Even your enemies shall be your friends
When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with Him (Proverbs 16:7 NIV)
These words are attributed to King Solomon who became King of Israel after the death of his father, King David. Just after becoming King, God appeared to Solomon and asked him what he desired from God. Solomon replied, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:10 NIV). God honoured Solomon’s request and endowed him with so much wisdom and knowledge that people came from far and near to hear him.
Given the wisdom and knowledge God had bestowed on Solomon, it is not surprising that he would utter these words of wisdom that “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with Him.” God desires that our ways be pleasing which simply means walking in His will and according to His plans and purposes for our lives. Walking in His will means obeying His commandments, which are not grievous (1 John 5:3). Once we walk in God’s commandments and in total obedience to Him, He will take care of our enemies.
You see brethren, God created all men and He is able to do with us whatever He wills. Infact, the Word of the Lord says “The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1 NIV). When our ways are pleasing to God, He will work in the heart of even our enemies and before long they will become our friends. This was exactly what God did for Jacob. Jacob had stolen his brother, Esau’s, birth and the Bible says Esau hated him (Genesis 27:41). At the advice of his mother, Rebekah, Jacob fled to his Uncle Laban in Haran and worked for fourteen consecutive years to marry Leah and Rachel. Not long after, the Lord appeared to Jacob and told him to return to the land of his fathers. Naturally, Jacob was afraid of meeting Esau again and he sent some of his men ahead with gifts to placate him. But that was unnecessary because God had already done a work in the heart of Esau. The Bible says, “But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arm around his neck and kissed him. And they wept." (Genesis 33:4 NIV) It was as if nothing had happened. Just as God did it for Jacob, He can do it for us provided our ways please Him.
May we seek to make our ways pleasing to the Master.
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you for your promises that are Yea and Amen. Thank you that you are not a man that you should lie neither the son of man that you should repent. I know that just as you have promised, you will make my enemies to become my friends provided my ways are pleasing to you. Lord, from today, my focus shall be to please you in all my ways. On my own, I cannot do it so I ask for your help.I thank you in advance for what you are going to do. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
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