Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and made a raid on Lehi. And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.” Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.” And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.” They said to him, “No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands. We will surely not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.
Judges 15:9-13
Father, help me not to get involved in an endless cycle of getting even, tit-for-tat, when someone has done me wrong. I realize that the emotions can run hot when I feel as if I have been offended, and immediately I want to figure out how I can get even. And when I lash out, it often exceeds the offense that has been made against me, resulting in them wanting to get even with me. This cycle continues, repeating itself, each time escalating and intensifying with each iteration. This morning my soul asks the question, “Where does it end?” LORD, it is my prayer that You would give me the resolve to let it end with me. By Your Spirit reinforce my faith, reminding me that vengeance is Yours, that You will repay. Help me to let it go. Give me a heart of compassion that seeks to pray for an offender rather than righting a wrong. Give me eyes that see them from Your vantage point, recognizing their brokenness and need for Your love. LORD, I choose to let that same love govern my responses, denying my hurt feelings. I purpose to forgive unconditionally even as I have been forgiven. I am determined that I will get over how I feel about how I’ve been treated, and will diligently stay the course towards Christlikeness in my response. I have confidence this morning in Your sustaining power as I keep Christ and His suffering ever before me, reminding me of His unfailing love for the unlovable. Help me to be more like Him that when I am mistreated I might respond like He did. I yield to Your Spirit this day in Jesus’ Name. Amen.