Presented by PeaceSpeaks.earth
TODAY’S PASSAGE
From “Voice Of Jesus 2” by Michael Canfield:
We went directly to flight operations. The officer who had reassigned me stood behind the counter. My commander asked if this was the man. I confirmed it. With a brief introduction, the Colonel sharply reprimanded the lieutenant, ordering him never to interfere with his directives again — including those given to me — or he would regret it. I felt sympathy for the lieutenant. I had received similar “counseling” myself in Japan. Life returned to routine. When my temporary assignment ended, I went to flight operations to arrange transport back to Tan Son Nhut. I was greeted by the same officer, who informed me bluntly that no return flight would be arranged — that hell would freeze over first. Walking was impossible. The journey was nearly four hundred miles through hostile jungle territory.
REFLECTION
Have you ever been stuck because someone with power decided to use it against you? This passage captures a moment many of us know too well—when vindictiveness replaces professionalism, when wounded pride becomes more important than doing what’s right. The lieutenant had been publicly reprimanded, and rather than accepting correction with grace, he chose revenge. He literally told the author that “hell would freeze over” before he’d help him get home. Four hundred miles through hostile jungle stood between this soldier and safety, and one bitter man held the only key.
What strikes me most powerfully here is the author’s response: “I felt sympathy for the lieutenant.” Even knowing what was coming, even understanding that this man’s wounded ego would soon put his life at risk, he chose compassion. He remembered his own moments of public correction, his own humiliation. This is the heart of Christ speaking—the ability to see our enemies as wounded humans rather than monsters. It doesn’t mean the lieutenant’s actions were acceptable. It means the author refused to let bitterness take root in his own heart, even when facing an impossible situation created by someone else’s spite.
How often do we find ourselves trapped by someone else’s unforgiveness? A coworker who blocks our progress, a family member who withholds reconciliation, a friend who punishes us endlessly for one mistake? And how often do we become that lieutenant—so hurt by correction or perceived injustice that we’d rather watch someone suffer than extend basic human decency? This passage reminds us that love doesn’t mean pretending wrong is right. The colonel’s sharp reprimand was necessary. But love does mean refusing to mirror the vindictiveness we receive. It means choosing compassion even when we’re the ones left stranded in hostile territory.
THIS SPEAKS TO ME BECAUSE…
Today, ask yourself: Is there someone whose path I’m blocking because of my wounded pride? Or am I trapped by someone else’s refusal to forgive—and if so, can I choose sympathy over bitterness even while I seek a way forward? The voice of Jesus calls us to break the cycle of retaliation, even when it costs us dearly.
GET THE BOOK
This passage is from “Voice Of Jesus 2” by Michael Canfield — a profound journey into love, faith, and the voice of the divine.
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