Trusting God with Vengeance

There’s something inside each of us that cries out when we’ve been wronged: “This isn’t fair!” Whether it’s betrayal, gossip, dishonesty, or outright injustice, the desire to make things right, and to make someone “pay” for what they did, runs deep. But as Christians, God gives us a different way to respond.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:19 (NKJV):

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord."

This verse isn’t telling us that justice doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s telling us the opposite: justice matters so much that God Himself reserves the right to carry it out. And when God makes something right, it is made right completely.

Scripture also says in Psalm 9:7–8:

“But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.”

When we step in to take revenge, we are saying, “God, I don’t trust You to handle this. I think I can do it better.” But when we lay down our right to retaliate, we are declaring with our lives that we believe God is trustworthy and just.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. faced unimaginable injustice. He was slandered, thrown into jail, and constantly threatened. The natural response would have been to strike back. Instead, he clung to the biblical principle of non-retaliation and the conviction that God would bring justice in His time. In one of his sermons, King said, “We must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy, but to win his friendship and understanding. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it multiplies the very thing it seeks to destroy.” Though Dr. King did not live to see all of the fruit of his labor, history bears witness that God honored his trust. The same society that once despised him now recognizes him as one of its greatest moral leaders. The arc of justice was long, but God was faithful.

We see the same principle in the life of Joseph in Genesis. Betrayed by his own brothers, Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and unjustly thrown into prison. If anyone had the right to take revenge when he rose to power, it was Joseph. But when his brothers stood trembling before him in Egypt, expecting punishment, Joseph said something remarkable:

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” — Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

Joseph understood that God was at work even through the injustice he suffered. By refusing to seek vengeance, Joseph not only preserved his family but also allowed God’s greater plan to unfold.

When we believe God will make wrong things right, we no longer need to carry the heavy burden of vengeance. We can rest, because trust in God’s justice brings peace to our hearts. Psalm 37:7 (NKJV) calls us to:

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.”

That doesn’t mean justice will always be quick. It doesn’t mean we won’t feel the sting of being wronged. But it does mean that God sees, God cares, and God will act in His timing.

Maybe you’ve been betrayed by a close friend. Maybe your name has been dragged through the mud unfairly. Maybe someone has taken advantage of you, and the hurt is deep. In those moments, everything in you wants to fight back. But God whispers: “Leave that to Me. Trust Me to handle it. I am able.”

Just like Joseph trusted God’s bigger plan, and just like Dr. King entrusted justice into God’s hands, you can rest knowing that vengeance is not yours to carry. It belongs to the Lord. He will make it right.

Where in your life today do you need to release the burden of vengeance and trust God to set things right?