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THE LORD IS THE AVENGER
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
1 Thessalonians 4:6

Romans 12:19-21

 

“…the Lord is the avenger

of all such…”

 

THE LORD IS THE AVENGER
 
Sometimes we hear of scammers and conmen who defraud people of large sums of money. They prey on vulnerable, unsuspecting victims, often the elderly or uneducated, and steal all their life savings. By the time they find out about it, these criminals have absconded with the money without a trace, and there is little that the banks or police can do to retrieve the funds. Who will advocate for these people? Will these criminals ever be brought to justice?
 
Paul sounded a stern warning against any who would seek to defraud a brother – that the Lord is the Avenger of all such. This means that the Lord is the righteous Judge who will mete out just punishments against all who commit such offences. The world’s judicial systems may sometimes be inadequate against such wrongdoings and fail to take these sinners to task. But the assurance here is that God is the all-knowing and all-powerful Judge who will never fail to hold sinners accountable for their sins. As Galatians 6:7 warns: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
 
To the sinners and defrauders, this should come as a good wake-up call. They must realise that such greedy and exploitative actions are hurtful to others and will not go unnoticed by God. The warning to them is clear: “ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23).
 
For those who have been wronged, this truth comes as a comfort to know that God sees and knows all that we are going through. Yes, there may have been grave injustices and hurtful betrayals, but we can rest in the knowledge that God will, in His perfect time, bring about just retribution. We do not have to take action, for we are told “avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Rom 12:19). Instead of reacting with anger, we repay evil with good, continuing to bear forth a witness for Jesus.
 
THOUGHT: What is the worst thing that someone has ever done to you?
PRAYER: Father, whenever I am wronged, help me to have the patience to trust in Thy perfect goodness and justice.

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