Getting rid of vengeance in your heart
The world of vengeance, eeh eeh who has never felt like walking in it? But the feeling of changing your sword in the moment of rage and anger from pointing it into the faces of your enemies but to the ground and surrendering the situation to God is sometimes unmanageable. I imagine David and his men being chanced by three thousand able young men from Israel,
,later him sparing Saul’s life in exchange for his life. Many of us think that David spared Saul’s life that day but he spared his in the long run. Having his conscience-stricken was a serious call from the holy spirit to leave vengeance to God in exchange for the throne, relationship with God, was more important to him and the more the men who loved him , encouraged him to kill him quoting “This is the day the lord spoke of when he said, “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.”
This qoute might have applied to a prevous enemy but God has new or daily bread for each day.So consulting him daily is very crucial. Secondly, David might have figured out and remembered here that vengeance belonged to God when he asked him if he could go after the amalakites for what they did to them.
1 Samuel 24:1-7
1 New International Version David Spares Saul’s Life 24 [a]After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” 2 So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. 3 He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. 4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
1 Samuel 30:1-8
New International Version.
David Destroys the Amalekites 30 David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag and burned it, 2 and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way. 3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. 5 David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, 8 and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”
My God the story of Esau and meeting his brother Jacob should always be a living example for all of us .Genesis 33 especially verse 4 and 5. I actually couldnot tell how he came to terms with Jacob’s actions towards him in the past but it worked and I believe forgiveness is a true remedy for healing our souls. Just imagine Esau making it a mission to avenge what his brother did to him, it would take a lot of time, resources ,his peace, joy, and loved ones among others. Let’s dig into Joseph’s story how his brothers sold him into slavery and what he went through, his perspective in this story is a winner. “You meant it for evil but God worked it out for my good”
I call upon all of us neighbors inorder for us us to heal and have peace that surpasses all our understanding and joy beyond measure that the lord jesus promised, we need to fellowship and communion with the holy spirit to know why God is letting through trouble into your life yet he promised that no weapon formed against you will prosper. Note that, not in every situation God explains his actions for example besides us who read it but God never revealed to Job why he suffered.
When we are suffering God is teaching while testing us sothat we can grow in spirit .I will give an example of where Jesus christ said in Mathew 5:38-42,
Mathew 5:38-42,
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
,this is way beyond us, someone is thinking now who does that, but practise by the help of the holyspirit makes it esier. I won’t forget Mathew 26:52-53 ( this gave more clarity to the fact the its only God who punishes). Even Jesus couldnot do it as half human and half God, he clearly said I would have called my father in heaven to send twelve legions of angels.
However, we look at people in the scriptures who carried out vegence and it never healed their souls. We think that if we make someone pay for their actions it will take away what they did or cover it, which is a lie .Lets look at dinah and the shechemites .Dinah was raped and his brothers simeon and levi almost caused jacob’s household to live in fear because they avenged her rape but it never returned her honor or covered her shame .Many of us can search deep within us and realise that we are not healed even after our actions we took to avenge .
On the other hand, when you leave God to avenge just like in 1 Samuel 31 Saul takes his life eventually and in Mathew 27 Judas hangs himself and God gets back Ahab for taking Naboth’s vine yard which is in 1 KINGS 21.
