Thought for the day - Friday 12 February

Thought for Friday 12th February 2021.   Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you. Has this ever been you? How many times have you said or thought ‘I’ll get you back for that!’ I know I used to when I was young and foolish (instead of old and foolish). I’m a just a wee bit wiser now though and as I remember, I always forgot to ‘get them back’. Nowadays it’s more like others will be planning to get me back for all the insults I utter (jokingly). We all suffer from hurtful things said or done by others. People disappoint us or let us down, but we don’t often think about why they did. Something beyond their control may have come up, something which ‘let them down’ and they had no option but to pass that on to us. I’ve discovered, yet again, that the best reaction is prayer. Not only for myself but for the other person. Asking God to help and protect the other person involved helps to lift me out of the mood that might have wanted revenge, if revenge is needed let God handle it. He will never go too far with it! Without prayer we are leaving God out of our problem which leaves our hearts and minds vulnerable for the Evil One to whisper in our ear. We can’t let our guard down, even for a moment. In my own mind, revenge is a weapon of Satan. Prayer is the counter of that, it calms the desire to ‘Get our own back’.   Prayer Loving Father, please help us when we hurt because of what someone has said or done to us. We are all guilty of doing that to You, but instead of getting back at us You forgive and love us just as You always have. Let us be able to forgive and love in that same way, giving all our hurts to You and accepting the calm that comes from You. Amen