“Don’t 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.” Rom. 12:19
“Don’t gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.” Prov. 24:17
“Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like the grass, they will soon wilt and be no more.” Ps.37:1
Heavenly Father, I’m stilling relishing the taste of the “heavenly gelato” I had earlier this week in Encinitas. I also savor 70% dark chocolate poured over walnuts sitting atop vanilla ice cream. But I’m just as capable of enjoying the flavor and texture of sweet revenge, spiteful payback, and watching the arrogant eat crow and get low. That’s a confession, not a boast.
Longing for justice is one thing, but feeding a vengeful spirit like it is a sourdough starter, is in a different category—a category sharing company with anti-grace, rat poison, and Eboli. No matter the provocation—from a personal “dissing” to evil parading its hatred of beauty—you’ve told us you’re greedy with revenge—keeping all of it to yourself and timetable. Help us Abba, for we live in a culture that has mastered and normalized demonizing, weaponizing, and supersizing getting even. It’s how cultures in the past self-destructed and became a regrettable footnote in the history of self-idolatry. Have mercy on us, Lord.
Father, I’m so glad you didn’t “get even” with us. You didn’t get even; you got generous—so generous that you gave our sin to Jesus, gave his righteousness to us, and then you gave us to Jesus “to have and hold forever.” Hallelujah… we are more married to Jesus than we’ll ever be to a human spouse. May realizing we’re the beloved Bride of Jesus—the true and reigning King, humble, gladden, and focus us. May it empower us to work for justice tenaciously and sacrificially, to love your mercy for ourselves and for others, and to walk humbly and gladly with Jesus all the way to the Wedding Feast and the eternal beyond. So Very Amen.
