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Shared: How to Love Our Enemies G. D. Watson says he has been blessed all his life with a few enemies. He believed that God’s command to pray for our enemies means we are to perseveringly pray for them out of a loving heart, and he recalls many times when God has led him to do just that. One man had done great damage both to him and his family. Watson had often prayed for him in his private devotions, but one day, he felt he should spend some special time in prayer for this man. At the beginning of his prayer, he tried to look at himself from the other man’s standpoint. But the Spirit soon showed him that it was the human way and not the Divine. It came to him that what he needed was to love that man with the identical love Jesus had for him, and as much as he was able, he was to sympathize with and feel toward him exactly as God did. He had to abandon himself to the Holy Spirit to become a channel of the tender compassion of God. Soon his tears flowed like rain, and he felt a warm love for his enemy. All this man’s concerns became very precious to him. Suddenly, the Spirit revealed to him what a wonderful Christian that man would make if he were washed in Jesus’ blood and filled with the Holy Spirit. He then prayed that he might feel a Christ-like grief for any trouble that might come to the man. From that moment, it was easy to pray for his enemy and think of him with a tender love. A few months later, when that man had a tragedy, Watson said it brought great sadness to his heart. Jesus, please make me a channel of Your compassion. “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." -1 Peter 3:8-9 -Aletha Hinthorn *Edited

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Romans 12:1 “For from Him and through Him, and to Him are all things for all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him. To Him be glory forever!” And…at the beginning of it all, the catalyst for all things, even His Mercy, has its root in His love. Paul, appeals to us, in view of all His mercies…to choose Him, to dedicate ourselves to Him. Can we see His Mercy in all He is, all He’s done…? His Mercy is best described as not giving us the punishment we deserve through His free gift of Grace… that’s the big one. Eternal life in His presence is His Mercy on all who believe. His mercy isn’t a once and done thing, scripture has it that His mercies are new every day. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, recalls his hope and expectation, “It’s because of the Lord‘s mercy and loving kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassions fail not. They’re new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness”. Jeremiah knows his Lord as his portion. Our God‘s mercy is unconditional, it doesn’t depend on situations or circumstances we find ourselves in. If we can’t find it, perhaps we’re not looking in the right place. Even when things are hard, when pain and suffering and affliction mark our days, His mercies are still there. Like the manna in the desert, His mercies are new and fresh each day. He’s our Keeper, He holds us, carries us, we know Him as Provider and Deliverer. We call Him Faithful and True, Merciful and Compassion. Our Spirit, strengthened by His Mercy, comes to the aid of our suffering flesh, giving us the eyes to see our merciful God and to know Him in a way we can’t explain. How is He merciful to us? He covers us with His Peace when chaos surrounds us and Joy when grief is overwhelming. He floods us with His Strength in our weakest moments and breathes Truth and Wisdom into our hearts and minds. Lord, transform us, change us, open our e