Day 89 – Kindness

Proverbs 17:13 Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.

• God’s names:
• YAHWEH/JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal
• Adonay – God’s proper name
• Elohiym – Supreme God
• Yeshuwa/Iesous – Jesus
• Pater – Father
• Theos – Supreme Divinity
• KURIOS/Kurios – Supreme Authority

• God’s character:
• Good
• Merciful
• Rewarder
• Kind
• Peace

Have you ever done something nice for someone and it backfired in your face? It happens all the time. People misinterpret your actions and instead of people showing kindness, they reward you with evil. You vow it will be the last time you show that person kindness.

Solomon saw evil rewards within his family. His father had his mother’s first husband killed so he could take her as his wife. YAHWEH told him evil would never depart from his home because of what David did. Solomon saw the fruit of that when his brother tried to take the kingdom from his father. So, even though David’s second son with Bathsheba became king, and was a man of peace, evil never left David’s family.

One of David’s prayers was for YAHWEH to avenge those who came against him, showing him evil for the good he did to them.

Psalm 109:1 (To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.) Do not keep silent, O Elohiym of my praise! 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred and fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me with evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6 Set a wicked man over him and let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few and let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children continually be vagabonds and beg; let them seek their bread also from their desolate places. 11 Let the creditor seize all that he has and let strangers plunder his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before YAHWEH And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be continually before YAHWEH, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; 16 because he did not remember to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. 17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil into his bones. 19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, and for a belt with which he girds himself continually. 20 Let this be YAHWEH’S reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person. 21 But You, O YAHWEH the Adonay, deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. 25 I also have become a reproach to them; when they look at me, they shake their heads. 26 Help me, O YAHWEH my Elohiym! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, 27 that they may know that this is Your hand—that You, YAHWEH, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, let them be ashamed, but let Your servant rejoice. 29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. 30 I will greatly praise YAHWEH with my mouth; yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. 31 For He will stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him.

Solomon knew this prayer of his father, David. He saw how his father’s enemies came against him. He also saw how the members of his household interacted with each other, rewarding evil for good. He knew the sword would never leave his family because of what his father did and warned people not to reward evil for good.

As Christians, you need to be careful not to reward evil for good no matter who the person is. Some Christians treat non-believers and those who don’t belong to their religion with contempt. That’s not what Yeshuwa told the people they should do. He told them to love their enemies and do good to those who despitefully use them.

Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Pater in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Pater in heaven is perfect.

Paul told the Christians in Rome to do what they could to live in peace with everyone.

Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (NKJV)

He said the same thing to the Thessalonian church.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. (NKJV)

Peter also told the people they were to do good to everyone.

1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of KURIOS are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of KURIOS is against those who do evil.” 13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?

When someone does something bad to you when you’ve shown them kindness, take the matter to Yeshuwa as David did. Pray and let Him bring His vengeance against those who bring evil against you for the good you show them.

Let’s pray: Father, You know how often people come against me when I try to show them Your kindness. Help me to turn to You for help against those who reward me evil for the good I show them. Turn my heart to seek Your will and always help me to show kindness no matter how people treat me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 18 April 2026 by Valerie Routhieaux