Today's Verse: Proverbs 20:22

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Vengeance is an awful and painful way to respond to those we feel have wronged us. The Lord is our assurance of genuine justice, so let's leave our being wronged to God. Let him bring justice. As the apostle Paul taught:
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. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. ... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:19-21)
Escalating vengeance and trying to make things "come out even" only leads to broken people and broken lives. Worse yet, it leads to broken character in us!

My Prayer...

Through your Spirit, Abba Father, please empower me to be patient as you right the wrongs and injustices committed against me and the wrongs done to me. I need the Spirit's power to overcome my desire for revenge against those who have wronged me and to have patience while waiting for you to make things right. Please help me to be more concerned about the salvation of those who may have wronged me than I am about getting even with them. Please give me more of a heart like your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

3 Related Resources by Heartlight

Illustration

Illustration of Proverbs 20:22 — Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, July 16, 2005

A daily guide from the gospels that challenges readers to live for Jesus.
"Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.""
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
"Peter most earnestly exhorted the scattered saints to love each other "with a pure heart fervently" and he wisely fetched his argument, not from the....."
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
"Dear Friend, I call you My friend because you know and practice My will (John 15:15). Therefore, I have brought you into My family through My..."
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
"God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.