Today’s reading includes Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalm 59:1-17, Proverbs 11:14.

^{Today we continue with our reading of the story of Balaam.  Balaam is a complex, interesting, confusing character.  He was a prophet of God, however, he also practiced divination and sorcery.  Not a good idea to combine the two.  One is holy, the other is unholy.  One is pleasing to God and the other is forbidden by God.  Balaam walked a dangerous line, trying to make two opposite world views work together.  We do that, too, sometimes, don’t we?  We want to take part of what scripture says, but only the part we feel comfortable with.  Then we take other parts of what the world says, add our intelligent opinions, mix in a little psychology and there we have it.  Our own mix of what we want to believe.  We can learn a lot from Balaam and learn from his mistakes.  That is the mark of a wise person—being able to learn from others mistakes so we don’t make them, too—and suffer what they suffered.}

^{On first glance, Balaam seems to be following and consulting God, but he was not doing so whole-heartedly.  And God sees the heart.}

^… for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

                                                                                                                              ^{1 Samuel 16:7}

 ^{In the story of Balaam, one needs to gather all the facts from the whole Bible to piece together the whole story of Balaam, and to see why an outward appearing “good prophet” went the wrong way.}

^{First, what did Balaam do right?  Well, he didn’t curse the Israelites as Balak wanted him to.  Instead, he spoke the words of blessing that God wanted him to.  But God saw that the “obedience” was not from the heart.  It was because God had made Himself abundantly clear.}

By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before.

                                                                                                                              ^{Number 24:1}

^{And actually, God just took over the situation.  He had already spoken through a donkey, and now He spoke through a stubborn prophet who really preferred sorcery.} 

 ^{Then the Spirit of God came upon him, and this is the message he delivered…}

                                                                                                                              ^{Numbers 24:2-4}

^{It reminds me of an episode of 24 when the computer programmer is sitting there realizing that an outside force had taken over his computer and suddenly was giving directives that the programmer was not delivering.  In this story, God was overriding Balaam.  God was the One blessing the Israelites, not Balaam.}

 ^{In very Peter-like fashion, we see Balaam referred to in his rant concerning unfaithful ones, who had a chance at godliness and chose otherwise.  Balaam is the only named listed.}

 Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones,^[f] 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord.^[g] 12 These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed,^[h] they also will be destroyed, ¹³ suffering^[i] the penalty for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation^[j]while they feast with you. ¹⁴ They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! ¹⁵ They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor,^[k] who loved the wages of doing wrong, ¹⁶ but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

¹⁷ These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just^[l] escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. ²² It has happened to them according to the true proverb,

“The dog turns back to its own vomit,”

and,

“The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.”

                                                                                    2 Peter 2: 17-22

 ^{And Balaam did turn back to wallowing in the mud.  Though he did not curse the Israelites, it was his idea to send in the local Moabite women to tempted the Israelite men to whoredom and idolatry.  Thus, a curse actually did come upon some of them.  Though we do not get the whole picture in this passage, we piece together what really happened in other passages in the Bible.} 

 ¹⁴ “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 

                                                                                                                                                ^{Revelation 2:14}

^{Later, we see that Balaam suffered the consequences for walking on the fence between God and the world, and for turning the people of God toward idolatry and sexual sin.}

²² Along with the rest of those they put to death, the Israelites also put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination. 

                                                                                    Joshua 13:22

Throughout this strange story, we find a truth within on which we can embrace for ourselves.  God is faithful.  He cannot be manipulated.  Even if we lie to ourselves, we can’t lie to God.  He sees all, even the deepest places of our hearts.  He knows our motivations even better than we do.  We can fool ourselves and others, but we can’t fool God.  And yet, throughout everything, He is faithful.  We see that truth in Micah 6:1-5, when He refers again to Balaam.
⁵ O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
    what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
    that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

                                                                                                Micah 6:1-5

God is saying, “Remember, I am faithful to you in good times and bad times.  When you sin and when you are true to our covenant.”  We know what happened in Shittim.   That is in today’s reading when the people sinned and God punished them.  Even in that punishment He was faithful.   He was faithful to not allow them to continue in their sin and effect the inheritance of all of the people.  And the reference to Gilgal?  That was when they crossed into the Promise land, led by Joshua.  That is when they remembered God and renewed their covenant.  From beginning to end, in good times and bad times, in our disobedience and in our obedience, He is faithful.

