When we apply His Word, we can comply with His Word

Wednesday's Word

The tears came trickling down as the words she read went through her mind, seeping into her soul. Her thoughts seemed to scream: I want to live this, Lord, I really do, but how? She continued reading, yearning for more insight so as to be free from the fury that would rise up every time, any time thoughts of this one person came to mind.
 
Welcome to Wednesday’s Word with Trench Classes United and Kim-Evinda. Has this ever happened to you, conviction mixed with frustration? Where you read truth and it seeps into your soul and calls you to rise to the change? We pray this blog will open up the eyes of your heart and bring you freedom to love those who have hurt you.
 
I continued to read…and to cry tears of conviction, refusing to stop reading until I had finished. It was the daily devotional from my pastor, Pastor Ken of ACTS Center Church and the title of his devotional: The Explosive Power of Love. It started off with the command from Jesus Himself found in Matthew 5:44 directing us to love our enemies. Oh, I’ve had to deal with many an unlovable, in fact, just the other day while court-reporting a deposition thru Zoom I truly wanted to reach through cyber space and wring the neck of the questioning attorney and the doctor for making my job nearly impossible. I’m not talking about those type of unlovable people, no; the ones I’m speaking about are those whom our hearts are more invested in. As I continued to read this devotional, I realized that I am stuck…any time I think of this person, I struggle to find anything positive. But…I won’t stop trying to rise to this challenge of applying and complying with this incredibly demanding verse. I can’t, especially if I call myself a child of God.
 
I continued to read…”loving our enemies is not an optional request but a command”!!! (emphasis mine) I stopped for a moment and thought, how all-knowing of our Abba that He knew there would be more than one enemy! 😊 ☹ 😊 What “the enemy” uses for evil, God will use for my good came running from my heart to my mind. We must remember that “the enemy” we are dealing with is Satan himself, not the one(s) he uses as his minions to promote his agenda.
 
“Love can undermine the plans of the enemy and overturn his works.” Again, I stopped and thought, wow, I/we have that kind of power in us? And I hear, “Yes, you do for you were made in My image.” That brought me to yet another pause.
 
Just a couple of days ago, my husband and I started a Bible Study that talked about this very subject, being made in His image. We both wanted to understand this better so I looked up the Hebrew definition for “image” and immediately understood its meaning and in today’s Hebrew “image: refers to a physical image or picture, it also means “likeness” Likeness is not restricted to outward appearance but more about the characteristics of Christ, the inner Christ. The Biblical explanation for “image” says: “To say that humans are in the image of God is to recognize the special qualities of human nature which allow God to be made manifest in humans. One of God’s greatest characteristics is His unconditional, unfailing, unprovoked love!
 
I continued reading:
 
“Love does not stand still; it moves out into the open and gives unreservedly…” “Love does not count the cost of the sacrifice involved.” Again, I had to pause and think of “the sacrifice involved.” What does it cost me to let go of this deep-rooted hurt and anger every time I think of the act and the actor? Seriously, what does it cost me? NOTHING, except maybe my pride…then I must let go and remember because I am created in His image, I can and I will love my enemies…not just this once but until I see Him face to face.
 
Friend, when we get there, He won’t talk to us about what those enemies did to us, but He will address how we allowed them to make us bitter…or better.
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Thoughtfully,
Kim-Evinda

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