April 6 – An Enemy’s Hunger (Proverbs 25:21-22)

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”(Proverbs 25:21)

IN WORD:

If we ever needed any evidence that God’s character is not instinctual for us, this is it. Giving our enemies food to eat and water to drink goes against every principle of justice we’ve cultivated from the early days of sibling rivalries and onward. The self-promoting impulses of fallen humanity do not allow us to look out for our enemies and bless them with favor. If we wanted to do that for them, they wouldn’t be our enemies.
It take a lot of faith to act in such a way. The Holy Spirit must radically renew our minds, and then our minds must trust that God will honor our behavior. It feels like going out on a limb, doesn’t it? To treat an enemy well risks the possibility of his taking advantage of us, of his getting the upper hand, of our accounts being so out of balance that we’re even more vulnerable than when we first felt offended. Treating an enemy with favor means tat we have decided, in faith, that God is the keeper of our enemy’s account as well as our own. We cannot do it unless we trust that He will work justice out in the end, and that we’re actually improving the welfare of our rival. Human logic does not lead us to such conclusions. Only faith can do that.

IN DEED:
How do you treat your enemies? Maybe you claim you have none; congratulations. But there are certainly people who rub you the wrong way. How do you deal with them? Do you hold grudges? Do you look for ways to avoid them? Do you secretly hope that God will humble them and vindicate you?
Perhaps He will. If you really believe in His goodness, you are free to let Him handle justice on your behalf. You are free to behave in extraordinarily unexpected and godly ways by blessing those who curse you, giving to those who have cheated you, or complimenting those who have insulted you. Trying to make their lives uncomfortable, though natural, tells God we don’t believe in His justice. Treating an enemy well honors His merciful will.

“In Jesus and for Him, enemies and friends alike are to be loved.” -Thomas A’ Kempis-