. He live in fear that God's fellowship will be withdrawn from him. And God forgave him.

Despite all that David had done, God showed His grace. Grace so dear that it cost the life of Jesus on the cross. Soloman's appointment is not a mistake, it's a message. A message of unspoken grace. *'Here He is a Holy God enraged by sin. But here too is a Holy God of forgiving grace'

With God's grace, we can move on. With God's grace, we do not live in our past and with our failures.

*"There will be consequences of sin that we have to live with this side of heaven. And true repentence does not come easy since the heart is deceitful above all else. True repentence should include confession, sorrow for sin, making restitution, and fresh resolve not to sin again."

As the author's last word, "...the choice of Soloman, a sign of God condones sin? Hardly. But the choice of Soloman was a reminder that with the Lord, grace has the last word. And that God and His grace is larger than our sin. We nust take our sins seriously and deal with them. Buts God's grace means there is also a time to move on"

If God can forgive my enemies and showed them grace, perhaps its time for me to look in a different perspective. What if things were different? What if its me that needs forgiving? But of course, one thing I held firm, is where there is repentence, there will be forgiving grace.

Nb:* taken from the article