“Will we receive good from the hand of God, and will we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10)

Blessing # 1:

Thanks to the adversity of my enemies, I received the priceless gift of the desire to see the truth. I realized that without the truth, I was vulnerable and stumbled in the dark, not even knowing who my real enemies were.

When I got frustrated, Grandma would say, “Remember, it all comes out.”

What comes out in the wash?

Grandma was full of those little sayings. Sometimes they drove me crazy.

At other times, they proved helpful in putting my frustrations out of my mind and motivating me to focus on unraveling the meaning of Grandma’s riddles. However, years later, through encounters with my own enemies, I finally discovered the true meaning of the clues he had given me.

So over time, I started to see how deceptive enemies can be. Proverbs says that enemies have the ability to “speak cleanly” while they have “seven abominations in their hearts.” Grandma told me that it is not always possible to distinguish the “good guys” from the “bad guys.” The “bad guys” can look pretty cool at times, even downright “religious”.

Blessing # 2:

Thanks to my enemies, God began to bless me with discernment and patience. Enemies are like dirty laundry that may not appear very dark or dirty. Sometimes they may not seem bad at all. But in the end, we are usually surprised to see how dirty the water becomes when the washing process is complete and is eventually poured down the drain.

We must learn to watch and wait until the dirt shows. The grandmother would smile; Stir the dark water with soap and say, “Look now, how dirty those clothes were.”

After I became a Christian, God’s Word provided the answers I was looking for. But just like my grandmother’s sayings, sometimes my enemies attacked me before I could hear the Holy Spirit explaining everything to me and making me come true through life experiences.

Blessing # 3:

Enemies, like angels, became my saving messengers. Like the angel who fought with Jacob, my adversaries caused me to become a different person to achieve God’s purposes.

Blessing # 4:

I was trapped and overwhelmed by the relentless attacks, until my enemy chased me into the saving arms of God and gave me an insatiable desire to hear his voice. For that I will always be grateful.

I assumed that from then on things would improve. But first everything had to get a lot worse. The enemy raged against me for the next 23 years. During that time, God had the opportunity to teach and bless me in many more amazing ways.

Blessing # 5:

My enemy did things to endanger my life. But God showed me that I was being protected. When the enemy yelled at me and criticized me, God clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Be still and know that I am God.”

A few minutes later my enemy fell down the basement stairs and the load of wood he was carrying struck him in the face. As blood flowed from his mouth, he said, “I feel like someone has hit me in the mouth.”

He knew, beyond a doubt, that SOMEONE had just hit him in the mouth. Other enemies were not so lucky. I learned to pray for mercy from my enemies, especially those who were members of my family. While I wanted them to realize the benefits of doing the right thing, I knew it would hurt me more to see them hurt.

Blessing # 6:

When my enemy brought dirt into my house, God taught me the importance of separating clean from unclean.

Blessing # 7:

When my enemy convinced my friends, family, and the church that I was evil, God showed me the importance of being innocent and gave me the confidence to stand firm in His Word.

Blessing # 8:

My enemy secretly betrayed me, but God revealed it and I saw the benefits of hearing His Voice. This became very unsettling for my enemy because he began to think that I could read his mind.

Blessing # 9:

As my enemies conspired and lied to me, God showed me that I should not listen to what they were saying, but rather observe what they were actually doing, because their actions would tell what was really going on in their hearts. “The simple believe every word.” (Proverbs)

Blessing # 10:

My enemies held me captive with lies and false doctrines until my cup was filled with blessings, then the truth of God’s Word and Law finally vindicated me and set me free.

Blessing # 11:

My enemy said that my reaction to the oppression and harassment I suffered was a sign of “mental illness” and that I needed medication and hospitalization.

I was never medicated or hospitalized, but I studied and learned valuable lessons about mental illness from a Christian perspective.

Eventually I was able to help others with this knowledge, while my enemy became increasingly mentally ill and eventually had to be placed in an institution.

It was interesting that approximately five people who told others that I had a mental illness died in accidents and / or were hospitalized for mental illness.

Blessing # 12:

Over the years my enemy stole from me: food, water, shelter, clothes, warmth in the winter, refreshment in the summer, whatever compensation I received for the work of my hands, company, advice, days, nights, weeks , Months years. , health, reputation and financial future and they left me alone and penniless.

However, God sustained me in every way and has now required my enemy to continue to pay me until the day of his death.

Yes, I am very grateful to God for my enemies. They have taught me many valuable lessons about myself and others, while also revealing to me the true nature of God.

So if the Creator of the universe chooses to use my enemies to bless me, who am I to complain about His methods?

So will we receive good from the hand of God and not receive evil?

“Even if I kill myself, in him I will trust …” (Job 13:15)