Revenge

Psalm 70:1–5 (ESV):  

1  Make haste, O God, to deliver me! 

O Lord, make haste to help me! 

2  Let them be put to shame and confusion 

who seek my life! 

Let them be turned back and brought to dishonour 

who delight in my hurt! 

3  Let them turn back because of their shame 

who say, “Aha, Aha!” 

4  May all who seek you 

rejoice and be glad in you! 

May those who love your salvation 

say evermore, “God is great!” 

5  But I am poor and needy; 

hasten to me, O God! 

You are my help and my deliverer; 

O Lord, do not delay! 

Have you ever sought revenge?

I bet, like most of us you have. David does, in this psalm he is saying that he wants those who hurt him to be dishonoured, those who want him dead to be confused and ashamed, and those who mock him to be turned away in shame. He wants those who have troubled him to be hurt, to regret the way they have treated him. Yet he is not seeking revenge from his own hands. He asks God to do it. That takes a great deal of strength - to give the plotting, power and action of revenge over to someone else. It means you have to let go of the deep anger within and allow someone else to do what is fitting. Trusting them to act appropriately and to get the right result. Can you imagine how hard that must have been? 

Some of us automatically deal out revenge, or ‘payback’ as my kids call it, without even thinking about it. It is accepted and expected from the culture we are in. If someone hurts you - you get them back. What David did was very cross-cultural, but very much kingdom culture. He trusted God not only with his circumstances but to sort out those who were his enemies too, to give them what they needed and deserved.

I am sure you can relate to feeling hurt, annoyed, or even infuriated when people come against you. Especially when the hurt is unfair and unjustified. David felt like that, it is natural - everyone hates injustice when it is experienced in their life. God hates it too, so it is not a bad thing to feel like that. Yet allowing those emotions to control what you do next is a problem and can get you into trouble. I am sure David had learnt that from the experiences of his life, so in this situation he does not allow his feelings result in action from his own hands. This does not mean that he was inactive - he tells God about it and restrains himself as he bravely hands over his situation and emotions to God so that He can sort out the problem people. 

David does not follow the way of the World and seek his own revenge, but he considers the way of God instead and holds himself back. He restrains his power and tells God what he wants to happen then calls upon God to do something about it. This is displaying kingdom culture and wisdom. It is not easy, but it is the better way. It is not that he wasn't really bothered by what happened - David is passionately ranting at God - look at all the exclamation marks and how many times he asks God to hurry up! He is; frustrated, hurt and furiously angry about these people that are trying to get away with murderous intent. However David does not act in his own power, although he could. He is a king and successful warrior, so he could powerfully deal out revenge. However David knows a better and more successful way and that is to ask God to hurry up and sort them out! 

What strength David shows in his anger to demonstrate trust, restraint, patience and wisdom. For who is best equipped to sort out an injustice and to right a wrong? Surely one who has never committed a wrong and who can be temperate in their response, plus has all resources and strength in their hands. When we deal out revenge or punishment particularly when riled up, angry and agitated, it rarely goes well does it? Often we end up overreacting and make matters worse for ourselves as well as others. People can end up injured and imprisoned because they have sought revenge by their own hands. Therefore, David wisely allows his knowledge of who God is rule his ways and hands over these people into His hands to do what is fitting. Handing over situations, people and emotions to God when you’re frustrated and angry is a powerful and wise move. For a start, consider how much more God can do than you! He has all the resources, experience, knowledge and strength to sort these people out properly. He knows what they need. Plus, if you are part of His family, and have done nothing wrong, do you not think that your loving Father is going to fight on behalf of His kid? 

David knows that God is His Heavenly Father, yet he is fed up of being mocked and ridiculed, hunted down and slandered, so he has a good rant to God about it, asking Him to sort it out. When a child has a rough day, do they not go to their parents and complain about it? Seeking solace, guidance and a solution. If you are a parent, and hear that your child has been mistreated by someone else, what would you do? I am sure you would be more than willing to sort out an injustice out for them! Even the mildest parent can turn into a lion when their child is harmed. So, just as a child trusts their parent to help them when things get tough, you can trust your Heavenly Father to protect and fight for you when you are unfairly treated, threatened or harmed. You do not need to fight your own battles, and it is best if you don’t. You have an Almighty, everlasting, ever-loving Father who is more than willing and capable of bringing judgement and justice, So do not be afraid to call out to Him to be, ‘my help and deliverer’ and to ‘put to shame and confusion’ those who persecute you.

