May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,’ so my hand will not touch you. (1 Samuel 24:12-13)
Despite the triumphs of David, King Saul became filled with the poison of jealousy and sought to have his revenge by killing David. Saul hires elite soldiers to kill David, but he escapes just before they are to execute him while sleeping. Filled with rage, Saul sent his entire army after David, and yet God provides David with the unbelievable opportunity to kill Saul and end the whole ordeal. David must now decide to give in to revenge or to honor God by respecting His choice for King. David ultimately chooses the latter as he overcomes the urge to take his revenge and, in doing so, gives God the glory.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation as David? Someone had done you wrong, and you had the chance to pay them pack, so take revenge on this person who hurt you. Did you take that opportunity, or did you place it in the hands of God?
When it comes to revenge, we would be wise to follow the example David set for us and let God take care of avenging wrongdoing. While it may seem good and right and fair for us to impart that revenge ourselves, ultimately that’s not our job. Our job as followers of Christ is to love others the way He first loved us. He is the God of justice, and we are His servants. Let’s not forget where we fall in the grand scheme of things.
Dear Father, thank you that you are a just God who always has the last word. No act of mistreatment or injustice goes unnoticed by you. Help me to trust that you will protect me and take care of me, and help me to resist the temptation to take revenge into my own hands. Amen.
Topics: Grace
