Psalm 35:11-14; 19-25
Liars accuse me of crimes I know nothing about. They repay evil for good, and I feel all alone. When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and went without food. I truly prayed for them, as I would for a friend or a relative. I was in sorrow and mourned, as I would for my mother.
You see everything, Lord! Please don’t keep silent or stay so far away. Fight to defend me, Lord God, and prove that I am right by your standards. Don’t let them laugh at me or say to each other, “Now we’ve got what we want! We’ll gobble him down!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
At some point in your life, you have probably felt mistreated. Someone has most likely lied to you and taken advantage of your kindness. You may have felt like standing in the middle of the floor - hands raised upward - and asking, “What did I ever do to this person to deserve such treatment?” You might have even asked God to step in…to vindicate you and “make this person pay” in some manner. From reading this Psalm, I would say that David was right there with you…and honestly, I can’t say that I would blame you, either.
Nobody likes to be duped or mistreated. No one wants to give of themselves to someone who repays with lies, deceit, and abuse. None of us likes to be the recipient of another person’s ridicule or exploitation. This is not what you expect from someone for whom you have shown utmost love and care…someone for whom you have truly prayed for, cared for in their times of need, and blessed in ways great and small. We don’t expect people to lie to us – or about us - much less repay good with evil. Neither did Jesus.
Let that soak in for a minute. Do you think that Jesus hung from the cross and asked, “What did I ever do to So-and-So to make him/her hate me this much?” Do you think that He looked to the heavens and asked God to make each and every one of us pay for the terrible things we have done to Him…each sin we have committed?” The truth is that Jesus did just the opposite. He asked God to forgive those who did not understand what they had done…Who they had maimed and killed. He forgave a thief on the cross next to His. He gave His very life to PAY for each and every one of my sins…and yours…and the sins of all who will ever choose to give Him their heart and follow Him.
Clearly we are not Jesus. We are not God in human form…we do not have Supernatural powers and abilities and truly have no business comparing our “sufferings” to His. But they do serve to illustrate the point that for everything we endure…Jesus has endured more. For every hurt and indignation we will ever suffer…Jesus agonized exponentially. We serve a God who fully understands our thoughts and feelings…and truly cares about each of us. It may seem at times like He has walked away and left us to wallow in whatever we are enduring…but I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth.
God never leaves us. While we might not be able to feel His presence as we desire, He is always working behind the scenes and meeting our needs. It may not be as we would wish… we may not “feel” as good as we would like in any given moment. But God is still with us. We must remember that the God who cared enough for us to send His only Son to earth and allowed Him to be brutalized for OUR sins is a God of profound love and care – for each of us!
So the next time you are mistreated, deceived, ridiculed, ignored and/or lonely, remember Jesus and the cross. You may be momentarily stung or disappointed by others, which is understandable. But don’t linger in those feelings…do not wallow in your hurts. Get busy loving others in Jesus’ name…sharing in THEIR suffering and reminding them of all that He did for us on the cross. Remember the cross…and what Jesus did for us there. Thank Him for the gift of amazing, incredible, unconditional love, grace, mercy and forgiveness. Feel His presence and trust that He is making a way where you can see none.
God is always fighting for you. The cross is proof if this. How will you serve Him in return?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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