Prayer: Father, teach me kindness. Teach me not to jump so quickly in response to perceived offenses. Teach me how to respond in all situations with kindness. Amen.
Reading: Proverbs 25 key: vs. 21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
22 for you will heap coals of fire on his head[a]
and Adonai will reward you.
Attention: Polarization is something which is dividing us as a country. There is a lot of rhetoric from all sides, but not much solving of issues. I viewed a recent edition of a discussion hosted by Dr. Phil and USC Professor Dr. Luntz with USC students. One of the highlights of the discussion was an exercise where the students were asked to pair up with someone from the opposite political position and look into the other person’s eyes and answer the question, “Do I trust or not trust this person?”
The purpose of the exercise showed that we tend to have no exchange with the opposition face to face with the purpose of winning the argument and not the purpose of solving a problem. The entire discussion can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/KbwvimqMxbE . You may not agree with everything but hopefully, you can see the value of dialogue and seeing each other as human beings. If we can lay down the sword and dialogue, we could reduce the division and make some headway on solutions.
The Scriptures present what I will call “High Wisdom.” Solomon tells us today that when we treat our enemy with compassion in the simple acts of satisfying hunger and thirst, that we give respect and dignity to those who hate us. Solomon’s analogy is like putting out fire with fire. The act of compassion quenches the anger.
David’s act of cutting off a piece of King Saul’s garment and then showing him as proof of what he could have done was an act of compassion (1 Samuel 24).
Are we anxious to seek revenge or do we seek to give a cup of cool water in response?
Action: I will seek to hand out a cup of cool water to my enemies when the opportunity arises.
Yield: When I yield my right to revenge and give a cup of cool water, I might facilitate decompression of division.
Engage: I will dialogue with the goal of creating solutions.
Relationship: Acts of compassion take the fire out of the combatant.
Prayer: Father, may I seek to be a fire fighter who puts out the fire by quenching the hunger and thirst of the enemy. Amen.
Memory Verse: Matthew 10:42
42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, amen I tell you, he shall never lose his reward.”
Music Video: Kari Jobe – The More I Seek You
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”
So right on..May we remember it daily in on l lives