2 KINGS 17:39

Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.

TO PONDER

Do you have any enemies? I don't think many of us here in Australia would answer 'yes' to that these days. We are not facing any immediate military threat from neighbouring countries and those of us who try to just live as decent people living on the right side of the law, generally do not have anything to worry about from our own government or law enforcement agencies, no one is 'out to get us'.

Yet what is kind of strange is that from the time God chose Abraham and his descendants to be his specially chosen people, other nations were out to get them. They were enslaved by Egyptians, heckled, raided, and resisted by the Moabites, Amelekites, Canaanites, and all-the-other-'ites'. They were conquered and exiled by the Babylonians and Assyrians, and by the time that Jesus arrived they were rules by the Romans. These were a people beset by enemies of one kind or another in almost every generation.

And while our relatively isolated position on the globe offers us some protection, or at least distance, from international or foreign enemies, I think we are beginning to look for enemies within. The 'us' against 'them' mentality seems to be a commonly heard kind of language in the public square these days. We may be a bit light on for physical enemies, but now we are wanting to draw the battle lines over ideologies. You're either "one of us", or "one of them". It's in our media, it's throughout the culture, and sadly it's in the church.

Let's put all that aside and listen to the wisdom of this verse today. Wouldn't you rather turn your attention, your energy and devotion to the God who has already given you victory over your enemies, victory over sin, death, and the devil? Remember that in Christ there is on 'us' and 'them', we are all one in Christ Jesus who died for us. Wouldn't you rather worship the Lord your God; because it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. Trust him to do what he sys, and give all your effort and attention to Him and let him take care of the rest.

PRAYER:Lord Jesus, you are the victor over sin, death, and the devil, the only three real enemies that I have. Help me never to see other people as the enemy, but rather as your dearly loved children, created in your image, just like I am. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle