Golden Nugget: “You have heard…Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies!”

Daily Verse: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” —Matthew 5:43–44

Daily Message:
Have you ever jumped out of plane? There’s a feeling you get when you’re standing at the door looking out into open sky. Everything in your body and mind is screaming, “This doesn’t make any sense! Back up and sit down!” It’s counterintuitive to jump out of a plane, to say the least.

However, loving your enemies feels so unnatural that it makes skydiving seem like a walk in the park. It’s one thing to be invited by a friend to go skydiving. It’s quite another to say we should “love” our enemies.

But maybe Jesus knows things about life and people—things about you and me—that we don’t know. He said the best response to our enemies is to love them. What would happen if we trusted Jesus on this one?

Consider This:

• Is there anyone in your life who gets under your skin in a big way?
• Is there anyone blocking your success?

Take Action:
Think of one person you consider an enemy and pray that God will give you the strength
to love them. You might be surprised at how good it feels.