S
(Romans 15:) We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

O
To be strong and eagerly approaching a long-awaited and cherished goal--whether it's peace, rest, safety, security, maturity ... whatever it is--taking on the obligation of carrying the weak is not a welcomed task. The weak slow us down and delay us. They don't help us please ourselves. Yet that is the very example Christ gave us: He didn't please Himself. Noting the passive voice, "the reproaches of God-reproachers, God-haters, and God-mockers "fell" on Christ. They were placed on him from the outside. He did that for our benefit ... for my benefit because I was one of them.

A
Paul, having said that, naturally fell into prayer (verses 5,6): "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul, then fell into severe encouragement, giving strength to these brothers and sisters whom he'd not yet met, but whom he confidently rested in God's ability to strengthen. He told them (verse 14): "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."

P
Again, just as Paul, after saying that, naturally fell into prayer. So should I: "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant me the will to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that we (that is, me with those who are both stronger and weaker than me) may with one mind and mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Emotionally Safe ... or Homeless

S
(Psalm 90:1) Lord, Your have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

O
Moses wrote this while wandering in the desert, escaping the ravages of Pharaoh's hard-heartedness. Hard-heartedness is abusive and leads to homelessness. Through Pharaoh's life, we see it defined: it's "me" measuring people's value only according to their ability to serve me and provide pleasure or some other benefit to me--that, and refusing to take advantage of the opportunities God provides for repentance. It describes our natural, human condition. In the midst of this pervasive abuse, God's love ever exists as a permanent refuge, even while wandering homelessly in emotional and relational deserts.

A (Psychological)
Dr. Huffine described emotional homelessness as one of the cumulative effects of abuse: "While one of the leading causes of homelessness among women and children is domestic violence, every woman (and child) who has been abused is emotionally homeless. A home is not simply a living space, but a place where a person feels safe, comfortable, and can be themselves, acting how they wish to act. In fact, for many, their home is the only place they can fully behave the way they wish. However, in an abusive home, the victim is unable to act fully the way she wishes for many reasons. Likewise, she does not feel emotionally safe, especially when the abuser is present. In that manner, every abused woman is emotionally homeless, even if she does have a physical place to live in."

A (Personal)
Even though I've never experienced domestic violence, I have discovered the reality of God's presence, so I, like Moses, don't have to be emotionally homeless even in abusive social settings. God is my eternal resting place, my safe home where I can be fully myself, even in my imperfections. Like Moses, therefore,  pray that God would "teach me to number my days so I may get a heart of wisdom" (verse 12).

P

Lord, because Your mercies are new every morning, satisfy me early each morning with Your steadfast love so I may rejoice and be glad all my days. Let Your work be shown to Your servant and Your glorious power to all of Your children. Let Your favor and beauty rest upon us, and establish the works of our hands for the healing of the nations.

Degrees of Reconciliation: Depths of Anticipation

(Psalm 85:10) Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

This is no mere kiss. If David had used a meteorological metaphor instead, these opposites (steadfast love and faithfulness, as well as righteousness and peace) would have been the set up of a category V hurricane. But he used a greater metaphor—sex. In good marriages, a kiss is often that initial small connection that gives mutual consent to unleash pent-up and far greater physical and emotional indulgences. In his gusty metaphor, David prophecies that whenever the demands of both justice and mercy are honestly met, the resultant kiss is no passive, perfunctory peck. No. It facilitates a locking together in a one-flesh, orgasmic celebration. In other relationships, it facilitates a collaboratively discover how to live peacefully together with uncompromised justice and goodness while also finding both room and remedy for people to recover from things they’ve done wrong.

Too often righteousness and mercy are seen as being irreconcilably divorced or fused forever into self-protecting conflict.In self-protective wars, both righteousness and mercy are usually the first victims … cast aside by both parties in their mutual quest for vengence and power. Such people believe that offense is the best defense because it usually does provide some of the comfortable delusions of justice. In the world, we experience oppression, but Jesus Christ, the great Reconciler, offers a whole new option.

When trying to reconcile, people who have wounded each other, reconciliation, unfortunately involves compromise, accepting less than righteous behavior and less than satisfying mercy. Wounds we inflict on each other can’t be perfectly mended: an adulterous husband can not restore the lostToo often in relational wounds, reconciliation includes compromise and risk.

A repentant bike theif can restore a bike—even a far better bike, but those particular bke-riding days cannot be restored. An adulterous husband may repent and truly never violate their wedding vows again, but he can never remove the days back to the child who had to walk to school instead.

David understood this metaphor--he understood that this kind of reconciliation can occur only by God's grace ... Something we're intended to experience.

Opposites (and they usually are bitterly different). It's as though wonderfully, perfectly, and completely accomplished by Jesus Christ. This is one of the delights of abiding in Him. --a union that unfortunately is constantly believed to be divided by an irreconcilable divorce--is quite possible in Him.

(Isaiah (60:17) instructed us to let forsake vengence or destructive plans, but to let Him make our overseers peace and our taskmasters righteousness (Isaiah 60:17). That way, when trying to reconcile, neither righteousness nor peace are not neglected or compromised:

·    (Isaiah 48:18) Oh, that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

·    (Isaiah 32:17) And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

·    (Romans 14:17) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

·    (2 Timothy 2:22) So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

·    (James 3:18) And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

·    (John 16:33) ³³I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

(2 Corinthians 5: 11-15)  ¹For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, ³if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. ⁴For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

⁶So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

¹¹Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. ¹³For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(Ephesians 2:1- ) 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

¹¹Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹²remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²²In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

(Ephesians 6:10-20) ¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

God Loves Experiencing Our Hospitality

Scripture
(Genesis 18:1-3 ESV) ¹And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. ²He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth ³and said, "O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

Observation
God visits us personally, physically. Probably much more frequently than we realize, God takes on our local cultural garb and guise so He can pay us visits. He never removes Himself from being our judge, but sometimes He gives us experiences that serve as valuable reminders. The author of the letter to the Hebrews reminds people to be continually practicing brotherly love, particularly in showing hospitality to strangers. Why? Because when doing that, the writer continues, many people have unknowingly entertained angels. That's nice, but what is even more important, many people have unknowingly entertained the Lord Himself. That's what Jesus explained in Matthew 25.

• (Hebrews 13:1-6) ¹Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ⁶So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"
• (Matthew 25:34-40) ³⁴Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' ⁴⁰And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Application
God certainly doesn't need our shade, our food, or our water. He's self-sufficient. But He delights, apparently, in experiencing our hospitality. Realizing that He sometimes disguises Himself as a needy person certainly compels me to be both cautious and generous with how I treat others, especially strangers. We've even managed to twist mercy into selfishness. Jesus explains that in Luke 6:34-48:
 ²⁷"But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ³² "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."

1. God visits us personally, physically, and in a culturally familiar disguises.
2. God disguises Himself as someone in need of our mercy, hospitality, or compassion so we discover and prove for ourselves who we are.
3. God gives us freedom to figure out for ourselves how to be hospitable and compassionate, how to organize our lives--demonstrating both grace and righteousness are not easy to figure out.
4. God judges us, not from the outside, but from opportunities He gives us to demonstrate our love--to let us pass judgment on ourselves for good or for bad.

Prayer
Lord, You are merciful and gracious. I know, because Your Word is trustworthy and You have filled my life with good things. You were justified in doing otherwise, but through Your cross, You justified Your mercy. I fear that by nature, I'm selfish, but I go on record, now, of declaring that I'd like You to help me become merciful and generous, like You. I trust You with that.

(Romans 5:7-9) "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." Thank You!