Daily
Devotional

In my first year as a Christian, my faith and obedience to the Lord were tested. I lived and worked in a rough part of San Francisco, California. Almost every day, I walked eleven blocks to the junior high school where I held a position as a teacher’s aide. Knowing the neighborhood, I usually carried what I would need for the day in my pockets—hidden from potential thieves. But one day I took my purse along, planning to stop at a local market to purchase coffee for the teachers’ lunchroom. As I walked up a familiar hill, I saw a fellow on the sidewalk ahead of me. The thought entered my mind that I would make an easy target for a purse-snatcher, but I told myself that I could not be afraid of everyone I saw on the sidewalk, and walked on.  

After my route made a turn to go down the hill, I heard footsteps racing toward me. The man I had seen stopped directly in front of me and placed a knife to my throat. Despite the circumstances, I remember feeling a calm Presence; there was no fear. The man demanded my purse. I looked at him and said, “No!” We had a tug-of-war with the purse. Then the straps gave way, and he ran away with it.  

Reaching up to my neck, I realized I was bleeding. I approached a nearby daycare center and they helped me as I called the police. After having my neck stitched, the doctor told me how lucky I had been. The police drove me around the neighborhood in case I could spot my assailant.  

As the events of the morning settled upon me, the Lord spoke to my heart. That morning, I had read Matthew 5 for my devotions. I sat on my bed, picked up my Bible, and re-read those verses. There it was, Matthew 5:44: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” The Lord’s still, small Voice said to me, “Pray for that young man that he might find salvation.”  

Sitting on my bed in that room, I let go of the hurt and anger I had begun to feel, and gave it to the Lord. Today, when I notice the small scar on my neck, I am reminded to pray for this person, that God will somehow reach his heart. Didn’t the Lord do the same for me while I was yet a sinner?

Are there people in your life who have mistreated you or a loved one? Such cruelty can be infuriating, but God can help bring compassion to our hearts for lost souls. Until God reveals Himself to them, they are blind to their own wretchedness, as we once were. Pray for them; they may desperately need your prayers.