Series:  Forgive as The Lord Forgave You
 
“Do not 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.” (Romans 12:19 and Leviticus 19:18)

When our middle son was about four years old, he wanted to play soccer. The league was short on coaches so when we registered Jesse to play, David signed up to help. You probably won’t be surprised, but he became the head coach of “The Lightning.” At first, the team looked like when someone steps on an ant bed, and the ants go in every direction. It was hilarious to those of us watching, but not so much to the dads on the field. One afternoon game in an effort of desperation, David held up the soccer ball in the middle of the team and yelled, “Whose ball is this?” The team of four-year-olds replied, “Mine!” He repeated this exercise several times and then told them, “Don’t let them have it!” They got it! They totally understood that they were to keep the ball and not share it with the other team. We became a really good team after the local pastor taught the children to harness their inner base nature.

I never realized our base selfish nature was a way in which we were made in God’s image. We are born programed with the desire to protect and keep what belongs to us -what we feel is rightfully ours. Our Heavenly Father is very serious about revenge belonging to Him. At times, when we are wronged and offended, we want to even a score; we want to get back at the person who hurt us instead of forgiving them. One reason is we feel they are getting away with hurting us and not having to answer for their unjust and unacceptable behavior. We feel there is no appropriate consequence unless we take revenge into our own hands. However, if we will give the situation and the offense to The Lord to handle for us, we will see the power of Isaiah 55:8 in a way we never imagined.
 
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares The Lord.” (Isaiah 55:8)

We were in a situation where someone worked diligently to take us down, get us fired from our job, and run us out of town, to put it in as few words as possible. I was so upset at first, I wanted to expose them and let everyone know what a terrible person they were; then, I prayed and prayed for this person and the situation. Trouble came to them in a severe and heavy way – so much so that I began to ask The Lord to have mercy on them.

When we leave consequences and revenge to its rightful owner, The Lord; He can bring things to bear we could never orchestrate no matter how much we try. Forgiveness is our job; wrath and revenge belong The Lord, let’s leave them with Him.