Getting Even

 Has anyone ever made your life miserable? I mean they harass you, bother you, provoke you, and make it their ambition to distress you. This may happen emotionally. It might happen physically. They spread rumors about you. They build a camp of misrepresentation of the facts making you out to be the bad person. This is even harder when the tormentor is in an influential position over you. A parent, boss, supervisor, or in religious leadership. 

I recently read the true story of such circumstances. The harassment caused the one being tormented to have to leave his family, friends, home, and even his job to get away. Even that did not stop the tormentor. He continued to harass and on more than one occasion even followed his victim to other states. 

Then one day, one fateful God ordained day the victim finally had the chance to get even. To put an end to the perpetual harassment forever. Things could not have worked out more perfectly. The afflicted was in a position to do the afflicting. To pay back. To retaliate. To take vengeance for all the years of misery. To set the record straight. To give an eye for an eye. 

Incredibly the victim did not get even. He spared tormenting pain on the one who had spent years tormenting him. It did not make sense. Many people did not understand why the victim did not take advantage of this opportunity to get even. The victim replied with a few simple words. Before I tell you what he said I guess I should identify the two main characters in this true story. 

Many of you have already deduced I am writing about David and King Saul. God had already revealed to Saul that he would be removed as King and the monarchy would be given to another. David gained great fame and popularity when he killed Goliath. Saul was jealous. So jealous he wanted to kill David. He tried on more than one occasion. Things got so bad David had to leave his wife, best friend Jonathan, and his job as a military leader in the Israelite army. He fled to a whole other country. 

Saul got wind where David was hiding in some caves and rallied the troops to go pursue him and kill him. He convinced the troops that David wanted to usurp him as king. Total lies. 

On the journey Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. Just so happened it was the cave where David and a band of misfit disgruntled men had gathered around him. All the men urged David to get even by killing Saul. David refused and spoke these famous words, "I WILL NOT TOUCH GOD'S ANOINTED." Instead, he cut off a corner of Saul's robe and later showed it to Saul as proof that he did not retaliate misery for all the pain Saul had inflicted on David. 

The question before us today is why didn't David get even when he had the chance? Many of us might have done the opposite of what David did not do. First, David submitted to God. He knew that God chose Saul to be king. Only God had the right to remove Saul. That required a tremendous amount of faith and patience. The Spirit of God had departed from Saul and come on David. It is not easy watching evil people prevail in places of leadership where they harm many people. David trusted God to work things out in His timing. David restrained himself from killing the king. It must have been tempting. Every good idea is not a God idea. Vengeance is God's. NOBODY GETS AWAY WITH WICKEDNESS. 

David had to trust God's timing. Samuel had already told David he would be the next king. It would have been easy for David to try to force the issue. He waited on God's timing. During this painful season in David's life God was building character in David to match the assignment of being the next king. I am betting there were days when David grew impatient and prayed for God to hurry things along. God moves at His own sovereign pace. He is not slow and not in a hurry. He is always right on time. 

Fast forward. God did take care of Saul. He was killed in battle. God did set David on the throne where he reigned for four decades. I wonder how things would have turned out if David had decided to get even. David took the high road. He let God be his refuge and defender. Some of the greatest and most comforting verses in the Bible come from Psalms and David working through distressing situations. I don't think David could have written those impactful verses like Psalm 23, Ps 27:13-14, Ps 40:1-3, Ps 42:5, Ps 46:1 along with so many others if he had gotten even. God used the pain in David's life to work a greater good that we are benefitting from today. 

So, the next time you have the opportunity to get even I hope you will think about David. Think about his statement, " I will not touch God's anointed." Think about his faith and patience. Think about the sovereign plan of God working out without David taking matters into his own hands. God is trustworthy. Even in your pain God is working things you cannot fathom. Vengeance is God's. Release your anger, bitterness, and resolve to get even. Trust God to work it all out.  Let Him get even. He settles all scores in the end.