In the Presence of My Enemies |
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Editor's note: Psalm 23 has brought comfort to believers since it was first written, read, and sung. In The Book of Common Courage, Psalm 23 is divided line by line and shared with photography, poems, blessings, writings, and prayers for your encouragement. Enjoy this excerpt! * |
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When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give Me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to Him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) — John 4:7-9 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first throw a stone at her." — John 8:3-5, 6-7 NIV God of the Hated, You who sought out the scorned and the pained: bless the parts of us that others have blamed as too blinded, brash, and untamed; because your two hands of Goodness and Love ever and always reach toward the shamed. Amen. * |
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A shepherd cursed me, and church became
a source of trauma,
a reminder of pain. Before I left the church
of my wounds, I stood
at the altar to serve holy food. The last person to descend the aisle was the man who made my life hell. My heart was pounding in my chest. And with one deep breath,
I was given a choice. I could extend mercy to him. The body of Christ broken for me
was broken
for him too. The blood of Christ spilled for me could cover
this pain too. In that moment
we were balanced
at the foot of the cross. It is still
the strange place
where curse meets blessing. The Eucharist
didn't rescue me
from the trauma
of being condemned
by a man called to bless. Communion
did not save me
from loss and lament. But it did give me a sanctuary I could carry
out the door. * |
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God gives us a feast while our enemies stand by. |
God gives us a feast while our enemies stand by. |
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Neutrality is the nicest kind of evil. God prepared a table without two sides. God gives us a feast while our enemies stand by. Do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. — Matthew 10:26 NIV Almighty God, Even the darkness is not dark to You. Blow on the ember of faith in our hearts, for we are in need of the oxygen of trust that all the harm that is done in the dark will one day become mere ash and dust. Consume it all in the fire of a belonging that is better than controlling one another. This we pray through Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was betrayed by a friend in the night and put to death by a government in plain sight, yet raised by the Spirit into indestructible life. And there He now sits and reigns with You, Three-in-One: Father, Spirit, and Son, all declaring to darkness: the light has won. |
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| What comes to your mind when you pause at "in the presence of my enemies"? Remember, that our Father is the God of the Hated. He sees your circumstances and He is in control. Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you about this portion of Psalm 23. |
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Find a flicker of strength in the small and hard moments of life |
The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments |
+ FREE shipping on all orders $35 and more | Beloved author and therapist K. J. Ramsey invites you to journey word-by-word through Psalm 23 to experience how the Good Shepherd is with you and for you, especially in the valleys of life. When you struggle to find the words to hold your pain or trauma, be encouraged to cultivate the compassion and courage to believe that your story will, in fact, end in joy. Through K. J.'s lyrical and emotive writing, you are invited to: - Surrender your anxiety and your tears to a faithful God
- Validate your emotions and embrace them as the gift they are
- Slow down and remember that good will come again
- Replenish your soul with the life of Christ and the promises of God
- Refresh your faith with a peace that lasts
- Experience newfound confidence in prayer
- Remember that even when pain is not past-tense, God is still present
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Courage is a common hope that we can cultivate together. These prayers and poems can be read in group settings--among friends, families, and worshipping communities--and are also ideal for personal reflection. Inside The Book of Common Courage, you will find: - Colorful still life and nature photography
- Prayers, poems, and blessings
- A ribbon marker
This is a gorgeous gift to give for Easter, birthdays, during a time of loss, during a life transition, or when looking for a new church community. |
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This Too Shall Last offers an antidote to our cultural idolatry of effort and ease. Through personal story and insights from neuroscience and theology, Ramsey invites us to let our tears become lenses of the wonder that before God ever rescues us, he stands in solidarity with us. |
| Walking through Psalm 23 phrase by phrase, K.J. Ramsey explores the landscape of our fear, trauma, and faith. When she stepped through her own wilderness of spiritual abuse and religious trauma, K.J. discovered that courage is not the absence of anxiety but the practice of trusting we will be held and loved no matter what. |
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this devotion with someone who needs it today |
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