The Avenger

With so much seemingly senseless violence taking place in the past couple of day, from my sister and her husband's puppy being shot in the face on Saturday to the explosions in Boston today, I keep coming back to these verses of scripture where God says He will avenge.

Romans 12:18-20
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15

See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

It would be so easy to turn right around and go after these people for the evil that they have done, but the easy decision is not always the best one. Instead of repaying evil for evil, we are to show them the goodness of God's love. It won't be easy, but it will be rewarded. 

This is a message to me too. I want to walk over to my neighbor's house so badly and tell him what a horrible person I think he is, but that's not what God wants me to do. That's not what He wants someone who bears His name to do. So as hard as it may be, I will let God do the avenging for me. And He will do it, He promises that He will. It may not be today or tomorrow, but a time is coming when they will be held accountable for all of the wrong that they thought they got away with. 

Instead of dueling out the punishment that you think is fit, be broken for these people. Pray for their souls. Plead with God that their hearts and lives would be changed so that they wouldn't do anymore harm.