BBD 03.30.09 How to Hurt Yourself

#1 · March 29, 2009, 1:08 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on March 29, 2009, 1:08 pm
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up
of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 337 new subscribers since January 1, 2009!!

03.30.09

How to Hurt Yourself

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is
written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If
your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in
so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." - Romans 12:18-20.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then
the king's wrath subsided. - Esther 7:10.

In Bithlo, Florida, Craig Aylesworth had a little dispute with his neighbor
and things got a little crazy. Craig made a gasoline bomb and threw it at
his neighbor's mobile home. The bomb did explode but in what must have been
an act of God the wind changed. Instead of the neighbor's trailer being
burned up, Craig's pickup, a couple of his cars, and his travel trailer were
set on fire by the bomb. Officers investigating think that alcohol may have
been involved.

In the Old Testament is a somewhat similar story of how a plan of revenge
backfired. In the book of Esther, we are told of the wicked Haman and
Mordecai. Haman was jealous of Mordecai and Haman was a power hungry, greedy
man who would do anything for power and wealth. It was Haman's plan for the
Jews to be destroyed and for their property to be taken. It was Haman's plan
for Mordecai to be hung, and he even had the gallows built for Mordecai's
hanging. God's placement of Esther as the new queen and her courage in
approaching the king with the evil of Haman's plan thwarted it all and Haman
ended up being hung instead of Mordecai.

When we try to get even with or get back at others often we only succeed in
hurting ourselves. Craig Aylesworth and Haman both did a good job of hurting
themselves instead of their intended victims.

Instead of our taking the matter of revenge into our own hands we are told
"do not avenge yourselves." Instead of getting even we are told to "as much
as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Instead of hurting our
enemies we are told to "feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink." David
took this path in his relationship with King Saul. David refused to kill his
enemy because Saul was the Lord's anointed. Here's what David said to
Abishai one of his mighty men who wanted to kill Saul, "'Do not destroy him;
for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be
guiltless?' David said furthermore, 'As the Lord lives, the Lord shall
strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and
perish (1 Samuel 26:9-10).'" David had faith that God would take care of
King Saul when the right time came and that it would only bring guilt own
himself by killing Saul.

When Judas came with the chief priests, elders and a great number of people
armed with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword ready to
fight. However, Jesus said this, "Put your sword in its place, for all who
take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now
pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of
angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen
thus? (Matthew 26:52-54)." Jesus could have utterly destroyed his physical
enemies, but instead He willingly went to the cross suffering and dying for
the sins of all people; past, present, and future - by refusing to fight
back Jesus eternally defeated death.

Revenge belongs to God and when we try to get back at someone we are
inviting disaster into our lives. Let go of the wrongs that have been
committed against you and place them into the hands of God; when you do so
you will have peace and the blessing of God upon your life.

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the
Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they
will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always
in need of prayer - please pray for me. Pray for my voice since I continue
to have problems with it and for the healing of our son Nick's eye.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube at:
www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is made up
of over 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive prayer
requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 337 new subscribers since January 1, 2009!!

03.30.09

How to Hurt Yourself

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is
written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If
your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in
so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." - Romans 12:18-20.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then
the king's wrath subsided. - Esther 7:10.

In Bithlo, Florida, Craig Aylesworth had a little dispute with his neighbor
and things got a little crazy. Craig made a gasoline bomb and threw it at
his neighbor's mobile home. The bomb did explode but in what must have been
an act of God the wind changed. Instead of the neighbor's trailer being
burned up, Craig's pickup, a couple of his cars, and his travel trailer were
set on fire by the bomb. Officers investigating think that alcohol may have
been involved.

In the Old Testament is a somewhat similar story of how a plan of revenge
backfired. In the book of Esther, we are told of the wicked Haman and
Mordecai. Haman was jealous of Mordecai and Haman was a power hungry, greedy
man who would do anything for power and wealth. It was Haman's plan for the
Jews to be destroyed and for their property to be taken. It was Haman's plan
for Mordecai to be hung, and he even had the gallows built for Mordecai's
hanging. God's placement of Esther as the new queen and her courage in
approaching the king with the evil of Haman's plan thwarted it all and Haman
ended up being hung instead of Mordecai.

When we try to get even with or get back at others often we only succeed in
hurting ourselves. Craig Aylesworth and Haman both did a good job of hurting
themselves instead of their intended victims.

Instead of our taking the matter of revenge into our own hands we are told
"do not avenge yourselves." Instead of getting even we are told to "as much
as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." Instead of hurting our
enemies we are told to "feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink." David
took this path in his relationship with King Saul. David refused to kill his
enemy because Saul was the Lord's anointed. Here's what David said to
Abishai one of his mighty men who wanted to kill Saul, "'Do not destroy him;
for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be
guiltless?' David said furthermore, 'As the Lord lives, the Lord shall
strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and
perish (1 Samuel 26:9-10).'" David had faith that God would take care of
King Saul when the right time came and that it would only bring guilt own
himself by killing Saul.

When Judas came with the chief priests, elders and a great number of people
armed with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword ready to
fight. However, Jesus said this, "Put your sword in its place, for all who
take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now
pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of
angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen
thus? (Matthew 26:52-54)." Jesus could have utterly destroyed his physical
enemies, but instead He willingly went to the cross suffering and dying for
the sins of all people; past, present, and future - by refusing to fight
back Jesus eternally defeated death.

Revenge belongs to God and when we try to get back at someone we are
inviting disaster into our lives. Let go of the wrongs that have been
committed against you and place them into the hands of God; when you do so
you will have peace and the blessing of God upon your life.

Copyright © 2009. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Please pray for Malachi, Cody, and Mica who are young boys
with cancer. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the
Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they
will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always
in need of prayer - please pray for me. Pray for my voice since I continue
to have problems with it and for the healing of our son Nick's eye.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube at:
http://www.godtube.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.