THE LORD WILL AVENGE, NOT HIS FOLLOWERS
O Lord, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. How long, O Lord? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast? They crush your people, Lord, hurting those you claim as your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. “The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.” Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is he deaf—the one who made your ears? Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you? He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing? The Lord knows people’s thoughts; he knows they are worthless! Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions. You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked. The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Judgment will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it. Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side— leaders whose decrees permit injustice? They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the Lord is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide. God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The Lord our God will destroy them. —Psalm 94
People use the Name of God and claim His Name only to pursue their wicked ways. They use and abuse God’s people to get their ungodly way. They think God is not listening, that He does not see, but vengeance is the Lord God Almighy’s and He will repay (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYbX-3_a98U
The blood of the martyrs will be avenged— “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters —their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them” (Revelation 6:9-11). Fellow follower of Jesus, we are not to pay back evil with evil (Romans 12:17), but leave that in God’s hands. He will do what is right in His Time (II Peter 3:9) — “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord”’ (Romans 12:19.
Nobody is getting away with anything— nobody! Be patient, be faithful, be fruitful and be watchful (II Thessalonians 1:3-10). Jesus will come!
Dear Father, thank You for the hope that we have in Jesus that He will set all things right. May we be patient and faithful until then and do so in the power of Your Holy Spirit