O Lord, oppose those who oppose me. Fight those who fight against me. Put on your armor, and take up your shield. Prepare for battle, and come to my aid. Lift up your spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Let me hear you say, I will give you victory! Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me; turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me. Blow them away like chaff in the wind a wind sent by the angel of the Lord. Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me. I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me. So let sudden ruin come upon them! Let them be caught in the trap they set for me! Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me. Then I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be glad because he rescues me. With every bone in my body I will praise him: Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them? Malicious witnesses testify against me. They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good. I am sick with despair. Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered. I was sad, as though they were my friends or family, as if I were grieving for my own mother. But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I dont even know; they slander me constantly. They mock me and call me names; they snarl at me. How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions! Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. Dont let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat. Dont let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow. They dont talk of peace; they plot against innocent people who mind their own business. They shout, Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we saw him do it! O Lord, you know all about this. Do not stay silent. Do not abandon me now, O Lord. Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord. Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice. Dont let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles. Dont let them say, Look, we got what we wanted! Now we will eat him alive! May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor. But give great joy to those who came to my defense. Let them continually say, Great is the Lord, who delights in blessing his servant with peace! Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬-‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Vengeance is one of the oldestand worsthuman reactions. We all know what it feels like to be wronged by those we care about. We know the feelings of anger, resentment, and revenge that threaten to dominate us. We are all tempted to get revenge in actions, with words, or even with our looks. Jesus taught, lived, and empowers us to live a higher path that sets us free and spreads peace. When you are wronged (and you will be), walk with Jesus. It is hard to read psalms like this one, where David was asking God to punish people until you realize how often you act out in revenge against those who have hurt you. These are people that David cared and prayed for, but they turned their backs on him. David was not using his power to hurt them, even though he was a warrior, captain, and king. Instead, he was asking for the Savior to bring justice. He did not work for revenge but appealed to the Lord, trusting that God would bring the right punishment at the right time. How did David deal with his hurt, anger, and feelings of vengeance? How does God want you to deal with your anger when you are wronged?