This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

1 Sam. 15:2

God does not forget the wrong people intentionally do to you. He will deal with it, no matter how long it takes. It may not be in your lifetime; but God will surely avenge you. 

How many years lapsed between the Exodus and the kingship of Israel? Yet God was ready to bring redress to Israel for the wrong the Amalekites did to them when “they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt” – 1 Sam. 15:2. The Amalekites were the first to attack the Israelites after the Red Sea crossing at Rephidim (Ex. 17:8-16). Moses sent Joshua to fight them in the valley while he took Aaron and Hur with him to the top of the mountain to intercede for the people. On that day, God revealed himself as Jehovah Nissi – God our Banner (16). There, God vowed to wipe the Amalekites away from the face of the earth. Now, so many generations after this, God sends Saul to do just that (1 Sam. 15:2). “Now go, attack the Amalekites, and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (3).
Therefore, God tells His children to leave their enemies to Him and not to revenge. “Vengeance is mine. I will repay” (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19).

It is painful to suffer under the oppression, tyranny, and abuse of others. Our natural tendency is to hit back as hard as possible. We pray some wicked prayers and wish something worse happens to them. We get all worked up, and our blood pressure shoots through the roof. We become bitter and withdrawn, while all the time, God says, “Let go, my child; for I will take care of it.”

What do we gain from holding on to our hurt and pain? Nothing! We rather hurt ourselves than the person who offended us. We forfeit God’s grace in our vengeful attitude. We cause trouble for ourselves and defile our loved ones (Heb. 12:15). Esau is a classic example of the destruction we bring upon ourselves and our descendants when we stew in revenge.

But God is faithful to His promise. When He says he will avenge, He really means it. He has the facts and knows the fitting response to your hurt. He is the righteous Judge of all. He alone can determine the right punishment and the measure of response to it. He also knows the best time to avenge for maximum impact than you do. Besides, He always has a purpose for what He does to avenge His people. So, why do we find it difficult to leave it to Him?

Maybe it’s because we forget that any offense against the child of God is primarily against God Himself. When somebody touches His anointed, that person has touched God Himself (1 Chron. 16:22). An insult against His child is an assault on His dignity. He takes it personally and considers the offense appropriately (Matt. 18:6). If we can consider our hurt in this light, maybe we can deal with it more graciously. We give room to our Father to take care of business, instead of messing things up ourselves. And best of all, we acknowledge His Lordship and give Him glory. It’s our obedience and honor to Him in Christ. As He told King Saul, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).

So, whatever your hurt is now, deal with it in Christ during this revival period. Listen to Him. Leave it to Him and let go completely. He is concerned more about your wellbeing than the person who has hurt you. When He has healed and settled you, He will deal with that person in His own way. Be sure of this, for there is no statute of limitation concerning His promise to avenge His people.