³ What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! Although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true, 

                                                                                                Romans 3:3-4

Today’s reading includes Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalm 58:1-11, Proverbs 11:12-13.

When we read the sensational story of Balaam and his donkey, we are tempted to focus on the fact that the donkey spoke.  Weird.  Sounds like a scene from Chronicles of Narnia.  Did the donkey really speak?  If so, which language?  Did he speak through his actions?  Yes, but he had to have spoken with more than actions because the message was not heard with actions alone.  And maybe that is a point we can chew on for a moment.  We often say, “Actions are stronger than words”.  And I do believe that is true.  But sometimes words are also needed for people to really understand us.  At our church when someone is sent out on a mission trip or in some kind of ministry, the congregation extends a hand toward the person being commissioned and says in unison: “Preach the Gospel everywhere, and if necessary use words”, a quote often attributed to St. Francis.  I love that tradition and I find its message to be true.  But we can’t rely only on action, sometimes it is necessary to use words.  And we trust that God will give us the words He wants us to say, when he wants us to say it.  Even if we are as hard-headed as a donkey.

In this passage, I think we should strive to skim over the sensational part that we can’t fully understand and dig a bit deeper to see the real point behind the story. Balak was a king of Moab and though his name meant “devastator”, we was actually acting in great fear.  According to the Forerunner Commentary,

The name Balak means “devastator,” a very evil name. However, his father’s name, Zippor means “sparrow,” which are among the flightiest of birds. A person cannot creep close to a sparrow, as they fly at the slightest movement. So, here is mighty Balak, the Devastator, the son of Zippor, the Sparrow, and “Moab was exceedingly afraid”! The Devastator was afraid, acting like a sparrow!

In the New Testament, we find that God’s eye is on the sparrow.  He is watching those who are afraid and will offer peace if they will turn to Him.  But Balak did not know God and so his answer was to form an alliance with the Midianites, who ended up becoming a thorn in Israel’s side.

Balak’s answer was also to call on Balaam to call down a curse on the Israelites.  Balaam was a prophet of the Lord, and in ancient times, prophets apparently held a measure of supernatural powers.  We find that Balaam was not wholeheartedly following the Lord, though.  And that, sadly, was forever his reputation.  He had a measure of godliness, but not a full measure of holy motives.  Later, we will see that Balaam was used as a stumbling block for God’s people.  (Numbers 31)

In this instance, we see that on the outside Balaam was acting like a prophet.  Prophets would confer with God before doing something, right?  Balaam appears to say the right words, but God could see his heart.  He wanted to go to meet with Balak, though he knew Balak wanted him to curse God’s people.

¹⁸ But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God. ¹⁹ Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.”

²⁰ That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”

                                                                                    Numbers 22:18-20

But though God granted him permission to go, he had already told Balaam not to curse the people of God.  Seems to me, Balaam could have dropped the subject at that point, but he persisted.  So God let him go to teach him a lesson.  We know he was not going on God’s mission, with God’s blessings because of what we read in verses 21-22.

²¹ Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. ²² But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.

                                                                                    Numbers 22:21-22

All along the way, God put roadblocks in front of Balaam.  But Balaam ignored the roadblocks.  He kept pressing forward into what he wanted.  Even though he had clothed it as a godly mission, it was not.  And so repeatedly, God blocked the way.

