Giving people grace does not right their wrong.
Let me tell you something about King David: He was a just man!
If you've read my posts in the past, you would know that King Saul tried to kill David SO many times... I mean so many times. David was on the run from this man, literally fleeing for his life... {Oh yeah, and we haven't even addressed the fact that during this time, David was literally Saul's son-in-law. Anyway...}
Soon enough, though, David had opportunities to kill King Saul, but David refused!
Now how many of us would have taken advantage of these opportunities and gotten our revenge??
In 1 Samuel 24:9, David said, "... the Lord delivered you into my hands... Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you... I will not lay my hands on my lord [King Saul], because he is the Lord's anointed."
Saul replied, "You are more righteous than I... You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly."
You would think after this encounter where David intentionally spared Saul's life, he would give up. NOPE! Saul came after David AGAIN.
The entire book of 1 Samuel makes me chuckle because Saul's pridefulness and ego is just so unreal. Like, how was he a real person??
In 1 Samuel chapter 26, Saul pursues David, again, and David spares his life... AGAIN. David tells us he spares Saul's life because Saul was anointed, appointed, and chosen by the Lord God. That is when David chooses grace.
Later, in 2 Samuel chapter 9, David restores all of Saul's land to his grandson (Jonathan's son). Jonathan ALWAYS looked out for David and treated him with overwhelming kindness. They had a very profound friendship. He says, "I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table" [2 Samuel 9:7].
If David had a revenge mindset, Saul would have been dead a long time ago. David had a just mindset, calculating right from wrong.
We can take two things from this:
Right = Right and Wrong = Wrong. Do not mis construe that, regardless of who is on the receiving end of that. Further, giving someone grace does not mean their wrong = right. You just choose not to deliver them "rightful" judgement. You put on love.
Your revenge has nothing on what the Lord's judgement can do. Your revenge will never accurately account for someone's wrong against you.
Please go read the book of 1 Samuel.
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