I Will Repay!

Psalm 94 (NRSV)

God will vindicate the righteous

O Lord, you God of vengeance,
you God of vengeance, shine forth!
Rise up, O judge of the earth;
give to the proud what they deserve!
O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?

They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.
They crush your people, O Lord,
and afflict your heritage.
They kill the widow and the stranger,
they murder the orphan,
and they say, "The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive."

Understand, O dullest of the people;
fools, when will you be wise?
He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations,
he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?
The Lord knows our thoughts,
that they are but an empty breath.

Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,
and whom you teach out of your law,
giving them respite from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;
for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, "My foot is slipping,"
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who contrive mischief by statute?
They band together against the life of the righteous,
and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
He will repay them for their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.

DEVOTION

I don’t know about you, but I have been mad enough in the past to pray a prayer like this! Whenever my husband stumbles upon me in this type of mood he quotes the Bible saying, “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord; I will repay (Romans 12:19)!”

This never sounds good enough to me until I read scriptures like today’s psalm. Truly God is wise enough and strong enough to discipline all of God’s children.

When I try to “teach people a lesson” I generally fail; but when God teaches us a lesson it is remembered for a long time to come!

Aren’t you glad that we serve a God who is always ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 145:8)?

If God gave each of us exactly what we deserve for our sin, it would be a mess! But, God does not always give us what we deserve; instead, God’s love gives us what we do not deserve in the sacrifice of Jesus.

Because God loves us so much God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life. Although God does indeed see all, hear all, and know all, God’s grace and mercy meet us at our place of greatest need.

I love these words from today’s psalmist, “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, "My foot is slipping," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.”

Praise God! It is God who holds us up! I don’t have to worry about repaying someone for their evil toward me. I don’t have to worry about “getting back” at my adversaries. Instead, I choose to cultivate an attitude of humility and gratitude that always remembers that, like my enemies, I am a sinner, in need of God’s grace.

Do you need to forgive someone today? If so, please pray with me:

Dear God, today I forgive my adversary and place them into your hand. I believe-by faith-that you are able to discipline and save without my interference. Please bring love, joy, and peace where there has been hatred. I know that you are able to do all things well. I entrust this situation into your care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

THE INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html