The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Proverbs 25:21-22,
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
The book of Proverbs is an amazing book filled with all manner of wisdom. The counsel it provides is of a very practical nature. Consider 25:16-17, "If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house— too much of you, and they will hate you." How can advice be more practical than that? This couplet takes us from something we have all experienced to a truth some may need to learn: don't overstay you're welcome.
I find our above verse just as practical. If you want to have a meaningful impact on someone who has wronged you, treat them well. The better you treat them the worse they feel about how they treated you. Paul quotes these verses in Romans 12:19-20 where he cautions against taking revenge. "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'"
Paul's counsel is to let God repay whomever may have treated you wrong... and while you are letting God take care of it, you can have an impact on your enemy in a very positive way. Grieve his conscience for treating you badly by treating him well.
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."
The book of Proverbs is an amazing book filled with all manner of wisdom. The counsel it provides is of a very practical nature. Consider 25:16-17, "If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house— too much of you, and they will hate you." How can advice be more practical than that? This couplet takes us from something we have all experienced to a truth some may need to learn: don't overstay you're welcome.
I find our above verse just as practical. If you want to have a meaningful impact on someone who has wronged you, treat them well. The better you treat them the worse they feel about how they treated you. Paul quotes these verses in Romans 12:19-20 where he cautions against taking revenge. "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.'"
Paul's counsel is to let God repay whomever may have treated you wrong... and while you are letting God take care of it, you can have an impact on your enemy in a very positive way. Grieve his conscience for treating you badly by treating him well.
Try it sometime. You may be very surprised how effective the truths contained in Proverbs play out. He who designed life has the inside scoop on how to live it wisely.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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