39: Jesus tells his hearers that they should not take personal revenge. A saint should not be a brawler. This does not mean that self-defense is a sin. Force is not to be used for personal affronts. Those who would deliver the type of blow Jesus here referred to were not trying to deliver bodily harm as much as shame and offense. This would be closely akin to not retaliating when someone spits in your face. They have no intention to kill you, or even maim you. They just want to rile you. Personal revenge for this is wrong.
Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 36:1-37:40
Daily Memory Verse: Jude 1:5 “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them that believed not.”
Daily Tidbit: I saw some penguins yesterday. I noticed that, when they cam out of the water, they would stand and hold their wings out for a while. The attendant told me that they were drying off that way. Fascinating!
Praise Journal: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wisdom and truth. It is good to have a foundation for our lives. You give us a starting point for our understanding of the world. You are so intelligent and skilled! Give us truth for our daily lives that will inspire us to live for Your purposes. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.
Prayer Journal Highlights: Pray for a man looking for a new home. Pray for two families that just lost loved ones. Pray for a man dying of cancer.
Personal Journal Entry #12171