by Jeanni Ritchie
I can be fiery and I’ve prayed often for the Lord’s vengeance upon my enemies to be swift and mighty.
But something has changed within me…
The closer I draw to Him, the less I care about revenge. Peace trumps payback. I want everyone to feel the serenity I’ve finally found.
One of my favorite verses is Exodus 14:14, the words I heard the only time I heard the audible voice of God.
“The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace.”
I’d been scared, spiritual activity having manifested before my physical eyes and a voice that sounded like thunder filled the room with those words. My soul immediately found solace.
I wanted Him to stay in the ring fighting my spiritual AND my physical enemies with fury. I identified with Jeremiah, Jonah, and even Peter and John in Luke 9:49 as they wanted to strongly rebuke those not following the Lord. I relished the thought of others meeting their comeuppance, especially when they dared cross me.
But as I read Jeremiah 17 today, a strange feeling came over me. The prophet Jeremiah is condemning Judah for having turned from the Lord as he speaks destruction over his enemies:
Let my persecutors be put to shame,
but keep me from shame;
let them be terrified,
but keep me from terror.
Bring on them the day of disaster;
destroy them with double destruction. (v.18)
No, no, no…my heart cried. I don’t want them to be destroyed. I want them to know the goodness of God. I want them to turn from their sin and be saved. I want everyone to experience this freedom I feel inside.
As the anger dissipated, my compassion has grown.
At least most days! I am human; I do falter at times and let the flesh rule. In the flesh is no good thing and mine is pretty good at revenge.
But filled with the Spirit, I am a completely different person.
In Deuteronomy 30:7, the Bible says, “The Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.”
I really don’t want that. It is only Satan that what I want to see condemned to a lake of fire for eternity. I want to see my enemies turned into friends, sanctified and rejoicing in Heaven with me one day.
This is a new development I never saw coming!
Read more faith essays at www.faithunfaded.com.
