“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and go back to their master.” 2 Kings 6:22

Throughout history there have been many different wars with various nations against other nations. In every war there have been soldiers who have been captured. Many of those who did the capturing would torture those they had captured with severe painful torture. The torturing was done out of anger and vengeance against their enemies and to instill fear into their enemy.

The king of Aram sent soldiers to find and capture Elisha. Elisha had those soldiers blinded then led them into the king of Israel. When the king of Israel wanted to kill them, Elisha said not to, but to feed them food and water and sent them home.

Very few people will ever be in a position of capturing an enemy and being able to deal directly with that enemy as in an army with a nation against another nation. The enemies that the average person has are those people who treat them badly and lie, cheat or even physically harm them.

When a person is caught in the act of doing something wrong, most people may not want to physically kill the person, but they do want to strike back and often harshly. People want their enemies to pay a severe price for doing wrong.

Years after Elisha told them not to kill the enemies, Jesus told the people to love their enemies and do good to them. Believers are to provide for the needs of their enemies to show and represent God’s love to them. Love, in this way, will turn their hearts away from their sin and to God, rather than angering them more.

You most likely have someone who has done you harm. When you have caught them in doing the harm, you have a choice to make as to how you deal with them.

Keep in mind the love Jesus had for you when you sinned against Him and did Him harm. He loved you and treated you with respect providing abundantly for all of your needs, despite your deserving death. In this same way, treat those who harm you with love. Give them food and water, things that they need, to win their hearts over to God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the love God has for you and your enemies; that you will treat your enemies with God’s love; that God will guide you in providing what your enemies need; and that you will be a witness of God’s love to this world.