Feeding Your Enemies

July 25, 2013

Feeding your enemies

Proverbs 25:11, 21-22, 6-7

New King James Version (NKJV)

11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold

In settings of silver.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;

And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,

And the Lord will reward you.

6 Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king,

And do not stand in the place of the great;

7 For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,”

Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,

Whom your eyes have seen.

Commentary:

There are three categories of enemies.  

(1) satan and his demons who seeks to destroy our souls

(2) the world and its system

(3) the flesh and its lust

Proverbs 25:21 tells us to feed our enemies.  Is it talking about just physical food and water?  It is saying more.  We are to feed our enemies with the Word of God.  Jesus is the word of God.  If the flesh is hungry, feed it the word of God.  Miyagi shared with us today that one day, he was hungry and wanted to eat something.  Instead, he opened up the word of God and starting meditating (eating) on the word of God.  Moments later, his hunger left him and he was full.  This is because he filled himself with Jesus, which is the Word of God.  How awesome is that !!

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Verse 11 talks of a word fitly spoken.  The word of God brings encouragement and edification and comfort.  Thus, it brings life.  Criticism and judgemental words brings discouragement and condemnation.  Thus, it brings death.  When we speak the Word of God to others and to ourselves, we are bringing life.  Parents, be careful how you speak to your kids.  If you are not blessing them with your words, you are probably killing them with your words.  If you are not encouraging them and edifying them with the Word of God and words of encouragement, you might be feeding them poison through criticism and excessive condemnation.  And those words will have damaging effects on your children in the long run.  

Verse 6-7 talks of being humble before leaders and authorities.  It is always better to humble yourself and take the place of low position then parade yourself as if you are someone great to behold.   For a long time, Miyagi chose to wear his hair long, grow out his beard and mustache and dress down.  He looked like a mountain man.  I asked him one day why he chose this look. In my finite mind, I am thinking wouldn’t it be better to be clean shaven with short hair like everyone else.  He knew that when he looks like a mountain man, people will judge him.  People always judge the book by its cover.    He told me that God told him to dress down.  God told him to be a nothing and a nobody in the eyes of man.   This way, God gets all the glory.  Wow !!

I wonder how many people in this world will choose to be a nothing and a nobody in the eyes of man.  I know several thousand who seek to look good, smell good, sound good and be heard and seen and be noticed by the world.  How wonderful to know that someone will “decrease that God may increase.”  (John 3:30)  

Conclusion:

We are to be humble just like Jesus.  We are to feed our enemies with Jesus, which is the Word of God.  We are to be encouraging and edifying in all that we say and do to others and ourselves.  

Poem:

When your enemy is near, what do you do?

Do you lash out at him with anger?

Or do you feed him the Word of God, the Lord Jesus

and doing so in a humble manner

I learn so much by watching Miyagi

and seeing him respond in humble ways

I pray to imitate him as he imitates Christ

So that I can glorify God all of my days.  

Byword:  Humility leads us to feed our enemies with the Word of God.  

Aldwin and Wendy Naruse

The Body of Christ Jesus Fellowship

Makaha, HI USA

P.S. Please feel free to share any thoughts, feelings or questions that you may have from these posts. We will respond to them as the Lord leads us to.