Instructions for Interactions - Be Generous, Be Hospitable & Bless Others (Daily Devotional)

Welcome to Living Supernaturally, it is great to see you here and we hope you’re having a great time in the word of God. Today, we are looking into God’s word for our daily devotional and especially looking at this topic of God’s instructions for interpersonal interaction. We are looking at Romans chapter 12, verses 13 and 14, it says, ‘Distributing to the needs of saints; given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.’ Distributing means to fellowship, partner and share according to the needs of the saints which means whatever is lacking or seems to be the necessity or demands of the saints. It says that saints are our fellow believers, consecrated and sanctified ones and so, God’s word instructs us to take care of what could be the lack or needs or demands or necessities for daily living of the saints. It says here, given to hospitality. It is an interesting word which means to press on and to pursue even to the point of persecuting. So, it is a very aggressive word. If we are look at what we are instructed to pursue or to be given to, it says be given to hospitality, to be hospitable and specifically that word refers to love and entertain those who we do not know, those who are not familiar to us or maybe they are people who we met, we don’t know them well, strangers. God’s word says, be given to hospitality. Maybe you might think, even to people we know or are friendly, trust and know fully, we could be hospitable but then scriptures say, be given to hospitality and especially to those whom we do not know too well and those who we might just be acquainted with or strangers. Verse 14 says bless those who persecute you- to speak well off, to impart or request God to bless, involve God’s blessings and goodness upon a person who actually harasses or who is hostile, who mistreats at time and who causes suffering. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t speak the truth when it comes to requiring justice, it doesn’t mean we keep on going without speaking up for our rights, but it means that we continue to bless, ask God’s blessing and expect God to bless those who persecute us. Persecution could be because of our faith, something that people do against us, physical harm, something people say behind our backs in the workplace situation, being made fun of, withholding something due to us etc. But God’s word says, bless them in our interactions, in our praying for them to bless them and pray for God’s blessings upon them. Finally, it says, do not curse or wish or speak evil things upon them but you bless. The words of the Lord Jesus in Mathew chapter 5, the Lord says, ‘I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.’ Again, this doesn’t mean that we should stand up for what is wrong, remove ourselves from harms way or protect ourselves, or receive justice for what rightfully belongs to us. But it means that in our perspective or in our interaction with people that we would bless them. We need the power of God in order to put this into practice daily in our lives and in various spheres of influence. So, let’s ask God to empower us today. Let’s pray, Father, we ask that you would empower us even as we have heard this word. We know that it is challenging to bless those who persecute us, to bless and not to curse. We pray for your power, anointing to strengthen us and empower us to carry it through, in Jesus’ matchless name we pray, Amen.

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