Proverbs 16:7

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them relationships with others:

Proverbs 16:7 (ESV)

When a man's ways please the LORD,

he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

This proverb tells us that there is a direct relationship between our walk with God and our walk with others. This is the “Triangle of Peace.” Draw a triangle on a paper and put God at the point on top, you on one of the points and anyone else at the other. As you move up the side of the triangle toward God (drawing closer to Him) and the other person does the same, you in-turn get closer to each other as you draw closer to God. However, this proverb tells us that as we draw close to God, He will make even our enemies to draw close to us in peace. He did this for Esau and Jacob; for Abimelech and Isaac; for David and his enemies. God did this for Israel.  When they lived in a way that pleased God, God gave them peace with their enemies.   Think about Hezekiah and his war with Assyria. God caused peace and safety in his final years:

2 Kings 20:19 (ESV)

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”

We don’t have to worry about agreeing with our enemies or appeasing them. We only have to worry about treating them with love and drawing close to God … God will cause even unbelievers to live at peace with us. This proverb is not a warning but a principle to be lived in faith. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you ... and He alone will give you peace with your most feared enemy.