“Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”
Romans 12:19-21 NLT. Leaving those who have wronged us in the hands of God can be a tremendous challenge when we are hurt, angry, feel assaulted, violated, or even betrayed. Sometimes we even recite verse 19 of this reading and use it to say "God, get em"! It is as if we think God has given us the ability to call on Him to do our dirty work and fulfill our hit list. This is not what this passage is telling us. We need to remember that Jesus must have felt betrayed, abandoned, and hurt when Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him, and Thomas doubted Him. These men were personally selected by Jesus as His disciples. (See Matthew 10:1-4 and Luke 6:12-16). Our fallen, sinful nature often wants to inflict pain on those who have inflicted pain on us. However, may I remind us all that Jesus took up the basin and the towel and stooped to wash the feet of ALL 12 of His disciples (see John chapter 13). He knew what was these men were going to do, yet He washed their feet anyway. Taking revenge, rather than trusting things into God's hands, only magnifies the problem. Don't allow your emotions to control your actions. Let the Holy Spirit control and guide your behavior. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Galatians 5:16 NLT. Today, no matter who has hurt you, handle it God's way!! In today's reading - Romans 12:20- Paul is moved by the Holy Spirit to quote Proverbs 25:21-22. Jesus gave us the same instruction in Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-36. Stop for a moment and ask The Holy Spirit to replace your anger, bitterness, and hate with the love of Jesus. Don't allow the devil to arrest your life with the vices of evil. Let God unlock your cell and set you free!!!
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March 2020
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