Revenge, is it so sweet?

When I was little, I am sure that when another child took my toy, I tried to take it back.  As a pre-teen, I would scheme ways to get back at all those kids who hurt my feelings, made me mad and upset me.  Revenge, on paper, seems to always give a purpose when in the planning stages.  You can feel the satisfaction of how the other person should react, and in your minds eye, it is the perfect plan.  But, how far do you actually take it? 

Revenge is like most everything else.  It sounds good on paper, but when you actually follow through with the plan, it leaves you empty.  You have the weight of the shame and guilt on your shoulders like a heavy blanket.  Plus, it usually doesn't make the person you took the revenge on look at you in the same light.  I am not one who honestly likes or plots revenge.  I do not spend a lot of time thinking on what to do to get back at someone.  It's not in my DNA, I think.  Now, as an adult, I have better things to do than worry about how to avenge myself.  some of you may call this a flaw.  That I let people step all over me and take advantage of me.  I have never thought of it as being taken advantage of.  If I had a problem with that, I would speak up.  They say I am too nice.  I say it is less effort to be nice to someone than fight them on it. 

As I was reading Psalm 83, this was the thoughts that came to my mind.  God needs to be the avenger, not us.



 ¹ O God, do not remain silent;
   do not turn a deaf ear,
   do not stand aloof, O God.
² See how your enemies growl,
   how your foes rear their heads.
³ With cunning they conspire against your people;
   they plot against those you cherish.
⁴ “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
   so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
 ⁵ With one mind they plot together;
   they form an alliance against you—
⁶ the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
   of Moab and the Hagrites,
⁷ Byblos, Ammon and Amalek,
   Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
⁸ Even Assyria has joined them
   to reinforce Lot’s descendants.
 ⁹ Do to them as you did to Midian,
   as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
¹⁰ who perished at Endor
   and became like dung on the ground.
¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
   all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
¹² who said, “Let us take possession
   of the pasturelands of God.”
 ¹³ Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
   like chaff before the wind.
¹⁴ As fire consumes the forest
   or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
¹⁵ so pursue them with your tempest
   and terrify them with your storm.
¹⁶ Cover their faces with shame, LORD,
   so that they will seek your name.
 ¹⁷ May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
   may they perish in disgrace.
¹⁸ Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
   that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.