An Avenging God

"The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies."
Nahum 1:2

These past few days have been emotional for me. With this being the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001, the airwaves were full of stories about the tragedy. There were many stories about survivors who were miraculously rescued. There were also many stories of families that still feel the pain and grief of losing family members on that infamous day. All this brought back the memories of that day for me. I was shocked, tearful, and angry all at the same time. These few days served to remind me of all those emotions again.
    But I also realize something that is so important in my life. It is God who will take vengeance on his enemies. It is not mine. If I harbor hate toward the people who perpetrated this terrible attack, I will only be consumed with it. It is not my place to hate, my call is to love people as God loves them. Although it is difficult, I must come to grips with the fact that God loves the people who did this terrible thing. Furthermore, it is his place to avenge our nation. God is concerned with nations. He is the reason nations rise and fall. He is in control and has allowed every king, president and leader to emerge. This is too lofty for me to understand and I must yield to the wisdom of God.
    Nahum the prophet understood that God has enemies. God has a people that he has called to himself. As Christians, we are those people. God has also chosen the nation of Israel as his own. He is protective of them and loves that nation as his own people. America has been blessed because we have been friends of Israel. Those nations who oppose Israel often suffer God's wrath. All the nations of the world must submit to God.  
    So,I am reminded to pray for our nation. I love America. I am honored to be a citizen of this great nation. But I am also reminded to pray for our enemies. Jesus taught us to do this and it is as important now as it was when he said it. Although I cry for the great loss we have suffered, I will pray for our enemies and leave the vengeance to God.