“Lord, have mercy on me. Make me well again, so I can pay them back! I know you are pleased with me, for you have not let my enemies triumph over me. You have preserved my life because I am innocent; you have brought me into your presence forever.” Psalms 41:10-12 NLT
David desired restoration. He wanted the opportunity to have the advantage over his enemies. The taunts of the enemy had taken their toll on him. Have you ever had a time in your life like that? Your enemies were gloating over your struggles and you simply wanted out of the situation. You longed to go back to a place and time when things were good. A time when you were on "top" instead of the bottom. Have you ever wanted revenge? The things the enemy has done to you has left you hurt and angry. You want payback. The desire for revenge is lethal, especially to the one who wants it. In fact it is kin to unforgiveness and is tied to bitterness. These things take us into a dark and desperate place. “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” Hebrews 12:15 NLT In those moments we are given a choice. Do we release the bitterness or do we exact punishment upon our enemy? What we do in that moment is crucial. True freedom can only come from forgiveness. We must place our enemies in God's hands and let Him determine the action that should be taken. We must recognize that God sees every detail of our situations. In His righteousness, He will declare our integrity and innocence. Time will tell the story. The enemy who now seeks our demise will soon be put in their place by the Almighty and our time of restoration will come. Only if we leave things in His hands! We must not try to "fix" the situation. “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous character 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 Today, if you are grappling with a similar situation, let it go. Let God's peace return to your heart. He sees every detail and is working for your good. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28 NLT Trust Him!!!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
![]() Rev. Curtis Norris Archives
March 2020
|