Ask God for wisdom

Do you realise that you can ask God for what you don’t have? 

It might be that you’re short of cash, that you are struggling academically, suffering physically, lack patience, peace or understanding. For any of these things, and many more, you can ask God to provide. When we have lack, we seek to gain more, and asking our loving Father in heaven to provide is a natural thing to do if you believe there is a God. 

There is one thing that we all lack, but I wonder if you ever ask God for it, and that is wisdom.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.*6*But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.*7*For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;*8*he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 

James 1:5–8.

James encourages us in these verses to earnestly ask God for wisdom. Not to be smart, clever or knowledgeable, but wise. This is because wisdom is not just about knowing and recalling information, but is about having knowledge, experience and good judgement. A wise person understands and is able to apply what they know. They have the ability to understand how to respond to situations and they do it. Wisdom effects behaviour because the wise apply what they know to what they do. Do you think you're wise? Do you ever think to ask God to help you become wiser? 

If you and I had greater wisdom, then surely some of the things we struggle with in life might be a bit easier to manage, or we may even find solutions to them. With increased wisdom some of the things we already ask God to provide like patience and peace would surely follow if we understood and were able to apply that understanding to our lives.

Compared to God, our lack of wisdom is outstanding, He is after all, omniscient (all knowing!) and we are not, yet do you ever ask Him for it? Not just insight for a particular time or situation, but, like Solomon did, do you ask for wisdom so that you can lead life well and do the best with what you have got? 

I think we can be fooled into thinking that as the world is full of information and knowledge, we believe that we already have insight and capability. At no time in the world's existence has there been so much information so readily available, so we can mistakenly believe that knowing stuff is wisdom. However wisdom is not just about knowing things or being able to relay facts and statistics. There's a difference between being clever and wise. Wisdom is applied knowledge, applying understanding to what you do and say. You cannot get that from the internet or even from professors. God is the best one to provide it. He after all, has existed through every age and kept humanity and creation going so He has the applied understanding and knowledge to sustain life and relationships. Do you want some of the wisdom He has? 

God can so easily and readily supply and fulfil any desire for wisdom, yet when you do seek Him for it, consider how you ask, ‘‘ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord’. When you ask God, do you really believe God can and will do it? There's quite a stark warning here about how you approach God. James is making it very clear that God is not to be doubted. It is ok to acknowledge that you do not deserve what you ask God for, but you cannot doubt God’s goodness, capacity or wisdom. God is a loving, capable and generous father, and He wants you to have wisdom, as well as so many other things therefore you can be confident that He will provide. 

When I ask my earthly Dad something, I expect him to reply, I don’t doubt that he will. He is a good Dad, and wants good things for me. I do not always know how he will respond, what he will do or say, but I do expect to get some kind of response when I speak to him. Therefore, as imperfectly wonderful as earthly Dads can be, can we not expect our Heavenly Father to do the same? 

God may not respond in a way that you can predict or even want, but He loves to hear how He can help you. He likes to hear what you are yearning for and stretching for, and He wants to give you things including wisdom. So, when you approach God and ask, do so confidently. Do not doubt God's capacity, desire or love for you. You may not be confident in yourself, but you can be confident in the One you are asking. So, today, do you desire wisdom? If so, go ahead and ask, and expect to receive.

The armour of God

Our family has been going through tough times recently and so a fellow believer  challenged me to read about the armour of God everyday for a week. They felt it would be a source of encouragement and of guarding against what the enemy was trying to destroy in my life, and that of our family. So I thought I would take up the challenge and document my thoughts each day as I read this section of scripture daily for the week. Some days I may spend 5 mins reading, others may be more like half an hour of reading and contemplation, so join me if you will on my adventure of delving into these verses from Ephesians 6;

*The Whole Armour of God*

*10*Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. *11*Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. *12*For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. *13*Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. *14*Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, *15*and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. *16*In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; *17*and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, *18*praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, *19*and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, *20*for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Ephesians 6:10–20.

Day 1

The first thing that stood out to me was the word ‘stand’. Sometimes, there is nothing more to do in life other than stand. When it feels like the battles of life are raging around you, you just need to stand. No movement required, God will give you the strength to do just that, stand. This ability to stand does depend on the strength of faith you have built beforehand. When you can do nothing else, you need to rely on what you know to be true about yourself and God when the warring season comes. There are often no indicators that it’s on it’s way, so you always need to be ready. To be building your faith through prayer, fasting, Bible reading, meeting with other believers and praying in the Spirit. 

