How should Christians respond to personal injustice, considering Lamentations 3:66? Setting the Scene: Lamentations 3:66 “Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.” • This cry comes from a believer crushed by relentless oppression. • It is not a command for personal revenge but a plea for God to act as righteous Judge. • The verse reminds us that Scripture makes room for honest, Spirit-inspired lament while still affirming God’s justice and sovereignty. What the Verse Teaches about God’s Role • God sees every wrong: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13). • God reserves vengeance for Himself: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). • God’s justice can be prayed for without contradiction to His mercy, because judgment and mercy meet perfectly in His character (Psalm 85:10). Balancing Anger and Mercy in Our Hearts • Righteous anger is allowed (Ephesians 4:26) but never to be nursed into bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). • We entrust our cause to God as Jesus did: “When He suffered, He did not threaten, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). • We leave room for divine timing; David waited for God rather than lifting a hand against Saul (1 Samuel 24). Practical Steps When Wronged 1. Lament honestly – Pour out pain before the Lord, using words like those found in Lamentations and the Psalms (Psalm 13). 2. Refuse personal retaliation – “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (Romans 12:17). 3. Do good in return – “If your enemy is hungry, feed him” (Romans 12:20). 4. Seek rightful channels of justice – Government is “an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). 5. Keep forgiving – “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). 6. Pray for both justice and repentance – Stephen asked forgiveness for his killers (Acts 7:60) even as he entrusted judgment to God. 7. Anchor hope in future vindication – “He will wipe away every tear… there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Looking to Christ • At the cross God satisfied justice while extending grace (Romans 3:25-26). • Because we have been shown mercy, we can leave final justice in His hands, confident that “the Judge of all the earth will do right” (Genesis 18:25). |
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