Day 188, or July 7. Revenge is not sweet.
Our thoughts today are rooted in Proverbs chapter 25, verses 21 and 22. 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.
What's the big picture surrounding these verses? It seems after his death Solomon's
Proverbs were still a great influence amongst God's people, and one of the godly kings
of Judah, who was called Hezekiah, makes strenuous efforts to compile them for posterity. We
would probably not have today's Proverbs if it were not for the efforts of King Hezekiah.
Most of them relate to our relationship with other people, many who are not the same as
us, such as kings and many others, who simply live different lives to ours.
And now today's action step. Throughout history, evil has been countered by more evil, wars
producing more wars. Revenge is still a very common reaction when bad things happen, and
especially when you know who caused the evil deed. Solomon anticipates much of the teaching
of Jesus when he writes this proverb, Attack evil with good. Look after your enemy, because
God is the judge and the only one who will give us all a fair trial in the end. The apostle
Paul quotes this proverb when he writes to the church in Rome, and then he adds a great
comment in Romans chapter 12 verse 21, which reads, Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer
evil by doing good. Revenge and the holding of grudges benefit no one, neither the perpetrator
nor the sufferer. Actually, the major loser is the one seeking revenge. It can colour
everything and distort all your future judgments. This frame of mind stunts development and
never produces the satisfaction that it promises. Even if you've been wronged by someone in
a particularly wicked way, revenge is not the answer. Don't hold on to your resentment
and bitterness, but forgive with God's help. Then you can move on to enjoy the rest of
your life.