The Empty Promise of Retaliation - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 7

PLUS...3 Beautiful Results of Jesus' Resurrection  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( The Empty Promise of Retaliation By Ashley Moore “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.” [1 Peter 3:9]( NLT A family member, deeply wronged by her husband, decided revenge would be better than forgiveness. I understand her desire for retaliation, but her choice to "get even" only further strained and deepened the riff in her [marriage](. We all fall for the empty promise of retaliation sometimes, don’t we? We delight in zooming past the creeping car in the left lane as if that could make up for our lost time. We seek justice from the spouse who forgot something important by giving them the silent treatment. Or we continue to believe we will feel better if we hurt people as they've hurt us. But when we choose those actions, do we ever truly feel better? Does the outcome deliver what we think it promises? Maybe we get some sort of temporary gratification, but it is fleeting. Retaliation never completely takes away the pain of the injustice we experience. Is justice right and good, when it's handled God’s way? Absolutely! But in our hands, justice is an emotional reaction that will only produce another injustice. It never has the power to heal our wounds. What could it look like for us to refuse to take the bait of the empty promise of retaliation and instead do what God has called us to do?  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [3 Beautiful Results of Jesus' Resurrection](  Kathryn Graves These facts help us face our daily lives with greater hope—and the help of our Lord. When the world seems out of control, family drama threatens to overwhelm us, or our finances unravel, we can trust His unchanging, unfailing love and provision.  [CONTINUE READING →](       [How Can I Love God Back This Easter?](  Emma Danzey I have determined to focus on how I can love God back this Easter for all that He has done for me. This comes down to loving the Lord with all of my heart, my soul, my mind, and loving my neighbor as myself.  [CONTINUE READING →](            [Dolly Parton and Natalie Grant Sing ‘Just A Little Talk With Jesus’](  GodTube.com Two award-winning musicians took the stage and surprised the audience at a popular theme park in Tennessee with a beautiful duet about the power and promises of Christ.  [WATCH NOW →](        [What Is Holy Week? - 8 Days of Easter You Need to Know](  Meg Bucher Holy Week is a string of eight days that allow us an opportunity to reflect upon the shift in humanity Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross launched. It starts with Palm Sunday, when Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           Fill in the blanks: "Apply thine heart unto __________, and thine ears to the words of ___________" A. instruction, knowledge B. love, truth C. honor, hope D. women, men [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2023 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â