Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.
The sense here is not about bringing the wicked to justice, which we are to promote. It is about exacting our personal revenge. This is a proverb for the worker outmaneuvered unjustly for a job promotion. It is for the student who is beat out for an award because of another student cheating. It is for all of us in our daily experiences of being slighted and taken advantage of.
Wait for the Lord. Wait for the Lord because vengeance belongs to him. And it belongs to him because any offense is an offense against him. He alone is the judge, and offense against him is infinitely more serious than offense against us.
Wait for the Lord because he will exact the proper measure at the proper time. We will not. We inevitably sin in our attempt at retribution, and thus end up in the same position as our offenders.
Wait for the Lord for your own peace of mind. Your offender gains even more advantage by your fretting and scheming. You have lost not only the goal the offender won, but your contentment as well. Waiting for the Lord means putting the matter, including the results, in his hands and not worrying about the outcome. That is not only victory but the best kind of payback – not letting your offender take away your peace and joy.
Wait for the Lord for the sake of your relationship with the Lord. How can you learn to trust him if you will not wait on him? How can you learn contentment without waiting on him in all circumstances? How can you experience his working in you and around you if you do not wait for him? Wait for the Lord.
Psalm 14
The fool[a] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!