Have you ever had that experience?  I have.  On the outside, an opportunity or situation seems good, godly even.  But then going forward, the road seems blocked on every turn.  The confusing part is that the enemy can try to block our way, too.  It takes careful discernment and wisdom to see if it a roadblock is from the Lord, or is a stumbling block from the enemy, or is simply a matter of timing.  The only way to discern God’s best in that situation is to seek the Lord whole-heartedly, confessing and surrendering your own desires.  Giving Him your whole heart and mind and soul, so that the desires will indeed be godly desires.  Then you can rest easy that He indeed will lead you along the right path.  Once you have surrendered to the Lord wholeheartedly, you can with confidence proclaim:

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

                                                                                                                        Psalm 37:4 

Balaam went forward thinking he had consulted with the Lord, but he had not done so with a pure heart, free of his own motivations.  And so, God set up roadblocks.  Roadblocks that even a donkey could see, but Balaam could not.  Finally, God got his attention, and finally Balaam was ready to rid himself of his personal motivations.

³⁴ Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”

³⁵ The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

                                                                                                      Numbers 22:34-35

When making a decision, make sure you are being honest with yourself about your motivations behind it.  Surrender your motivations to the Lord, and ask Him to put roadblocks along the way whenever you are walking in the wrong direction.  And then, only listen, only speak what He says.

It appears that Balaam did obey God, but somewhere along the way, the old self-serving motivations must have creeped back in.  We see in Revelation 2, in the letters to the seven churches, God had this to say:

¹⁴ Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

                                                                                                       Revelation 2:14

Balaam did not curse the Israelites, so he obeyed to an extent.  But in the end, the impurity of his heart led him to teach Balak how to hurt the Israelites by enticing them to sin, which caused a separation between them and God.  As Jesus said,

6But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

                                                                                                           Matthew 18:6

Today’s reading includes Numbers 21:1-22:20, Luke 1:26-56, Psalm 57:1-11, Proverbs 11:9-11.

Today I invited one of my dearest friends, Allen Worsham Bradford, to teach us about the Snake on the Stick, which we encounter in today’s reading.  What a strange story at first glance, but what wonderful truth and encouragement for us when we catch a glimpse of the message behind the story.  I know you will learn from and be blessed by Allen as I have.

Our God is an amazing story weaver. All of Scripture connects seamlessly over thousands of years to reveal who God is and what He is doing. I love the story of the snakes in the desert for that reason.

It all began in the beginning, of course. Adam and Eve lived a paradisiacal life in the Garden of Eden. But that all began to unravel when the serpent in the garden asked Eve, “Did God really say…?”, which planted a seed of doubt in Eve. She responded as if God were withholding from her, tricking her, not intending good for her.

The Israelites doubted God and His goodness so many times that we lose count as we read through the Old Testament. They saw many miracles and direct provisions from the Lord. Yet when pain, temptation or discomfort came, they doubted and complained.  When God sent the deserved punishment in Numbers 21, they asked Moses to intercede for them: “Tell God to take these snakes away!”

The first time I read the account of the snakes in the desert, I was confused by God’s answer. His answer seems odd and incomplete. So many times He answered the Israelites definitively. They cried for food and water; He provided food and water in miraculous ways. But when they cried for Him to remove the snakes that were biting and killing them, He didn’t remove the snakes. He gave them a snake on a stick.

He didn’t immediately remove the source of pain and death as He did other times, but provided a cure.  It’s a surprising but simple cure, a cure that would force them to remember where the deliverance came from. Make a bronze snake on a stick and look at it. They were cured only if they believed what He said to do and then did it.

You and I are no different from the Israelites. We want life to work out the way we envision for ourselves and our loved ones. The vision we have may not be a bad vision at all; in fact, it may be a beautiful, biblical vision. But when life begins to veer off that path and things aren’t working out exactly like we hoped, either because of pain, death, temptation or even just boredom, we begin doubting God’s power and goodness. “Did God really say I can’t have it my way? He is holding out on me and is keeping my happiness from me.” We can’t see God doing His own mighty work, and we doubt God the Most High. We do all we can to make everything work out our way.

When those attempts don’t work, when they backfire and bring consequences we don’t like, when we see our rebellion against God, then we cry out to the Lord to deliver us from our sin.  We cry out, “The snakes are biting us on every side! We are hurting and dying, Lord! Take them away!”

