Daily Devotional For Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Good morning Southside. It is amazing what the last few days have been, seeing God do some extraordinary things in people’s lives and places. Our devotional today comes from Proverbs 20:22:
“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you” (NASB).
Revenge – this is a word that resonates with all of us. When we are wronged or someone we love is wronged, forgiving that person is not usually the first idea that pops in our heads. You may have heard the paraphrase, “Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.” This comes from an 18th century novel by a French author by the name of Eugène Sue’s novel, émoires d'une Jeune Femme as "La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid". It implies that vengeance is most satisfying when planned over time rather than enacted in the heat of passion.
Whether we like to admit it, we tend to like revenge stories. For example in the Princess Bride, when Inigo Montoya says, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” we kind of like it. As the movie progresses and he gets to enact justice by repeating that line, we tend to cheer for him. When the Count of Monte Cristo pays back justice for the evil done against him, we tend to like it. New Testament scholar Daniel Akin writes this:
“People love listening to songs like Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” or “Two Black Cadillacs,” or Toby Keith’s “How Do You Like Me Now?” Keith sings about someone who made fun of him in high school but now wakes up to an alarm in the morning hearing Keith’s song on the radio. How can we not help but feel some glee in these bits of pop culture? The reason we resonate with these movies, shows, and songs is because we all know what it is like to be wronged or for someone we love to have been wronged. Many people know what it is like to be bullied and made fun of. There are names that you can still hear today that you have not been called for twenty years, and just hearing that name still turns your stomach. Many people have experienced broken promises or the abandonment of a parent, been abused by someone they trusted, cheated on, or gossiped about. You may have been abandoned, raped, abused, or stabbed in the back by a friend, and you still experience deep pain” (Daniel Akin, Exalting Jesus in Proverbs, p. 277).
Getting even has been forbidden by God starting all the way back in the Mosaic Law. Look at Deuteronomy 32:35, “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them” (NASB). The Apostle Paul repeats this in Romans 12:17-21. The writer of Hebrews repeats it as well in Hebrews 10:30. Jesus commanded us not to seek revenge in Matthew 5:38-39. God is a God who avenges according to David in Psalm 94:1. Look at Proverbs 25:21-22.
Since we all know what it means to be wronged, we love revenge stories. I think another reason we love revenge stories is because God has put into our hearts for justice. We hate it when the offender gets away with their crime or sin or offense. We want these people to get what is coming to them. Therefore, it is not wrong that we want justice and that is not the real problem here. The real problem is we want to be the one to execute that justice, not God. It is not what we want, but who we want to do it. Our sense for justice is right, but who we want to do it is wrong. Why? Because God has already told us that is His role and responsibility. When we exact justice against anyone, we have said to them and the world, “I am God.” You are also saying I do not believe in God on this. God is a liar. We become wrathful because we do not trust the wrath of God.
When a person commits a crime, God has entrusted to the State the responsibility to execute justice. When someone sins against us, God says, “Leave them to Me. I will take care of this for you. You forgive them and move on. Do not hold a grudge. Do not let this allow a “root of bitterness to grow in your heart. Leave them to Me.”
Reflection Assignment: Think back over your life. Who has hurt you? When we nurse a hurt, that hurt enslaves us. Who do you need to forgive right now? If you will not, you need to read what God says He will do to you in Matthew 18:21-34, especially verse Matthew 18:35. God turns you over to be tortured. Right now forgive that person who has sinned against you or someone you love.
Scripture To Meditate On: Ephesians 4:31-32, Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, in Your name I forgive [the person’s name] for his/her hurt against me. If I refuse to obey You in this, I ask that you send Your torturers to torture me until I do. I promise not to assume Your role in this. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly