Reading your Bible for today November 18

November 18: Luke 6:27-31

KJV Key Verse: Luke 6:29
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

Devotion:
Whilst it is true we continue to have arguments and continue to war nation against nation, Jesus reminds us we are to love our enemy. Ordinarily this would cause us to doubt things in our minds, but the more you think about it, the more you begin to realise that loving your enemy is so much more than just turning the other cheek or trying to make them friendly!

Think about the groups of people we stick together with? How often do new people join your group or circle of friends, or how often do you go out of your way to make a new friend or find out what makes someone else tick? We are creatures of habit and continue to mix with those we know rather than going out to find new friends. We continue to concern ourselves with those we are already friends with and block out so many others not knowing their needs.

Christ made sure He knew peoples' needs and He made sure He did something about it. It was not just a case of healing the infirm, but making sure that people with spiritual and emotional needs were supported as well. He made sure people knew they were doing things wrong and that they needed to get back to the truth and worship God. He made sure others knew this so they could try to act more like Him.

As He said, what good is it if we only mix with those who do not need anything? How will we ever help the needy? How will we ever make friends? How will we ever convince people that we are actually Christians! If we want to do any of this, then we have to make sure we are the ones who go out and show people what we can do with God's help. We need to convince people we are serious about God so they will be encouraged!

Points to Ponder:
What did you do the last time a stranger did something against you?

How often do you do things wrong against God?