SCRIPTURE:

Tell them that as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live…stop the evil you are doing. Why do you want to die? (Ezekiel 33:11 GNT)

DEVOTIONAL:

When the vengeance of the Lord is first taught, some Christians get quiet. They haven’t been taught in this way about God’s protection. But vengeance and recompense is a revelation from the heart of God. I also believe it is the single most important revelation for a born-again, Spirit-filled believer to know after learning how to walk by faith. Why? Because in these last days, we cannot complete our kingdom assignment—the work that God has given us to do on the earth—without it.

This revelation of the Lord’s vengeance requires spiritual maturity on the part of the believer. In the King James Versionof the book of Ezekiel, the Lord says, “Say unto them, As I live, sayeth the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live…” (Ezekiel 33:11). God wants “all men (and women) to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

We must always remember that vengeance doesn’t work outside of love. Moses could not hate Pharaoh. Daniel could not hate King Nebuchadnezzar. And you can’t hate whoever has hurt or mistreated you. God sees everything, and He will repay.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, help me to see and understand this end-time revelation of vengeance and recompense as You see it from the perspective of love and justice. Thank you for protecting and perfecting the kingdom assignment You’ve given me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This devotional is excerpted from Bill Winston’s book, Vengeance of the Lord. To order this all-important book, click here.