Thoughts for another day

January 3, 2012

Today's verse: Ro. 12:19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

As we look back at the year gone by we remember many things of that year: both good and bad.  What will definitely stand out in our memories are the people we interacted with.   With many our interactions might have been good but yet, there would've been some with whom we've developed such negative feelings that we don't want to see them again; maybe with no reason, they fought with us, defrauded us, and lied against us or whatever, by which they hurt us badly. 

Our Scripture refers to such people in our lives.  Because of the bad they did, we must be seething inside and trying to look up ways by which we could destroy them or humiliate them before others, isn't it?  The Word of God says that we must not avenge ourselves, but eschew wrath and leave it to God for He knows the whole of it.  God knows the reason why the person behaved in that way and what he gained from it.  We usually don't know why people behave in a manner to hurt others but God knows.  Jesus knew the real reason why the Jews were baying for His blood before Pilate and therefore, He didn't condemn them.  Rather He asked His Father to forgive them. 

So also we must go before our God, our Father and seek to forgive our enemies for what they did.  God is pleased in this and at times He works something marvelous both in us and those who caused us grief and brings about a change of heart in both so we become inseparable friends and if that doesn't happen, His vengeance catches up with them and destroys them because in surrendering to God their wrong doing to us, His vengeance corners them and punishes them for the what they did.