Leviticus 19:33

God commands His people to treat foreigners living among them with dignity and protection, not exploitation or contempt. The word 'alien' here means anyone not part of Israel — refugees, immigrants, temporary workers. This command came when Israel was establishing their own nation after being mistreated as aliens in Egypt for 400 years. God specifically reminds them to remember their own experience of being strangers and vulnerable.

Lord, You welcomed me when I was a stranger to Your grace. Forgive me for the times I've made others feel unwelcome. Show me the foreigners in my path — the lonely, the different, the misunderstood — and give me courage to treat them as You treat me. Amen.

Think about the last time you felt like an outsider — maybe your first day at a new job, or when everyone's speaking a language you don't know. That stomach-dropping sensation of not belonging? God says, "Never make someone else feel that way in your space." The command isn't just "be nice" — it's "never mistreat." Zero tolerance. Israel's history makes this personal. They knew what it was to be exploited slaves in a foreign land, so God says, "Don't become what was done to you." The same applies to you — whatever exclusion you've faced doesn't give you permission to exclude others. It actually makes you responsible to create the welcome you once needed. Who's the 'alien' in your world right now? The new neighbor with the accent? The teenager your kids say is "weird"? Your move toward them might be their first glimpse of God.