Vengeance: Punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense.
Sometimes we are like King David - we say the same thing he said in Psalms 94:3, "Lord how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" We don’t always like suffering long with people (and it doesn’t matter who they are), especially when we feel like they have done us wrong… it's often worse when it looks like they are going to get away with doing someone else that we care about wrong. That's when we want to take matters in our own hands and retaliate, but friends - that’s not God's way.
Romans 12:19 tells us "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." As a believer, we know that the Lord will do just what He says… but every now and then, it's like we want what we want when we want it, right? It feels like the Lord's time takes too long, we want vengeance NOW! We want vengeance when we feel like we have been mistreated; vengeance when we've been talked about; vengeance when we feel like someone is talking down to us. And don’t let our spouses make us angry… vengeance can't come fast enough, can it?! And what about that person driving too slow in the fast lane when we're in a hurry? We want to ride their bumper, blow our horn, or exact our own vengeance by running them off the highway (or is that just me)? It could be just one person or a whole bunch of folks that does something wrong to us and we immediately want to be the Prosecutor, the Judge, and the Jury… but that’s not the Lord's way.
The Lord doesn’t want us taking matters into our own hands, because He knows we won’t be merciful in our search for vengeance. That's why we have to turn things over to our merciful High Priest who says, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Be not overcome of evil, but over come evil with good" (Romans 12:17, 18, 21).
I assure you my friends, the Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps. He sees all things, He knows all things, and He’s everywhere at the same time. Hebrews 10:30 (Amplified Bible) reminds us, "For we know Him who said, Vengeance is mine (retribution and the meting out of full justice rest with me); I will repay (I will exact the compensation), says the Lord. And again, the Lord will judge and determine and solve and settle the cause and the cases of His people." To sum it up in a nut shell - no matter how bad we feel that we've been wronged - we can’t retaliate - vengeance belongs to our Lord. And when you really think about it - there is no one better to handle our woes!
With all that said, let the church say amen… and AMEN!
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