Through the Bible: RomansSample

Vengeance Is the Lord’s

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 (NIV)

Most of us agree on the need for and the benefits of forgiveness. However, when we are deeply hurt or betrayed, particularly by a family member or someone we trust, it is hard to forgive.

Forgiveness may be hard, but it is also hard to refrain from taking revenge. We are reminded NEVER to take revenge because God has reserved this for Himself. He is much better at this than we are, however tempting it is for us to “get even.”

When betrayed or wronged, we are hurt and angry and instinctively we want to take matters into our own hands. How can we allow the incident to “go unpunished?” Let’s be reminded that God is just; He will avenge and repay those who wrong us. Let’s trust God’s timing and power and not deprive God from delivering justice. Let’s free our hearts from being consumed with hatred, to forgive and move on. Let’s walk free, knowing that revenge is in God’s hands.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, even though it is hard, please help us to trust You to handle revenge for those who harm us instead of taking matters into our own hands. Help us to always remember that You are a just God.