THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION) Daily Fountain Devotional 19 August 2024: Vengeance Belongs to God
DATE: MONDAY, 19TH AUGUST, 2024
TOPIC: Vengeance Belongs to God
TEXT: Genesis 34:25-31
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?
Daily Fountain Devotional 19 August 2024 MESSAGE:
Beloved, this morning we are looking at the topic that says “Vengeance Belongs to God.” What is vengeance? Vengeance is the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you or someone else who is very close to you or dear to your heart. Vengeance is also an act of punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense.
In our text this morning, the sons of Jacob went as far as killing a community because of an act that was done against their sister, Dinah. Dinah is the only daughter of Jacob, born to him by Leah, one of his wives. The Bible says in verse one of our text that Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she had born to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. The young lady went out of her mother’s tent and went to see the daughters of the land. Right there, she met young men who defiled her. The name of the young man, the Bible says, was Shechem. He fell in love, which was automatically lust and not true love. He lusted after her, defiled her, and claimed to love her. However, her brothers were not happy with the situation. They felt it was an abomination for an outsider to defile their only sister. When the news got to them, they were angry, but their father, Jacob, kept silent. He thought deeply about what to do.
Vengeance, beloved, is sinful. Even when done in response to a sinful act against you or a horrible evil done to you, there is no need for revenge. When vengeance is carried out, it doesn’t only affect the person involved; it affects others as well. Yes, Dinah should not have been mistreated or abused by Shechem and his community. However, Simeon and Levi went and killed everyone in that community because of the singular act of Shechem.
Beloved, vengeance is a terrible thing. It is not supposed to be carried out by humans because vengeance belongs to God. The Bible says that God is the one who can take revenge for you. If you look closely at our text, you will see that the vengeance of Simeon and Levi led to the death of many people. It led to the death of many people because one sin leads to another, and at the end of the day, many people will be hurt in the process.
In verse 27 of our text, it says, “The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city because of their sister who had been defiled.” Because of their sister who had been defiled, many people who may not have known about the incident paid for it. That is how bad vengeance can be. It starts with a hurt done to one person, and when you seek revenge, many others get involved and suffer.
That is why today we encourage you not to seek revenge. Leave vengeance to God because in your act of vengeance, people will be hurt—not just one or two, but many. The act done to Dinah was against her alone, but those who paid for that sin were numerous. We see this act of vengeance around us every day. People wish to take revenge for the evil done to them, even in the church. It is something that often comes from the heart. No wonder the Bible says, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
Brethren, we are often tempted to fight back when we are hurt. People will hurt you. We live in a world where we will be hurt by others—friends, colleagues, family members, and relatives. They may hurt us because we are Christians, because we are serving God, or because we believe in being straightforward and doing things the right way. However, when dealing with people, we must be guided because hurt will come. They may lie against you, do things that will definitely hurt your heart, and you will wish to pay back. But remember, if you pay back, you will not just hurt one person; you will hurt others who might be directly or indirectly related to the person involved or even to you.
So, what do we do when we are hurt? What do we do when people try to step on us and make us cry and feel pain? When we are unjustly treated, what do we do? Run to God. Go to God in prayer and cry out to Him because only God can give us true justice. True justice can only come from God. Men may tell you that God is delaying, that He is taking time to answer, and encourage you to take matters into your own hands. But, my brother, please listen. If you go ahead, you will not only hurt yourself, but you will also hurt someone else, and before you know it, the hurt will spread, and many will be affected. Regret, pain, and tears of sorrow will follow.
It takes only a child of God, who has been renewed in their heart, to resist the urge to seek revenge. The Bible says in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Only a renewed mind can resist the urge to seek revenge. Only a renewed mind can say, “No, I will not fight. I will trust God with this matter. I will trust God to fight for me, for vengeance belongs to Him.”
Romans 12:19 says, “Vengeance belongs to God.” Men may say it is taking time, but don’t worry. The way we count time is not the same as how God counts time. He knows the best time to act on your behalf. Beloved, you don’t need to sin to get justice. You don’t need to commit sin to get justice. A community was wiped out because of the sin of one man against a young lady, but listen to this—Jacob, their father, understood that vengeance is dangerous. The Bible says Jacob disassociated himself from that act. He said, “No, you people didn’t do well. You have only ended up bringing pain to me. You have only ended up bringing us pain because these people can wake up tomorrow and decide to wipe out our family because we are few in number.”
I ask you this question: Have you been hurt? Has someone done something evil to you, and they are not even willing to say sorry? Are you carrying that hurt in your heart, thinking about how to pay them back? Child of God, you don’t need to pay back. Listen to what the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:23: “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” God is the righteous judge. No matter what has been done to you, brother, no matter what has been done to you, sister, God will judge, and He will do so in His own time.
One may ask, “What time is God’s time?” You don’t need to know, but when God decides to fight for your cause, when God decides to step into your matter and defend you, those who have hurt you, those who feel they have taken advantage of you, will come back begging because you are not the one who went to fight them. Your God is the one who stepped in to fight for you.
However, as we continue in our journey of life, people will hurt you, but remember there is no need to seek revenge. “Vengeance is mine
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PRAYER:
Lord, may I be anxious for nothing. May Your peace keep my heart and mind through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
See All Anglican Daily Fountain Devotional for the month of August
Jesus Trends Salvation Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I come to You in humility and repentance, acknowledging my sins and my need for Your grace. Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God, who died for my sins and rose again to give me eternal life. I confess You as my Savior and Lord.
Forgive me, cleanse me with Your precious blood, and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I turn away from my sinful ways and open my heart to You. Take control of my life and guide me in Your truth.
If you joined in that life-changing prayer, congratulations! We are happy that you have surrendered your life to Jesus!
Also Study today’s Rhapsody of Realities 19th August 2024: It’s Your Job To Let Them Know
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