Day 2

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might’. It is ok if we are not strong in ourselves. Before this section talks about putting on the armour of God, it speaks about God being our strength. We need to have strength in and through God because, this suggests that it is not for us to be strong. It is for us to depend on God being strong for us. 

It is an invitation or a command that we ‘be strong in the Lord’. This requires work on our part to depend on Him - to rely on God to be strong for us. Therefore it is ok to be weak, because then we can rely on his might and strength. 

Day 3

Today as I read these verses I see how important it is to be ready. Before you can stand firm, before you can stand and fight, you have got to be ready. As a soldier, equipped for war, before you get dressed and collect the appropriate equipment, you need to know what you are facing. This passage shows us that we face, everyday, ‘the schemes of the devil’. This is why you need the armour, this is why you need to fight, because you are daily battling, ‘the spiritual forces of evil’. This is why it is important to have the armour of God. That is why you need to pray, fast, read the Bible, declare the truth, belong to church. As this is how you can learn to stand when tough times come, and how you gather and realise the strength and might of the Lord. Are you getting yourself ready for the battles you will come to face in life? You do not need physical training, military schemes, but you do need a relationship with the God of heaven who will strengthen and hold you as you prepare to stand in the storm. Are you getting ready?

Day 4

No matter what you face in life, ’take up the shield of faith’. Faith can protect you and cover you ‘in all circumstances’. Without faith, you’d be unprotected and vulnerable. Therefore it is important to know what you believe. What are the foundational truths that you hold onto? If everything else falls apart in life, what happens to what you believe? Is your faith shaken, shaped or solid when troubled times come? The shield of faith needs to be taken up - are you working on your faith, are you losing it or are you taking it for granted? This sentence tells us to ‘take up the shield of faith’ it is your choice whether you pick it up or not. Are you developing and trusting in the faith you have?

Day 5

Prayer is essential. Is it part of your armoury?

‘praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints’. The armour of God is not complete without prayer. Praying in the Spirit, worshipping and requesting of God, praying to be prepared and praying for others of faith - all are covered in v18. 

Praying in the Spirit allows your spirit to connect with God’s Spirit - no wonder we need that! When we connect with God we connect with His power, His love, His strength, His mercy… 

We are invited to pray, which is a form of worship and to ‘supplicate’ - we are allowed to ask God for things. Not only asking, but asking as well as covering all the other things prayer is for.

Prayer can help us get ready for what’s coming, even if we don’t know what is, and it can help us persevere.

We are also encouraged to pray for one another. We are in these battles together, this is teamwork, therefore we need to work together in prayer too. 

So, today, I shall pray, being grateful for what I have, asking for what I need and praying for the grace to persevere as well as praying for friends of faith to have the same. We are in this together, and God wants us to talk to Him about what is going on, He wants to share His Spirit with you, it will help. How can you pray today?

Day 6

Paul writes that he is an ambassador in chains for the gospel. I know that he was imprisoned for his faith, tortured and persecuted for preaching that Jesus is the son of God. Many still are today. 

Yet for most of us, do we see the seriousness of this? Do you feel as if you are chained to the gospel? I think that is the point that is made here, not so much that Paul is in prison, but that he is chained to the gospel and that has led to his whereabouts. Do you live your life chained to the gospel? Wherever you go, does the gospel go with you? Are you acutely aware that the gospel is with you whatever you are doing? For Paul, and for others imprisoned and punished for their faith the gospel being chained to them is a reality. Can you live your life recognising that if you believe in Jesus, then you too are permanently connected to the good news of who Jesus is? If so, this will effect the way you walk, talk, work, play and rest. 

God, help us to realise that we are chained to you, and allow it to effect and influence us everyday no matter where we are or what we are doing. Amen

Day 7

Speaking boldly about who Jesus is is a real challenge, Paul found it so otherwise he would not have asked for the Ephesians to pray for him to, ‘boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel’. Therefore do not feel bad if you struggle with feeling nervous, or even terrified about sharing about your faith - you are in good company! Yet, there is something you can do about it. Like Paul you can ask people to pray for you to have courage. If you are someone that finds this easy, then please pray for those of us who find it difficult.