Thought for the Day

Verse 22 - Vengeance belongs to God, not man. God knows how to deal with all injustice. A number of scriptures instruct us not to repay evil for evil, but to wait on God to deal with our enemies and any injustice done to us (Romans 12:17-21).

Our natural reaction to injustice is to retaliate with vengeance. It is impossible for us, in our own strength, to repay evil with good. Yet, the Lord teaches that we are to rise above evil and not return wickedness to anyone. We are to show the world that God's children are different from the devil's. When we are lied about, we are to tell the truth and trust God to defend us, even if by telling the truth we become vulnerable. If a spouse, neighbor, co-worker, or anyone else should lose their temper against us, we are not to respond in the same way, but with "a soft answer" that "turns away wrath." We can do these things only through the power of the Holy Spirit.

"But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ" (1 Peter 3:14-16).

If vengeance or resentment arises in our hearts, we must call out to God to cleanse us from those evil traits and to give us His love and solution to the problem. He has the power to change other people's attitudes toward us if we keep our hearts right. He sees all that is happening, and He will rescue us if we cry out to Him in faith. He can change any heart designing evil against us or change the circumstances surrounding any problem in our favor if we trust Him and ask Him to forgive and bless those who are persecuting us.

Verse 23 - We have looked at this subject of a false balance in two previous proverbs (Day 67 and Day 168). When Scripture repeats something it is not by accident. The Lord is emphasizing a subject and wants us to pay close attention. Cheating others of what is rightfully theirs by using false standards is a vile thing to the Lord. God loves honest dealings and truth, and He hates robbery and deception. We ought to be careful not to cheat in any matter, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Everything we say and do affects our character and relationships. God desires us to be faithful in little matters so that we will be trustworthy in great ones. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10).