Daily Devotionals for October 4
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Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living
Devotional Scripture:
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
Proverbs 25:21-22 (AMP):
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
22 For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward you.
Thought for the Day
We can overcome evil from an enemy by helping him, but we can do this only with God's enabling power, through the impartation of His love for others to our hearts. This is the kind of love that Jesus demonstrated by coming to earth in order to die on the cross in our place for our sins. He was raised from the dead by Father God. "And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him...Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:33-34a). We are called to follow in His steps and demonstrate that same kind of love to those who persecute us.
"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously..." (1 Peter 2:21-23).
I have often wondered what the expression, "heaping coals of fire upon his head" meant, since it sounded like a hostile action. However, I discovered that it was referring to the way fires were started in Biblical times. The general populace used small clay ovens for cooking and heating their homes, and they used wood or grass in them. Most of the ovens were easily portable and women would carry them on their heads. The ovens were stoked at night so that there would be live coals left in the morning by which to start a fire for breakfast. If the coals died out in the night, the practice was to find a neighbor who had some live coals, and borrow from them. A woman would go to her neighbor, carrying her clay oven on her head. Therefore, the reference about "heaping coals of fire on their head," would be an act of kindness.
As children of God, we are called to overcome evil with good, to go the second mile, to bless those who persecute us and to do good to our enemies (Romans 12:17-21). By doing these things, we will not only demonstrate God's love but also conquer evil. When we help our enemies, it pleases God our Father, who treats His enemies in the same way. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:44-48).
Prayer Devotional for the Day
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