Proverbs 25:21

Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Matthew 5:44-45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, (45) "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

It is easy to love those that love you, easy to be partial to those that like you - but Jesus clarifies so wonderfully the heart of the Father. God wants us to love our enemies, to bless them, to pray for them. As Proverb 25:21 says, love is an act of giving - whether that be food and water, or a kind word, or a good report instead of a bad one. Why does the Lord say this? Because He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust, God is not partial and if we are to be called His children, and "be like Jesus" then we must leave our partiality behind. God's heart is to care for all men, to love all men. What an amazing light of truth that shines upon the sinful preferences of our own heart. Isn't it interesting how God reaches out to provide for those that hate Him - doesn't that say a lot about His boundless love and grace and mercy?

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (17)"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In John 3:16, we see that God loves the whole world and Jesus died for the whole world - that would be the good and evil, the just and unjust. I like how He says "just and unjust." Doesn't that sting a bit to our pious ears? When you read that you were thinking you were the "good" one right? Sure we can easily "identify" with being the "good" whether we truly are or not, but to know that you are "justified" (just-as-if-I'd never sinned) by the sacrifice of Christ, means that there was a time when you were not justified, when you were an enemy to Christ, when you were evil and an enemy to the "good." Isn't our God wonderful and loving and just that He would give up His Son to die at the hands of sinful men so that you (and me) might live forever with Him?!

Thanks be to God who reduces all men to nothing that He might raise them up through simple faith and trust in Him, through the acceptance of His gift of life as He died on the cross to pay our way and justify those who deserve nothing but hell-fire and condemnation. May our lives today be praise and thanks for the wonderful gift of life that He has given that we dont' deserve. May we bless and pray for our enemies today.