Psalm 139: ¹⁹ O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—  ²⁰ those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? ²² I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 

Interesting passage. The writer (King David) is on the war path. He expresses a zeal for the Lord and cannot stand “those who rise up against you”. Then, “I hate them with perfect hatred…”. Yikes! There is no inkling of pursuing reconciliation or mutual understanding or even repentance.

There is a human impulse in all of us that inclines toward revenge. But too many times I’ve seen “revenge” turn into chronic “unforgiveness”. Someone hurt you so you want to see them hurt back! But in the end the anger can turn toxic on the inside. I believe this is why forgiveness is such a core theme in scripture, particularly the New Testament. Lord help us to let it go. Amen.