Feb 2 - Being a Blessing When It's Hard

Read: Psalm 6:32-38

Context: Continuation from yesterday

Text:
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (NIV)

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God blesses us because He loves us and He wants to see us happy. He also expects us to pass on that love and blessing to others...sometimes in ways that we really don't want to. In fact, verses 37 and 38 ask us to bless others BEFORE we get our blessing. It's really a pretty cool cycle...God blesses us in many ways, we bless others, and He blesses us again!

There are lots of times when I don't feel like blessing the person who just cut me off in traffic or the salesperson who went out of her way to be crabby and slow. But then I remember that I often cut God off at the pass and I'm also pretty prone to being crabby and slow -- and He still blesses me. It makes it easier to stop my negative train of thought and hear God's whisper to pray for those people.

Your challenge today -- remember to pray for those who frustrate or anger you (even if you don't think about it for several hours!)