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by Bob and Debby Gass
Treat Your Enemy With Kindness
October 3, 2017
‘You will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Proverbs 25:22 NKJV
It’s not enough to simply leave your enemies alone; you must demonstrate God’s love towards them. ‘If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.’ (Proverbs 25:21–22 NKJV) What does it mean to ‘heap coals of fire on his head’?
Charles Swindoll explains that in ancient days, homes were heated and meals were fixed on a small portable stove, somewhat like our outside barbecue grills. Frequently, a person would run low on hot coals and need to replenish his or her supply. The container was commonly carried on the head. So, as the individual passed beneath second-storey windows, thoughtful people who had extra hot coals in their possession would reach out the window and place them in the container atop their head. Thanks to the thoughtful generosity of a few folks, they would arrive at the site with a pile of burning coals on their head, and a ready-made fire for cooking and keeping warm. ‘Heaping burning coals on someone’s head’ came to be a popular expression for a spontaneous and courteous act one person would voluntarily do for another. When you treat an enemy this way, the Bible promises, ‘The Lord will reward you.’ You have a choice. You can experience the short-term satisfaction of retaliating and get into trouble with God for doing it, or show mercy and kindness and be rewarded by God for doing it. So, the word for you today is—treat your enemy with kindness.
Soulfood: Ex 1–3, Mark 16:1–8, Ps 63, Prov 25:26–28
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2017
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