Let God Handle it

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

When someone speaks against you, the natural, fleshly instinct is to retaliate, to defend, and to defeat the person who spoke against you through verbal combat. You can tell how childish this is because we did it as children. When I was young, we would try to best others by talking down to someone. We called it “capping” or “beasting” somebody. Today some call it a “clap back.”  It means if someone said something mean or derogatory to you, you would try to be harder and meaner than the person who spoke first. It sounds funny, but the game of trying to prove that we are the Shakespeare of disses will never end well.

Romans 12:19 reminds us that if you want to enjoy the blessed life as God intends, don’t verbally attack other people. Instead, give the situation to God and control your mouth!

God will avenge; God will repay, and God will honor you when you hold your words.

Sometimes, not saying anything is everything.

God gives us His power and His grace to tame our tongue and trust in Him all at the same time.

Don’t give into the temptation to mouth off and verbally attack. Let God handle it!

Practical Application

God sees your struggle, He sees that verbal attack, and He has a plan to support you. Don’t get in God’s way by saying things that can never be taken back. Speaking rashly can put you in a more difficult position to recover. You do not need to respond to every word spoken your way. Many times, we should pray and walk instead of letting ourselves talk!

Isaiah 63:4; Ezekiel 25:14

An Archangel’s Wisdom

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Jude 1:9)

We do not know many of the names of the angels, but the ones we do know are significant. One archangel named in Scripture is Michael. As an archangel, he stands as one of the leading characters of Heaven: the chief of the angels, and a ruling force among them.

One of Michael’s jobs is to hold back darkness and evil. Here we see the fallen angel, the devil, who once was called Lucifer, fighting over the body of Moses.

Yet, even in this moment, Michael, in wisdom, decided not to speak in slander, even at the devil himself. The Greek term used for railing is blasphemia, encompassing not just spoken accusations but any debasing or shameful behavior aimed at harming someone. This mighty archangel held himself back from crossing into the line of verbal ugliness. Now, we will not unravel the details of the dispute over Moses' body here, but I want you to notice the wisdom that Michael used. He refused to engage in a war of words with the adversary.

Recently, someone came up to see me about an issue they were having with someone and I told them what Paul wrote to a young pastor named Timothy who said to not get involved in disputes with people. It’s fruitless. You wind up casting your pearls before swine. I don’t argue with people. The Bible says what it says. I am a Bible teacher and where the Bible clearly states something, I’m not about to argue with someone who thinks the contrary. You and I don’t have time to argue with people or lose love by arguing about their opinion versus the Bible. Michael basically said, “Well, the Lord will take care of this.” His trust was that God would do what needed to be done.

Practical Application

Refuse to speak in slander against another person. If you feel like speaking to someone about the wrong, pray. Bring it before the Lord, not others. Let God deal with the situation.

Daniel 10:13; Daniel 10:21

The Power of the Anointing

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6)

When the soldiers came to the garden of Gethsemane, shadows clung to ancient olive trees. The soldiers carried lanterns that barely lit a foot or so in front of their own faces, which is why they waited for a confirmation before taking Jesus. Jesus asked them who they were looking for, and one soldier said, “Jesus of Nazareth”. No one was prepared for what would happen next.

When Jesus responded with a resounding three-word phrase, “I am He,” the soldiers fell to the ground under the power of the Holy Spirit. When God’s power clashes with earthly vessels, something must give, and it certainly won't be the anointing.

When I first saw people falling under the anointing, I questioned it because I didn’t have any teaching. I remember thinking to myself, “There is no way I’m ever going down on the floor like these crazy people.” Then one day, my spiritual father passed by me. He didn’t even lay hands on me, and the next thing I knew, I was looking up at the ceiling tiles! Many people fall when hands are laid on them because the physical must give way under the power of the anointing.

Now, we must discern the difference between the genuine power of God and theatrics that some people play. People will always try to copy and misuse spiritual things, but we shouldn’t dismiss the genuine move of God because of pretenders.

The anointing can come with a word, a shadow, a wind or with laying on of hands. The power of God to remove burdens and destroy yokes can also make the physical give when it interacts with the supernatural.

Practical Application

Pray for more signs and wonders, miracles, and healings to be done at your local church. Pray for your pastor to have wisdom and follow the Holy Spirit to allow the anointing to flow.

Acts 4:30; Isaiah 66:16