It is written by THE WISDOM in Proverbs 25:
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.
FATHER rewards us when we walk in Agape Love. Our enemy today will become our brother tomorrow so let us not seek revenge or recompense when we are victimized by our enemy. FATHER succinctly states in Deuteronomy chapter 32:
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.
An enemy is one who hates you and what you stand for. Saul was an enemy of believers but was converted to a brother in Christ so he knew firsthand the results of Agape Love. He then wrote by THE SPIRIT in Romans chapter 12 where he referenced the above passage in Proverbs:
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Let us walk in Agape Love which is sincere and active, without guile or hypocrisy. Let us hate what is evil, detesting all ungodliness, and not tolerating wickedness in our walk. We must not condone ungodliness by having close fellowship with those who persist in their wickedness. However, we must not repay evil with evil as Paul states above.
I have been wronged in the past by certain individuals who meant harm as they acted in their own self interests. They exalted their own interests by attacking me and did this at the expense of the companies where they were employed. Instead of actively responding to their words and actions, I opted to move on and submitted to FATHER’S repayment plan. They received the appropriate judgment for their actions without me intervening in any manner.
In the above passage, Paul provides us a list of how Agape Love acts in various situations. He describes those who truly walk in Agape Love toward others. You and I should review this list to see how we measure up and where we are lacking in our walk. This exercise provides us a picture of our progress in sifting out all the impurities remaining in our hearts.
Our enemies are temporary in nature as we walk in Agape Love. When we walk in peace and Agape Love, we walk in full assurance of our future as Sons and Daughters thus we are not moved by those who intend to do us harm. We overcome this evil with good!
As we walk in pure Agape Love, Isaiah 58 applies to us and FATHER becomes our “rear guard”:
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.