by David Brenneman
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him." PSALM 28:7
When people wrong us, we can be in danger of dwelling incessantly on what they've done, which can lead to bitterness. Angry thoughts can bombard us because of the injustice, vulnerability, and pain we feel. But rather than giving in to resentment, we must refocus our thoughts on God and His purpose for allowing the conflict.
Focusing on the Lord will help you rely on His ability to deal wisely and justly with your antagonists. You don't have to be afraid of being a victim of someone else's power plays or deception. Instead, you can be confident that your reputation, success, and security rest firmly in the hands of your sovereign God. Yes, people may hurt you and even set you back. But you don't have to fear or retaliate. You can forgive as Christ commands, and the Father will
protect you, vindicate you in due time, and give you insight into why people respond as they do.
The Lord is greater than all your enemies combined, and the power of the risen Christ can sustain and guide you through whatever rough encounters you face. So honor Him because He will certainly help you.
Jesus, You are my Defender. I trust You to help me and redeem this situation. Amen.
- Trusting God with Today, Dr. Charles Stanley.
We live in a world where generation after generation is increasingly teaching the next that you have rights that are yours to demand others respect no matter what.
We live in times when revenge is often a matter of opportunity and time than a mere thought that can at some point be safely dismissed.
Consequences for revenge aren't even a consideration for those who engage in revenge because they cannot fathom how their thoughts and actions are in any way wrong.
Hatred and anger towards others is still a poison pill we take hoping the other person will either suffer for it or die from it.
Throughout my book that I am writing there's example after example of when revenge is what I wanted but wasn't for me to pursue. God said He would deal with these people and He most certainly did without my intervention. Just as this devotional and Bible passage refers to.
"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." James 1:19-20.
We shouldn't start taking on people whom were also people for whom Jesus died for. That's the root of things.
While my mind really wants some degree of satisfaction my heart ought to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We can and often do blind ourselves to the mission of the Spirit of God...Jesus came to save sinners. We are here, regardless of what we go through...to represent Jesus to a lost world so that they may see their own need for a Savior who is Christ the Lord.
We're never going to show Jesus to this world if all this world sees in us is our angry countenance.
Let go of it and let God go where you cannot to do His work in them as He once did in you who were also once hostile toward God yourself.
God's grace and mercy are new everyday else we would have seen the end of mankind right after Adam and Eve sinned.
We don't get what we deserve because of the grace and mercy of God. We have no right to sit in judgment, that is to take God's place in being the Judge, over others.
We are told how we must be when dealing with those whom have wronged us. First and foremost is we're to pray for them. If we're still engaged with them we're to return kindness where they are expecting retaliation.
God can and does go where we cannot. In my book there's a true story of how God made a bridge in my dreams between myself and my friend who at the time was estranged from me. The dreams had their effect and a day came when restoration happened and the dreams stopped.
Letting go and letting God isn't a sign of weakness it's the ultimate sign of strength. Scripture says that where it be possible to be at peace with all men. This implies that there's going to be times when there's going to be some that it won't be possible with.
God's resources are unlimited and unending. God's wisdom in seeing beyond what we do or ever considered is infinite.
Moreover there's some people who've crossed our path in an apparently wrong way- from our point of view- that were intentionally put there by God to redirect our path towards His plans for us.
We aren't here to merely survive.
We aren't here to get all we can get.
We aren't here to be all we can be for ourselves.
We aren't here to seek out everything to make our own paradise here on earth.
We are here, after coming to Christ for salvation, to grow in Christ. Become more like Jesus through our time with Jesus in prayer and the Word of God. To show the world the character of Christ Jesus. To point people to Jesus. To show the fruits of the Spirit to a dying world.
We gave up our rights when we came to Christ for salvation. We took up Jesus's words as our own "your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven".
Pray for those who persecute you.
Pray for those who tick you off.
Pray for those who have wronged you.
Take these people to Jesus in prayer. Let go of them at the feet of Jesus.
These people whom we might be so blindly enraged at just might be the last person who is going to be saved before Jesus returns.
Think about that.
You could be prolonging the wait for Jesus returning by not seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness by your blind desire for revenge.
Pray for these people and get out of God's way.
That's how you let go and let God do what needs done in His eyes.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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