And Jesus answers: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-16

Jesus says to us, “I am the snake on the stick. Because God loves you, He provided an ultimate solution, not a temporary fix. Sin is a debt that can’t just be erased. It has to be paid for to be made right. So the Son got in the place of sin and death, became the curse, became the sin that the serpent in the garden represents in order to pay the debt owed to the holy God of all creation.”

We are to look to Jesus and be healed. Look to Him in faith, saying “I believe you are my Deliverer. In you I trust.” And He WILL deliver and heal you. He may not change your circumstances but He will change you, though it may not come as quickly as we like. You have to look at the snake, the very thing that is killing you, to see how He is delivering you in the midst of your rebellion. And that is how He receives glory – the only remedy for your circumstances is that He climbed on the stick and took the poison from us for us.

And we know the rest of the story. Unlike that snake on the stick, Christ was not stuck on the stick forever. He defeated death and sin and darkness and rose from the stick to glory. And right now He stands victoriously at the right hand of our Father loving us and praying for us.

Hallelujah! We can sing with Mary: “My soul exalts the Lord. He has given help to Israel (and to all of His children) in remembrance of His mercy.” (Luke 1:46, 54)

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Allen Worsham Bradford is wife to Reverend Bill Bradford and mother to four wonderful children: Mollie, William, Hannah, and Andrew.  She and her family spent ten years as missionaries in Peru.  Now, she works with Bethel Road Publications, and is involved with women’s ministries in the US and  Latin America.

Today’s reading includes Numbers 19:1-20:29, Luke 1:1-25, Psalm 56:1-13, Proverbs 11:8.

In today’s reading we see lots of repetitions, which always remind us to take note.  We see many references of the holy numbers 3 and 7.  Three stands for the holy things of God, even Himself as in the Trinity.  Seven is the number of completion and perfection.  We also see the repetition of hyssop, which we have already studied.  As a reminder, hyssop was symbolic for cleansing, healing, and the forgiveness of sin.  Listen to what David said in Psalm 51:6-7:

            Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

We also see the repetition of cedar.  Remember what cedar represents?  The cedar represents a protective covering from the plague of sin.  It represents taking action to not only prevent the spreading of sin, but also to reduce and deter that which had already begun its destruction. And then there is the red cloth.  Red represents not only sin, but also the blood shed to cleanse the sin.  And the cloth is another symbol of a means of being cleansed.

⁶ The religious leader will take cedar wood and hyssop and red cloth, and put it on the burning cow. ⁷ Then the religious leader will wash his clothes and wash his body in water.

                                                                                                Numbers 19:6-7

So, today we see the red cow burned as a sin offering and its ashes are kept to be mixed with water so that in the future tents, objects, and people could mix the ashes with water as a sin-cleansing agent.

⁹ Now a man who is clean will gather up the ashes of the young cow and put them in a clean place away from the tents. They will be kept for the people of Israel to mix with the water used to make things clean, to take away sin.

¹⁷ The person who is unclean must take some of the ashes from the burning of the sin gift. Clean water must be added to them in a pot. ¹⁸ Then a clean person must take hyssop and put it in the water…

 ¹⁹ The clean person must put the water on whoever is unclean, on the third day and on the seventh day.

Here we see not only the process of application, but the timing of application.  It is in the holy numbers of the third day and the seventh day.  The third day is reflective of the Resurrection of the perfect sacrifice to come.  Jesus rose on the third day, forever defeating sin and death.  And the seventh day?  What is the significance of the seventh day?  Remember that seven is the number of completion and perfection.  The seventh day God rested from His great work of creation.  He rested because He had completed the work.  In the seventh day, it was finished and it was very good.

The holy numbers show up again and again in scripture and again and again in the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It was around seven a.m. when the hearing took place, the crucifixion took place at the time the Jewish referred to as “the third hour”.  Darkness covered the land at twelve noon.  About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out and said “It is finished!” and died.

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

                                                                                                John 19:28-30

There were seven times Jesus spoke from the cross.  God created the world with His spoken words, in seven days.  Both finished the great work and then rested after speaking forth a brilliant creation.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

² And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

³ And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

                                                                                                Genesis 2:1-3

God created the world in seven days; Jesus restored the world and set the stage for man to become new creations after the seventh phrase left His holy lips, “It is finished!”

