"Who Are Our Neighbours?"

DAY #38 - 'A Woman of Faith' Devotional
Verse: "Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God's hand for that person." Proverbs 3:27 MSG

NIV - "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act."
KJV - "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."
NLT - "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them."
 
This title, 'Who are our Neighbours' was a question asked to Jesus in Luke 10:29, and Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan in verses 30-37.
 
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”


"This very day, you will encounter someone who needs a word of encouragement, or a pat on the back, or a helping hand or a heartfelt prayer. And, if you don't reach out to that person, who will? If you don't take the time to understand the needs of yur neighbours, who will? If you don't love your brothers and sisters, who will? So, today look for a neighbour in need... and then do something to help. Father's orders."
 
We need to show the love and mercy and grace to others, in the same way that we would want to receive it from others and from God. The ol' Golden Rule really does matter, and really does apply to our lives, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Jesus also says in the Bible, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'." (Matthew 25:40 NIV) BUT He also says, "He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’" (Matthew 25:45 NIV)
 
So get out there and show the love of God to the world... be the HANDS of God!
 
To be continued...
 
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING!