Bible Text: Romans 12:17 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Romans 12:17

Do you ever face situations when your attitude is a great deal less than what it should be? You know that you ought to love your enemies. Jesus told us that! But the fact is, you don’t, and would be very happy to see them get what you know they deserve. Possibly you feel that way towards the woman who stole your husband’s heart, or your competitor who lied about your integrity, and that doubt in the mind of a client caused you to miss your sale. You are disturbed by some of the dark feelings which dwell in your heart.

If this is you, then take a good look at the life of a man who felt just as you do, and learn some lessons from the way he handled hostility. His name? David, the king of ancient Israel. As you read the Psalms which are attributed to David, you discover he said some pretty harsh things about his enemies–some of the very things you have been thinking. He actually prayed that God would visit his enemies with some pretty dark things, like praying that their legs would be broken, that they would get a spear in the side, that they would be sent to hell. Right. David, the same one who said, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”

How did David handle anger and hostility? First, note that he poured out his anguish and hostility in prayer. Fortunately, God is more gracious than to answer a lot of our prayers. The fact that David expressed those feelings didn’t make them right, but by getting things out of his heart, he allowed the Holy Spirit to begin cleansing and healing, which eventually changed his attitude. Make a note of Psalm 26, where David had been wronged and cried out for vindication. But he closed his prayerful cry saying, “But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me” (Psalm 26:11, NKJV).

Insight: Enemies always drove David to God. “Whatever the occasion,” says Henry Halley, “joyous or terrifying, it drove David straight to God. Whatever his weakness, David lived in God.”

There’s another lesson which you can learn from the life of David. He focused his attention on God, not his enemies. When he was in trouble, David didn’t spend time plotting revenge, or figuring out how he could get even with those who had wronged him. He found refuge in the Almighty.

When he was at the point of despair, having had his own men turn on him and consider killing him, “David found strength in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). Another version says he “encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

Insight: Quoting Scripture back to God, which David did repeatedly, is a form of prayer which reminds God of His faithfulness and commitment to His children. Over the years, I have made it a practice to begin and end my day quoting Psalms back to God, as prayers which reflect the feelings of my heart. Often the feelings and emotions which the writers of Scripture expressed, say it far better than I can put it.

Time allows me to say one more important thing. David was always troubled at the prosperity of the wicked, his enemies, and the enemies of God, yet David firmly believed in the ultimate triumph of God’s justice. He said, “Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it” (Psalm 37:34, NKJV).

Learn a powerful lesson from the life of David. Paul put it so simply, “`It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

Resource reading: Psalm 26