Today’s Psalms reveals a total dependence on God, we’ve got David once again reaching out to God through prayer at a very low point between David and his adversaries.  

Psa 9:13  LORD, have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death.

David is saying – Lord please help me.  Look at how my persecutors make me suffer mentally and physically.  They have brought me low.    I am about to die, please save me.  

Looking at that now through the prism of our own lives, when someone does something bad to us, when they torment us and make us suffer mentally and physically, we typically want revenge. “They hit me, now I’m gonna hit them back twice as hard” — But let’s look at how David approaches this…he is beyond any internal dialogue like that, dreaming of how he’ll make his enemies feel the same pain he is, instead David appeals straight to God.  David knows that God is stronger than his enemies, David also knows that God put him in the situation, the enemies chasing David is the will of God and so David goes to God.  

Going now to the New Testament and Paul’s letter to the romans, on the subject of revenge – here’s what The Word Tells us —

Rom 12:19  Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.

So we leave these things between us and our enemies to be solved by God.  God will see everything through.  And then one final verse that reminds us to use kindness not violence 

Rom 12:20  “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”

So when we are facing off against an enemy and our human nature wants us to get even with them, let’s remember that God will sort it out, and to stay humble and instead of slaying our enemies, we should serve them.  

A tough pill to swallow when our pride starts to take over, but Romans reminds us to keep that in check and Psalms tells us to leave it to the Lord.