Proverbs 25:21-22
If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink: You will heap coals of fire upon his conscience, and God will reward you for it.
We all know what it is like to have an enemy. An enemy in its most simplistic form is anyone or anything that moves against you in an unprovoked and malicious manner to bring you hurt, harm, or even death. However, an enemy doesn’t have to be an actual physical threat. It can simply be an unseen force, one which you feel in your spirit and mind is coming against you. The question is, what can we do to deflect or redirect these waves of evil that oftentimes come our way?
First of all, it is important to know what motivates an enemy. An enemy is moved by mainly one particular emotion … that emotion would be hate! They hate... however, for different reasons. Some hate for jealousy and envy, yet others hate for greed, power, and other selfish motives. Through this proverb God gives us an unbelievable formula with which to overcome these forces. No matter how powerful or evil a person can be, they still have two basic needs for survival. They get hungry and must eat; they get thirsty, and must drink. In other words they have needs. Basically, what God is telling us, is that the only way to dowse and quench the flames of hate, is with sincere care and love.
Christ refers to this remedy in Matthew 5:44 by saying, “I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you.” Wicked hate is a very powerful force in the earth, but its power pales in comparison to two very powerful forces of peace...called Love and Prayer! Hate has torn down and broken many people. However, for all the damage it has inflicted, Love and Prayer has always come into the aftermath of its wake; and not only has it repaired the damage; but more importantly, it rebuilt greater establishments than before in its place. Where hate has killed thousands … Love and Prayer has given life to millions more. Where hate has divided families … Love and Prayer has brought together nations. Where hate has brought hunger… Love and Prayer has feed the world! Where hate brought condemnation upon mankind … Love and Prayer brought redemption!
“Don’t be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21