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Hello Great Family,

I waited three days to write anything about the horrific events of this past week. I’ve learned that a moment of stillness is better than immediate spewing. I’ve watched in disappointment as some of my friends in ministry immediately started spewing emotions rather than taking some time to seek God’s guidance on how to lead others during tumultuous times. Perhaps taking three days would have been a wiser choice for them.

I do, however, understand the emotions. I do not condemn the emotions. To be angry, mad, furious, disgusted, outraged, hurt, sad, broken, fearful, insecure, and powerless are all appropriate feelings when see murder, hate and evil. But it is not wise when we react impatiently from those emotions with hate and vengeance.

Perhaps no story better demonstrates the mess that impatience produces than that night in the Garden of Gethsemane when Peter seized a sword, swung it with all his might, and lopped off the ear of the high priest’s servant (his name was Malchus…the Bible points out his name because he was a real person). Hotheaded moments rarely produce good fruit. The truth is, we all need a good dose of patience — a fruit that is produced inside us by the Spirit of God. We desperately need patience in our lives!

I read this in my devotion time today… “I must point out that the healing of Malchus’ ear was the last miracle Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. What a statement this makes to us about Jesus! Just before He goes to the Cross, He reaches out to help a publicly declared and avowed foe! This man was part of a group that had been menacing and antagonistic toward Jesus. But Jesus didn’t say, “Finally, one of you guys got what you deserve!” Instead, He reached out to the man in his need, touched him, and supernaturally healed him. Keep in mind that the high priest, a Sadducee, was vehemently opposed to Jesus’ supernatural ministry. Yet it was the high priest’s own servant who received a supernatural touch from Jesus!

What a contrast Jesus’ actions were to Peter’s behavior! More than likely, Peter acted out of a long-held offense, but Jesus demonstrated love and genuine care even to those who opposed Him during His life and who were instrumental in leading Him to His crucifixion.

So don’t follow Peter’s example; instead, pray for the grace to be like Jesus! Decide today to let the Holy Spirit empower you to reach out to your offenders and opponents and to love them the way Jesus would love them!” (from renner.org)

My point is that Peter was righteously angry when Jesus was being wrongly arrested but his impatient action was wrong. Let’s be clear, Peter was swinging for the head but only got an ear! Peter wanted to murder Malchus. Jesus rebuked Peter and told him to put away the sword. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 we are told, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” What are we doing? Should our response to evil be evil? No, we are called to be different.

If only he had waited three days to understand what God was doing behind the scenes. Three days of patiently seeking divine power instead of impatiently acting on human instinct. It was just three days later when he was reminded that God is still sovereign. On the third day, Jesus came out of the tomb having defeated murder, hate, and evil. Three days makes a big difference!

So here is my plea to you. Be responsible for your response. Understand your emotions but do not act from them. Follow the example and teachings of Jesus. Don’t swing the world’s swords at real people’s heads. Take the Word of God (by the way, it is sharper than any two-edged sword) to real people’s ears so they can hear the Gospel and be saved.

God Bless
P.D. (Psalm 139)