Psalm 54:4-5 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.

Some people are very uncomfortable with David asking God for the destruction of his foes, but they miss an important point. That is, David is depending on God and isn’t trying to take vengeance for himself. The preface to this Psalm explains the circumstances, and David was very naturally upset. However, instead of going on a rampage against those who put him in real danger for no good reason, he went to God. The world would be a very different place if everyone reacted like that! Jesus indeed tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, (Matthew 5:44) but that is on top of releasing our enemies to God in the first place. When we take attacks personally, nursing hurt feelings and plotting revenge, we are doing ourselves more real harm than our enemies have done. After all, the worst they can do is kill our bodies, but refusing to forgive removes us from God’s forgiveness. (Matthew 6:14-15) It makes a world of difference to realize on every level that “God is the one who saves me,” as David says here.

Raised in the environment I was, revenge has never been a big motivator for me. The strongest I can recall it being has been the desire to excel to prove naysayers wrong, and that’s not necessarily bad. However, I have dealt with people who have been consumed by the desire to “get back at” those they consider their enemies. There’s as fine line between rival and enemy! I am to exercise God’s grace toward them and encourage them to receive it from Him themselves, even when they consider me one of their enemies. I am to remember that “God is the one who saves me” at all times, letting Him show me whether their attacks contain any element of truth, pointing out anything of which I need to repent. I am to practice radical forgiveness, just as God has so radically forgiven me. (Ephesians 4:32)

Father, thank You for how You have both protected and grown me in this area. Sometimes the attacks have been pretty painful! Thank You for indeed being the One who saves me. I pray that I would be Your agent of grace to all, however they respond to me. May I draw others to You by word and by example, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!