Tag Archives: Proverbs 25:21-22

If Your Enemy Is Hungry

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Give - Proverbs 25:21-22 - If Your Enemy Is Hungry - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Give – Proverbs 25:21-22 – If Your Enemy Is Hungry – Growing As Disciples

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. Proverbs 25:21-22 (NIV)

It’s Your Move 

Will you take the first step? Will you make the first move? What first step? What first move? Will you reach out to your enemy? Will you do something extraordinarily nice for someone who regards you as their enemy? Will you think deeply about the needs of your enemy and then go meet them? That sounds quite risky? I don’t even want to get close to my enemy. I would much prefer to keep a safe distance from my enemy. I did not ask you about your preferences. I asked you if you would make the first step and take the first move to do smoothing extraordinarily nice for your enemy. Is that what you are asking me to do? Is that what you want me to do for you? Yes, that is what I want you to do for me? What if my enemy spurns my efforts? What if they reject my outreach? It would be humbling enough to do something nice for my enemy. Why is that? They certainly wouldn’t deserve anything nice from me. My enemy has continually tried to harm me. They have attacked me at every turn. I have been deeply hurt and wounded by my enemy. They have caused me a great deal of pain. Why should I have to make the first move. I am the aggrieved and innocent party. You think so? Well, I may not be totally innocent.

You are right. There is no good reason for you to do something extraordinarily nice for your enemy except that I am asking you to do this for me. Were you not once living as my enemy? Yes, I once lived as your enemy. Did you deserve all that I have done for you? No, I did not and have not deserved all that you have done for me. Did you readily accept me? Didn’t you initially spurn my efforts to reach out to you? Yes, I did initially spurn what you had done for me. Didn’t I humble myself and die on the cross for you? Yes, you died on the cross for my sins. Are you willing to humble yourself and do what I am asking of you? Yes, I am willing to go and do what you are asking of me. I will humble myself and offer my service to my enemy. That will be very good. In humbling yourself you will be my witness. Your enemy will see my love shining through your life. They may even become my follower and your friend. Wouldn’t that be spectacular? We could celebrate that together. Yes, that would be quite a celebration. It’s your move.

Lord, I want to be a vibrant witness for you. Help me to reach out to anyone who regards me as their enemy. Show me how you I can express your kindness to even those who are my enemies. Help me to turn enemies into friends as I help them with their needs. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Give – Proverbs-25-21-22 – If Your Enemy Is Hungry – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Give Him

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Wisdom - Proverbs 25:21-22 - Give Him - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Wisdom – Proverbs 25:21-22 – Give Him – Growing As Disciples

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. Proverbs 25:21-22 (NIV)  

Your Enemies

What will you do for your enemies? That’s an odd question. Why is that? I don’t want to do anything for my enemies. I don’t want to even think about my enemies. The best thing I think I could do for my enemies would be to ignore them. Why is that? If I don’t ignore my enemies, I might be tempted to do to them what they have done to me. I might want to pay them back for all the evil that they have done to me. That would not be good. Why is that? 

You were once living as my enemy. You were doing what was evil in my sight. Did I try to put you out of my mind? Did I hope you would just go away? Did I ignore you? No, you did not ignore me. You would not give up on me. You sought me out. You pursued me. You were watching for the day that I would turn away from my old sinful life. You were waiting for me to turn toward you to ask you to come into my life. How did I respond to you? Did I give you what you deserved? No, thankfully you did not give me what I deserved. I deserved punishment. Did I give you what you did not deserve? Yes, you gave me what I did not deserve. What was that? I did not serve your kindness, mercy and love. I did not deserve your forgiveness and cleansing. No, you did not. Yet, I gave all of these to you. Yes, you did.

I have some questions to ask you. Go ahead, I’m listening. Do you want to do what I did? Do you want to become like me? Will you follow my example? How so? Will you do for your enemies what I have done for you? Will you forgive your enemies? Will you extend kindness, mercy and love to your enemies? Will you pray for your enemies? Will you give your enemies whatever they need? Those are tough questions. You are asking a lot of me. No, I am not asking for a lot of you. I am asking for all of you. Will you make yourself completely available to me? Will you go where I guide you? Will you do what I ask of you? Will you love your enemies just as I loved you when you were my enemy? Yes Lord, I will. I will love my enemies. I will graciously give my enemies whatever they need. That will be very good. Then, I will use your life. Then, I will bear fruit through your life. Then, you will bring glory to my name. That will be very good.  

Lord, I want to shine brightly for you as a witness in the world. I want you to use my life to help lead others to you. I want to bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. Use my life, to graciously give my enemies what they need. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Wisdom – Proverbs 25-21-22 – Give Him – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com