Did you know that God the Holy Spirit intercedes for us?
(Romans 12:18-19 ESV) '18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”'
Scripture Thoughts:
Did you know that the Lord will avenge His people? To avenge simply means; to inflict harm on behalf of oneself or someone else previously wronged or harmed. In the Old Testament, it was written an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:23-25), but it's no longer this way due to what is written in the New Testament (Matthew 5:38-42). The Lord tells us in the New Testament that vengeance is His alone, and it is not for us to do, even when it comes to ourselves. The Lord tells us that He will repay people for the evil they do, so leave it to the wrath of God.
Great scripture but difficult to act upon at certain times, especially when so many people live in the moment. It is so easy to get caught up in the moment and want to give people what they gave you and more in times of anger and frustration, but the Lord wants us to take a step back and not do this. As a matter of fact, our goal in all of these situations is to live a peaceful life with all people, not just people like you (Romans 12:18)!
My Thoughts:
Vengence belongs to God! How difficult this statement can be for some of us, especially those of us who have been caused harm by others. I know as Christians, we are not supposed to return evil for evil, but is it evil when someone has willingly caused you or your family great harm? I used to ask myself this many days in my life. My older brother was murdered when I was 21. He was 2 years older than me, almost to the date, with our birthdays being 1 day apart. it took a lot out of me, and it is still one of the most painful things that have happened in my life. I was more than upset with the people who had their hand in this, and at first, I wanted to kill them personally. The hurt and the pain that existed inside of me when this first happened, I thought I would never overcome it; it felt insurmountable. The pain felt like it lasted forever, and no matter what I did, I could not get rid of it.
I lived in complete anger for the first few years but knew that I could not be that person who could kill someone else on purpose or for vengeance. But my mind kept me there for so many restless days and nights because I did not know how to let the pain and anger go. I was blessed enough during this time in my life when I was getting to know who the Lord was and what He actually meant to me. I was blessed because the Lord and His Word were helping me to change my life. I was so tired of living with that hurt and pain on the inside of me because it was causing me a great deal of pain in my other relationship. This type of pain and hurt caused resentment and bitterness to live inside of me, and therefore I could not see things as clearly as I should have been seeing them. What it did was to cause me to look upon people and myself in a negative light, and because I allowed the pain and hurt to change me, I wasn't the person I was supposed to be.
As I gained more understanding of God and His Word, I knew that I had a choice to make. I had to choose to forgive and let go if I wanted Jesus to forgive me for all the wrongs that I have done. (Matthew 6:14-15 ESV) '14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.' Forgiveness is paramount in Christianity, and I knew I needed all of it. I also realized that God took care of things as he saw fit. When I understood (Romans 12:18-19), I realized everyone would answer to God for the things they have done. My job as a Christian was to choose forgiveness daily and not match the evil transgression that takes place daily. I understood if I was going to be a Christian, I needed to act out on what the Word of God says and not under my own understanding.
Lastly, I know as Christians, we are not supposed to pray for the demise of others, even those who have caused us great harm. God knows how to teach, reach, correct, and punish each and every person and creature on this Earth. God knows the inner person of everyone better than they even know themselves. He has a way of reaching us as no one else does.
Challenge:
Challenge yourself to pray and read God's Word on a daily basis. As you understand more, start acting out on what it says. Then you will truly see the blessing of the Word of God in your life.
Prayer:
Ask your Heavenly Father to help you to understand His Word and give you the wisdom and understanding needed to act upon it.
Action:
Leave a comment, thought, or opinion in the comments section. We would like to hear from you! Please like and share with friends, family, and people you believe will benefit from this devotion.
Take Care Family,
Pastor Charles
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Merch:
Check Out The Book "Wounded Soul: Death Lived Inside Me" by Pastor Charles Myles
©Copyright Charles R. Myles II 2022
My thoughts on vengeance before I got saved and became a Christian, I wanted to inflict pain and punishment to those who hurt me or my family! After the renewing of mind when I hear things immediately my flesh wants to jump out and do harmful things, but I simply "TELL GOD" on them and leave it at his feet along with a prayer that I forgive and love them and I ask for forgiveness for my initial thoughts and I have very peaceful nights to rest bcz I know the Lord will FIGHT MY BATTLES! it might not be when or how I wanted it, but when God does it; it's WELL DONE amen 🙏🏽