GRANDPA has just come in and is sitting down in the kitchen with the children, and of course, the youngest gets the most attention, and he takes him on his knee, to his great delight. They love grandpa, and grandpa loves them, so the dear children are always glad to see him come.
What a happy world this would be if there was no hatred, and all loved each other.
Love is of God, but hatred is of Satan. God it is Who has planted love in our hearts, so the parents love the children, and the children love the parents, yet we see the children act very badly some times and grieve their parents, and in these acts they do not show love.
But the thing that is needed is to know the love of God for poor sinners, yes, for each one of us to say, “His love for me, a poor sinner.” If we know and believe that God so loved us as to give His only Son to die for us, we will seek to show love to one another. He loved us when we were enemies, when we had no love for Him, so God tells those who believe in Him to love their enemies.
Some might say, surely we must defend ourselves, and think the way to defend ourselves is to retaliate — give the one who has wronged us just as much wrong as he has given us, but God’s Word shows us a better way by telling us to love our enemies, and again God tells us,
“A SOFT ANSWER TURNETH AWAY WRATH; BUT GRIEVOUS WORDS STIR UP ANGER.” Prov. 15:1.
May each one who knows the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, seek to manifest more of the love, meekness and gentleness of our blessed Lord, and if we ask Him, He will give us grace, so that we can do so.
ML 07/21/1918