VENGEANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD

Proclamation:

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in The LORD will inherit the land."  Psalms 37:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

King David wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the people of God.  David was admonishing the believers to refrain from getting angry and to change their behavior and turn away from their wrath.  He said that those things would only lead to evil and sinful behavior.  The Lord God will deal harshly with evil men, and He will bless those who follow Him and walk in His way.

Application:
As hard as it is for us to do this, we need to control our natural human behavior and not give in to our sinful nature.  Some people can really upset us, and annoy us, but we need to refrain from getting angry, and we need to control our wrath.  When we get out of control, we do not behave in a very Christ-like manner.  As believers, we are not to return evil for evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)  We are to turn away from evil, and do that which is good. (Psalms 34:14 and 37:27)  God will take care of those who do wrong, and those who do wrong to us. (Romans 12:19)   We are to turn the other cheek, (Matthew 5:39) and we are to "kill them with kindness", and let God rain down burning coals upon their heads. (Romans 12:17-21)  He may even allow us to see them get what they deserve, (Psalms 37:34) as long as we do not rejoice when we see them suffer. (Proverbs 24:17-18)  We are not to avenge ourselves, we are to leave that to The Lord and the wrath of God.  Vengeance is not ours, it belongs to The Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Be Quick To Listen And Be Slow To Speak

"My dear brothers, take note of this; Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, and humbly accept The Word planted in you, which can save you."  James 1:19-21 (NIV)

These are The Holy Spirit inspired words of James, the half brother of Jesus, who became a pillar of the early Church after the resurrection.  James wrote to the people of God to provide them with guidance regarding their behavior.  He was encouraging them to exercise self-control, to listen to others more often, and to be think before they speak or become angry.  He told them that they should not say or do anything which would displease God, and they should humbly accept and display The Word of God, and The Holy Spirit of God, which was within them.

It has been said that we have two ears and one mouth, maybe we should spend twice as much time listening as we do talking.  James encouraged believers to listen to others, but he did not say to believe everything that we hear.  He said we should be slow to speak, meaning that we should hear what the other person has to say before we respond, and we should think about what they said and what we are going to say, before we say it.  James said that we should be slow to get angry, because when we get angry, we often say and do things which are not consistent with the Christ-like life that we should live.  We also should always be ready to listen to The Word of God, and we should welcome every opportunity to gain a better understanding of it.  We should be very cautious and slow to teach or tell others about The Word of God without first giving our words careful consideration and much thought, least we mis-speak.  If The Word of God is within us, then we should let it shine forth for others to see by our actions, which will speak much louder than our words.

Refrain From Anger And Wrath And Sin

"Be still before The LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil."  Psalms 37:7-8 (NIV)

These are the words of King David, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, addressed to the people of God, telling them to relax, be calm, and do not get upset because of what is going on around them, especially the success of the wicked.

These words are also appropriate for us today.  The wicked, the evil ones, the liars, and the cheats seem to be getting ahead in this world and enjoying the spoils of success.  Whereas the good, "the nice guys" seem to finish last.  Believers should not worry about the wicked ones, for they will soon be cut down. (Psalms 37:1-2)  Rather, what we should do is trust in The Lord, commit to The Lord, delight in The Lord, and do that which is good in His sight, and He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalms 37:3-5)  We should learn how to mind our own business and not worry about the affairs of others. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)  We should do what The Lord has assigned for us to do, and we should pray for every body else, good and bad.

Vengeance Belongs To The Lord

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in The LORD will inherit the land."  Psalms 37:8-9 (NIV)

Here King David was admonishing the believers to refrain from getting angry, and to change their behavior and turn away from their wrath.  He said that those things would only lead to evil and sinful behavior.  The Lord God will deal harshly with evil men, and He will bless those who follow Him and walk in His way.

As hard as it is to do this, we need to control our natural human behavior and not give in to our sinful nature.  Some people can really upset us, and annoy us, but we need to refrain from getting angry, and we need to control our wrath.  When we get out of control, we do not behave in a very Christ-like manner.  As believers, we are not to return evil for evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)  We are to turn away from evil, and do that which is good. (Psalms 34:14 and 37:27)  God will take care of those who do wrong, and those who do wrong to us. (Romans 12:19)   We are to turn the other cheek, (Matthew 5:39), and we are to "kill them with kindness", and let God rain down burning coals upon their heads. (Romans 12:17-21)  He may allow us to see them get what they deserve, (Psalms 37:34), as long as we do not rejoice when we see them suffer. (Proverbs 24:17-18)  Vengeance is not ours, it belongs to The Lord.