The apostle Shaul revealed that it is the will of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua that believers are to give thanks in everything.

 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV)

 This is not always an easy task.  It is especially difficult when one’s enemies are attacking at every turn.  Thanking the Sovereign One for affliction, pain, suffering, humiliation, degradation, material loss, and physical and emotional wounds is not generally the number one priority on the prayer and praise list.  We may classify this commandment with Yeshua’s teaching to love one’s enemies.

 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  ⁴⁴But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.  ⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  Do not even the publicans the same?  ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  Do not even the publicans so?  ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 KJV)

 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, ²⁸bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.  ²⁹And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.  ³⁰Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.  ³¹And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.  ³²For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  For sinners also love those that love them.  ³³And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye?  For sinners also do even the same.  ³⁴And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye?  For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  ³⁵But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. (Luke 6:27-35 KJV)

 While our carnal instinct is to push back, slap back, retaliate, and return the sticks and stones that have been thrown at us, we have been warned not to repay evil with evil but to respond with good.

 Recompense to no man evil for evil.  Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (Romans 12:17 KJV)

 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. (1 Thessalonians 5:15 KJV)

 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:9 KJV)

 This is the way of YHWH.  Listen to the words of the Torah, Solomon, and the apostle Shaul concerning the treatment of our enemy.

 If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.  ⁵If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. (Exodus 23:4-5 KJV)

 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. (Romans 12:20 KJV)

 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: ²²for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and YHWH shall reward thee. (Proverbs 25:21-22 KJV)

 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: ¹⁸lest YHWH see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18 KJV)

 Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. (Proverbs 17:5 KJV)

 YHWH has made it very clear that vengeance for wrongdoing belongs to Him alone.

 To Me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. (Deuteronomy 32:35 KJV)

 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith YHWH. (Romans 12:19 KJV)

 For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith YHWH. And again, YHWH shall judge His people. (Hebrews 10:30 KJV)

 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on YHWH, and He shall save thee. (Proverbs 20:22 KJV)

 Such thoughts of vengeance and personal justice must be understood as dross and imperfection of character.  These very “human emotions” are signs that our fallen flesh is still very much alive and has yet to be completely sacrificed upon the cross.  YHWH uses our enemies as part of the refining process.  Our enemies and their wicked lies, slander, thefts, and attacks upon us are the refining fire that brings the dross of our souls to the surface, exposing it for us to see it and deal with it.

 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. (Proverbs 25:4 KJV)

 But who may abide the day of His coming?  And who shall stand when He appeareth?  For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: ³and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto YHWH  an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:2-3 KJV)

 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, YHWH  is My Elohim. (Zechariah 13:9 KJV)

 Through the suffering, injustice, and affliction thrust upon us by our enemies, our dross is revealed so that we may refine it from us.  Through the suffering, injustice, and affliction thrust upon us by our enemies, we learn to turn to YHWH for help and justice and our faith is strengthened.  Through the suffering, injustice, and affliction thrust upon us by our enemies, our character is perfected.  Through the suffering, injustice, and affliction thrust upon us by our enemies, the character of Messiah is likewise strengthened and perfected within us.  The suffering, injustice, and affliction thrust upon us by our enemies by the will and permission of the Sovereign One are for our perfection and our testimony to Messiah Yeshua, who also suffered at the hands of his enemies.

 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48 KJV)

 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. (Luke 6:40 KJV)

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Messiah may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

 We should recall that Messiah himself was afflicted.  He suffered and endured great injustice so that the love of YHWH, even for His enemies, would be made manifest in the world through our Master.

 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. (Hebrews 5:8 KJV)

 For Messiah also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to Elohim, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18 KJV)

 For even hereunto were ye called: because Messiah also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: ²²who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ²³who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: ²⁴who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24 KJV)

 We may recall that when Israel failed to conquer the promised land, YHWH, who fought for Israel, chose to let some of Israel’s undefeated enemies remain in the land to torment and torture them.  This decision was not to punish the children of Israel but to strengthen them.  The enemy within Israel would be a constant reminder to the children of Israel of their need to resist the evil within.  The people of Israel would have to teach their children to fight the evil urge to give in to the enemy.

 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. (Judges 2:3 KJV)

 Now these are the nations which YHWH  left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; ²only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof. (Judges 3:1-2 KJV)

 With no enemies to challenge us, we will surely let our guard down and fall prey to our own weaknesses.  As long as we are on this side of the restoration of all things, and as long as we carry with us the sin nature in our flesh, we need enemies to remind us of the dangers of the dross that remains within us.  While we may indeed pray for justice when we have been wronged, we must pray this prayer with the heart of Messiah, who likewise asked the Father to take the bitter cup from him.

 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39 KJV)

 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done. (Matthew 26:42 KJV)

 While we may ardently ask YHWH to grant justice quickly, we must be surrendered to the perfect will of the Sovereign One.  We must be willing to wait upon YHWH to carry out His justice upon those who refuse His gift of mercy.  We have seen this pattern of great mercy being extended to the wicked, followed by eternal judgment upon the unrepentant sinner.  The most obvious example of this may be Pharaoh, who was repeatedly shown mercy and given opportunity to know YHWH and repent.  When he refused this mercy, however, the eternal judgment of YHWH came crashing over him in waves.  It is sad that the wicked often mistake YHWH’S mercy as their own cleverness or immunity from punishment.

 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.  ³For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom YHWH  abhorreth.  ⁴The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Elohim: Elohim is not in all his thoughts.  ⁵His ways are always grievous; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.  ⁶He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.  ⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.  ⁸He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.  ⁹He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.  ¹⁰He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.  ¹¹He hath said in his heart, Elohim hath forgotten: He hideth His face; He will never see it. (Psalm 10:2-11 KJV)

 We know that YHWH’S ways are not our ways.

 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith YHWH.  ⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  ¹⁰For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: ¹¹so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11 KJV)

 The Sovereign One has a will and a plan.  We know that the Sovereign One does not delight in the death of the wicked but desires that all men would repent and live.

 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith Adonai YHWH: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? (Ezekiel 18:23 KJV)

 Say unto them, As I live, saith Adonai YHWH, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? (Ezekiel 33:11 KJV)

 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 KJV)

 YHWH has already revealed that for the time being He has chosen to show mercy on the just and unjust and to allow the wheat and the tares to grow together for a season.

 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45 KJV)

 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.  ²⁶But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.  ²⁷So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field?  From whence then hath it tares?  ²⁸He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.  The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  ²⁹But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.  ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:25-30 KJV)

 We should give thanks that YHWH has shown mercy to the wicked, especially when we remember that we were once counted among them.  Even now, however, let us give thanks for our enemies, who are part of the heat of the refiner’s fire that strengthens us in our faith in YHWH and blesses us with patience, teaching us to wait upon YHWH to reveal the dross that remains in us so that we may deal with it, allowing the image of our Master to be more perfectly seen within us.