My Most Beloved Lord, I thank and praise You for speaking to me every day through Your Word. Help me understand the meaning of Your Word more deeply.

Engage:

Dearest Lord, I see You telling Your disciples not to stop the person who was casting out demons using Your name. Why did You allow him to use Your name, Lord? Yes, Lord, You always rejoice, appreciate, and are pleased with anyone who does God’s life-giving work, regardless of who they are. You have no problem with anyone using Your name for the well-being of others, and so You asked Your disciples not to stop the person who was helping others in Your name. You praised and appreciated the Good Samaritan, who was not a Jew, for his act of kindness toward the wounded man attacked by robbers on his way to Jericho. Thus, You asked Your disciples to rejoice whenever good is being done, regardless of who is doing it.

Loving Lord, tell me how You could accept everyone into Your life. Lord, You are so positive in Your attitude toward others. You could see in the person casting out demons in Your name a useful co-worker for Your life-giving ministry, while Your disciples saw him as an unwelcome competitor. They tried to draw a narrow circle of those who belonged to Jesus, but You, Lord, accept everyone as Your family. For instance, You said that Your mother, brothers, and sisters are all those who hear Your Word and act on it. And Lord, You didn’t say that You are with Your disciples only when they gather together. Instead, You said, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Thus, You encourage Your followers to build bridges with all who, in one way or another, share in God’s life-giving work in the world.

Response:

My Lord, I see You as someone who always encourages others by rejoicing and being pleased with anyone who does good works, regardless of who they are. Lord, I want to be like You—not to judge others by their background or their life but to rejoice and appreciate those who do good for others. To be like You today:

• I will appreciate my sisters who will be cooking food today, as we have no cook these days.
• I will find a reason to appreciate a student on my way to school today.

Beloved Jesus, I see that You are so positive in Your attitude toward others. You see possibility and usefulness in everyone and everything. You want to include everyone in Your family, and You said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” I desire to be like You—to always look at the positive side of others and accept them as they are. To be like You today:

• I will be patient with the weaker students in class and appreciate them in the areas where they excel.
• During my personal prayer, I will surrender to God all whom I have judged wrongly and hurt.

Resolution:

Today, I will appreciate my sisters who will be cooking food, as we have no cook these days.