Thursday, March 27, 2014

Does God Avenge?


 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice ... -Proverbs 24:17

Many years ago, our Pastor was speaking about an attorney who had done him wrong.  God spoke to our Pastor to leave it alone and allow God to take care of the vengeance.
 
A few days later the attorney went on a snow trip and while skiing he fell and broke his leg.
 
Now you probably will ask, “Did God do that?”  Honestly I do not know, but my Pastor decided that it was God doing the pay back.
 
Years, ago our children visited another church in search of new teen age friends.  Our daughter was 17 and a boy about a year younger than her was attracted to her and they became an item.  His mother was very upset because our daughter was “older” than him and in an effort to break them up, she sent the boy away to Bible School.  Our daughter wept tears of bitterness and was saddened to hear that he had married a girl he met there.
 
Within a year he and the girl were divorced (for some reason,) and my thoughts were perhaps the mother was not wise in manipulating her son’s future.
 
Our daughter must have liked younger men, because a similar thing happened when we moved to another city.  The boy was Greek, and although his parents loved our daughter, they wanted him to marry a Greek girl, which he did.  They had two children and he joined the family business which involved travel.  There he met a blond woman and you can guess the rest of the story.
 
In life there are many unjust and unfair treatments that we and others receive. 
 
 
If you believe you have been mistreated and done wrong by someone, perhaps cheated, or stolen from or even abused; God forbid - - take heart for God is the avenger and he will repay.
 
It is best to “Let it go,” by Forgiving the one who harmed you, and then set your mind at ease and lay aside all matters of vengeance or reprisal. 
 
Allow God to settle the scores, and you can live in peace with a good conscience.
 
Matthew 6:15,20-21  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.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
 

3 comments:

Floyd said...

Amen, Hazel. His ways are higher than our ways. I was just thinking about this subject a couple of days ago, and wondering how much I've been spared from prayers that weren't answered the way I wanted. When we get to heaven I think we'll be even more surprised at the merciful and protecting hand of our Father in this life.

Barb said...

Well said, Hazel. It always hurts us when we hold onto our grudges. I used to do that consistently years ago, and I was always unhappy. I'm much more at peace now that I've learned to let things go.

Anonymous said...

So true, Hazel. An eye for an eye sounds good but does much more damage-to us-in the long run. Let Go & Let God (do the paybacks ;) if He so choses.