Many years ago my father received a letter from another minister that was very mean, critical, and hurtful. He accused my father of things that were totally false. My father was extremely hurt and a little angry. He wrote his attacker the meanest, ugliest letter he could come up with. He ripped his critic apart.
Then, he sealed the scathing letter in an envelope, walked to the end of the driveway, and put it in the mailbox for pickup.
As my father walked back to the house,
an inner voice said, You got even, didn’t you?
As my father walked back to the house,
an inner voice said, You got even, didn’t you?
“Yeah, I got even,” Daddy replied.
You feel better, don’t you?
“Yeah, I feel better.”
You paid him back, didn’t you?
“Yeah, I paid him back.”
Then the voice said, You sure did. You paid him back evil for evil.
My father gulped. He could feel that conviction. He knew God was speaking to him. He realized he had responded in the wrong way.
Daddy returned to the mailbox, retrieved the letter, and tore it up. He never sent it; never said another word about it to the man. He chose to let God be his avenger. He chose to let God make his wrongs right.
Sixteen years later my father received a phone call from the man who had attacked him. He was weeping. He said, “ Osteen, that letter I sent you was so wrong. I feel so bad. Can you forgive me?”
Daddy returned to the mailbox, retrieved the letter, and tore it up. He never sent it; never said another word about it to the man. He chose to let God be his avenger. He chose to let God make his wrongs right.
Sixteen years later my father received a phone call from the man who had attacked him. He was weeping. He said, “ Osteen, that letter I sent you was so wrong. I feel so bad. Can you forgive me?”
God knows how to bring justice in your life. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen.
We all go through situations in which we are treated unfairly. Maybe somebody is gossiping about you, or picking on you, trying to make you look bad at school or work. The natural response is to defend yourself or to strike back. Human nature wants to get revenge. We like to get even. But the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine” (Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV). That means God will make your wrongs right. God wants to repay you for every unfairness. He is a God of justice.
We all go through situations in which we are treated unfairly. Maybe somebody is gossiping about you, or picking on you, trying to make you look bad at school or work. The natural response is to defend yourself or to strike back. Human nature wants to get revenge. We like to get even. But the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine” (Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV). That means God will make your wrongs right. God wants to repay you for every unfairness. He is a God of justice.
The bottom line is this: God wants you to have the last laugh.
Here’s how it can happen. Romans 12:19 says to never avenge yourselves, but to let God do it. Notice, you can avenge yourself, or you can let God be your avenger; but you cannot have it both ways.
If you take matters into your own hands, God will step back and say, “You go ahead. You don’t need My help.” But if you learn to stay on the high road, control your emotions, and let God be your avenger, He will show up and say, “All right. Let Me go to work.”
If you take matters into your own hands, God will step back and say, “You go ahead. You don’t need My help.” But if you learn to stay on the high road, control your emotions, and let God be your avenger, He will show up and say, “All right. Let Me go to work.”
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