The last few weeks have been somewhat tough and riddled with life problems. But holding steadfast to God and his word has helped me out a lot. What has also helped me out was the fact that I’ve had so many brothers and sisters in Christ to talk to about my problems. So at this point you’re probably thinking what was his problem and what does vengeance have to do with it. Well my problem is personal so I’m not going to divulge it on the internet lol, but the part about vengeance is relevant to the situation. Many of us sometimes run into issues with people who do us some type of physical or emotional harm and many times as humans we react back and want to take vengeance on that person. Take for example the murder of a little girl, the father of that little girl would probably like to go out and hunt down the person that did that to his daughter, what man would not feel that way. But here’s the dilemma we run into–as Christians we must forgive. William Shakespeare said, “The rarer action is virtue than in vengeance,” basically it is a lot easier to get revenge than it is to forgive a person. But if we are true followers of Christ we need to follow his example. He was spat at, kicked, punched, whipped, ridiculed, hated, rejected, forsaken, and yet never once did he lift a finger up against anyone. Wow, is the word that comes to mind. Lets check out Psalm 94…
1 O LORD, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay to the proud what they deserve!
3O LORD,how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?
4They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O LORD,
and afflict your heritage.
6They kill the widow and the sojourner,
and murder the fatherless;
7 and they say, “The LORD does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.” 8 Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?He who teaches man knowledge—
11the LORD—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD,
and whom you teach out of your law,
13to give him rest from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17If the LORD had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18When I thought, ”My foot slips,”
your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who frame injustice by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22But the LORD has become my stronghold,
and my God he rock of my refuge.
23He will bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the LORD our God will wipe them out.
So if you read that you’ll see how and why vengeance belongs to the LORD. We must not wish this upon anyone though. We must be careful and not condemn people because then we condemn ourselves as well. If someone offends you turn the other cheek or just love on them how God loves us. I tend to be a person who gets angry real quick over the dumbest smallest things, but slowly I am realizing that it’s not worth it. In the end it all in God’s hands, that person who you envy because they have millions of dollar and get whatever they want is not truly happy if Christ is not in his heart. All the criminals who you might think got a way scott free, their day will come to face judgement. I know it seems odd to say that but if we take a second and pause to think about it there has to be a final judgement or else then what would be the point of living a moral life? I could live as I please without fear of consequence besides the laws of man but if I can somehow avoid those then is there no consequences…. certainly not!