As we sift through the reading of the ashes of the sin offering entering the water so that the people could be cleansed of their sins, let’s not forget the ultimate Sin Offering who entered the water.

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

                                                                        Matthew 3:13-17

In the Old Testament, the sin offerings and the ashes in the water were an effort to appease and please a holy God who could not look on the sin of those He had created, loved, and chosen.  Their sin caused a separation between Him and his beloved ones.  God graciously offered measures for temporary restoration, at least until the next sin.  But when Jesus entered the water, finally the perfect Sin Offering had come.  Jesus was to be totally consumed in the fiery trial of the crucifixion, just as the sin offering was consumed by the fire.  And with Him, God was forever pleased.  If we trust in Jesus to cleanse us from our sins, we too will hear the beautiful words, “This is my child, whom I love; with him (and her!) I am well pleased.”

Today’s reading includes Numbers 16:41-18:32, Mark 16:1-20, Psalm 55:1-23, Proverbs 11:7.

We find Moses and Aaron in a difficult season in today’s passage.  The people had grown weary of the wilderness.  They longed for a return to Egypt and had false memories of its greatness, forgetting they were actually miserable slaves in that land.  In fact, we see in Numbers 16 that they absurdly compare slavery in Egypt with the Promise land.

¹³ Isn’t it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in this wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? ¹⁴ What’s more, you haven’t brought us into another land flowing with milk and honey. You haven’t given us a new homeland with fields and vineyards.

With these false memories came a great discontentment and impatience which led to a great rebellion toward Moses and Aaron.  This rebellion was led by a man named Korah.  Korah was from the tribe of Levi, those who were set apart as the priests.  He conspired with two others from the tribe of Reuben, the firstborn son of Jacob.  These three then stirred up 250 others who were the prominent leaders of the people of Israel.  These weren’t simply a fringe group who were making noise.  These were the respected leaders of the Israelites.   What’s more, they were united in their rebellion.  They were working well together coming against God’s chosen leaders.  And what was their mantra, their fight song?  “We are special, too!  Don’t think you are better than us!”

³ They united against Moses and Aaron and said, “You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?”

Now this may have been a true statement—yes, God had declared them all a chosen people.  But this truth was proclaimed out of context and with a spirit of pride and jealousy.  They were throwing a temper tantrum.  And is often the case, this pride and jealousy and rebellion was contagious.  What’s more, we already learned an important truth about Moses.  He was selected as the leader because of a very important characteristic.  He was the humblest man on the face of the earth.  He had eyes to see and ears to listen to God because pride was not clouding his judgement.  And we continue to see this humility and dependence on God, even when he was being falsely accused and misunderstood.

⁴ When Moses heard what they were saying, he fell face down on the ground.

                                                                                                            Numbers 16:4

What did he do when faced with these challenges?  He fell face down on the ground.  He consulted the Lord as to how to handle this situation.  He did not try to defend himself, nor make the rebellious ones understand.  He did not bring up his stellar record, nor list the great sacrifices he had given on behalf of the people.  He just let the Lord handle it for him.  And when he got up off the ground, he had a clear vision of how the Lord wanted to handle it.  He would not have been able to come up with such an effective plan.  He just needed to seek the Lord, remain humble, and step aside while the Lord dealt with the nay-sayers.

We often find ourselves in uncomfortable predicaments in which others misunderstand us or spread false ideas about us.  And what are we supposed to do in those situations?  Fall on our knees before the Lord.  Give it to Him.  Remain humble.  Let God handle the situation, handle to rebellion, handle the truth on our behalf.  Moses spoke when God told him to speak and not a moment before.  Moses spoke the words God told him to speak, and not a word more than that.

If you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation of being falsely accused and misunderstood, here are some truths on which you can depend.

¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;
    I will pay them back,”^[a]
    says the Lord.

                                                                                                      Romans 12:19

⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

                                                                                                            1Peter 5:6

³⁸ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^[a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

                                                                                                            Matthew 5:38-40

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

                                                                                    John 16:33