OUR DAILY BREAD : THE LESSON

[cimi]

February 5
Tuesday


THE LESSON

READ:
Romans 1:14-21
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Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome
evil with good.
__Romans 12:21
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One summer I was at a gathering of old high school acquaintances when someone behind me tapped me on my shoulder. As my eyes drifted over the woman's name tag, my mind drifted back in time. I remembered a tightly folded note that had been shoved through the slot on my locker. It had contained cruel words of rejection that had shamed me and crushed my spirit. I remember thinking, Somebody needs to teach you a lesson on how to treat people! Although I felt as if I were reliving my adolescent pain, I mustered up my best fake smile; and insincere words began coming out of mouth.

We began to converse. a sad story of a difficult upbringing and of an unhappy marriage began to pour out of her. As it did, the words "root of bitterness" from Hebrews 12:15 popped into my head. That's what I'm felling, I thought. After all these years, I still had a deep root of bitterness hidden within me, twisting around and strangling my heart.

Then these words came to my mind: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21).

We talked. We even shared some tears. Neither of us mentioned the long-ago incident. God taught someone a lesson that afternoon--a lesson of forgiveness and of letting go of bitterness. He taught it to me. __Cindy Hess Kasper
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~~~~~~~~Dear Lord, please help me not to harbor resentment~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~and bitterness in my heart. Through the power~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~of the Holy Spirit, enable me to let go of my~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~bitterness and forgive those who have hurt me.~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Revenge imprisons us; forgiveness sets us free.

******************Today's Bible Reading __ Romans 12:14-21******************

14 Bless those who
persecute you; bless and o
not curse. 15 Rejoice with
those who rejoice, and
weep with those who weep.

16 Be of the same mind
toward one another. Do not
set your mind on high
things, but associate with
the humble. Do not be wise
in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for
evil. Have regard for good
things in the sight of all
men. 18 If it is possible, as
much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all men.

19 Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give
place to wrath; for it is
written, "Vengeance is
Mine, I will repay," says the
Lord. 20 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."

21 Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with
good.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In todays' reading, Paul repeats a theme he introduced in Romans
12:3, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is
among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure
of faith." This challenge of having a proper sense of self is revisited
in vers 16 where Paul reminds us not to set our minds on "high
things." Instead we should associate with the humble and resist the
tendency to pride and self-exaltation. In everything we are to keep
our view of self in proper perspective.