2 Samuel 9:7 Showing Kindness


David had remembered his friendship with Jonathan, the son of King Saul. Now that both Saul and Jonathan were dead, he wanted to show his kindness to Jonathan’s family. Mephibosheth was the only one left alive and he was called to come before King David. David told him he would show him kindness and restore all the land of his grandfather Saul.

In ancient times it was very common that when a person became king, he usually removed all family members of the former king, unless they were direct family. This was especially true when the former king was an enemy, as King Saul was to David. However, David did not remove them. He restored the lands of his enemy to the enemies family and provided care for his family.

Although today, most people do not set out to kill or destroy an enemy of the family, they also do not show much kindness. If someone had taken their enemy’s land, they would not restore it. Often children are treated roughly because of their parents actions.

Jesus said that as one of His followers, you must love your enemy and do good to them. It is easy to want to seek vengeance on someone for harm they did or their family did in the past. Yet, forgiveness, love and kindness are required by God.

God has shown you kindness by forgiving  you and your family of your past wrongs against Him. He still cares for you and loves you. How much more should you now love your enemy, especially the offspring of your enemy, who has done nothing wrong?

Seek ways to show kindness to others today and see how God can use you to build His kingdom.

I pray today that you will see the kindness God has given you; that you will love others as Jesus has loved you; that you will show kindness to everyone; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.


Deuteronomy 10:19 Love The Foreigners


As Moses was telling the Israelites to love, serve and fear God, he adds in that they were to love the foreigners. They were to treat all the foreigners in their land with love and care because at one time they were also foreigners in Egypt.

Loving foreigners is a very large topic in the world today. Around the world there are millions of people who are refugees from one country living in another country as a foreigners.

Some people are willing to let those people live around them, while others fear them and want them to leave. Some people treat them with great respect, while others despise them and treat them unfairly. Many businesses will give them a job at the lowest pay possible, rather than at a fair wage.

As God was leading the Israelites into the land of Canaan, He told them to first remove all the foreign nations. After that, whoever was left was to be treated with love. This is to care for them and work to meet their needs. Jesus said that believers are to treat others as they want to be treated. True love does not look at the past or find reasons not to help out.

At one time you were a foreigner to God’s love and kingdom. You were, most likely, a foreigner to a new town, state or job. Every student goes through being a foreigner at one time or another in changing schools.

Think about how it felt as a “foreigner” in that new place. How did it feel? How did the others treat you? How did you want to be treated?

Ask God how you can love a “foreigner” today. It does not have to be just a person from another country, but a new neighbor, co-worker, or another new person in your life. Seek to love them as Jesus loved you and share with them what Jesus has done for you and for them.

I pray today that God will open your eyes to those who are foreigners around you; that God will fill you with His love for all people; that God will show you how to love others; and that many will be drawn to Jesus through your love for them.

Leviticus 19:16 Do Not Slander Or Endanger Others


In this chapter God gives many little rules about not doing various things to a person’s neighbor. Here He is telling people not to slander or endanger anyone. This includes spreading any type of slander that is heard.

Times have not changed. People like to slander others all the time. In the current season of the USA, it is very prevalent among politicians running for various positions. In both the workplace and government positions, when a person wants to get a position over someone else, the common thing is to point out what is wrong with the other person. This is slandering someone else, giving them a bad name in public.

Alongside of this God tells the people not to endanger the lives of their neighbor. This is most often looked at as just the physical life of the person. It can also include their character. No one is to do anything that could cause a danger of any type to any other person.

Slander is just a way of cutting someone else down to make yourself look better. Read the news or magazines and it is full of slander from one person to another, or one group to another. Movies are filled with extreme slander and endangering of other’s lives.

Jesus said that the ultimate rule is to love every person, including your enemies. When you love someone you will not want to harm them in any way. If you are living for Jesus, you will have no need to cut another person down. You will want to build them up.

Do not allow yourself to be caught up in the process of slandering and harming other people. Regardless of how bad a person is, does not give you the right to cut them down. Pray for them and lift them up before God and others.

What are your words saying about others?

How does your words and actions affect other people?

Do your words and actions build up or tear down people?

I pray today that God will fill you with His love for others; that God will reveal what your words and actions are doing; that you will seek to build others up in Jesus; and that your words and actions will represent Jesus to this world.