Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 29, 2018
I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute. Judges 11:27
People may accuse you of wrong when, in fact, they are wrong. You want to admit your mistakes and become a better person. If, however, the motive of your accuser is not right, if he or she is appealing to your guilt and emotions, then reject the false accusations. When the facts are on your side, be patient and wait on the Lord to defend you.
God would not have you caught up in a lot of sideways energy and activity, distracting you from the best use of your time. Some people are very persuasive and convincing with their words, but their character is lacking and their arguments do not add up. Do not lower yourself to their level and react to their lambasting with an equal fury of words. They do not deserve that much time, attention, and worry. Prayer is your posture.
It is like the bully on the playground trying to get your attention, getting others to cower to his intimidating ways. God is not intimidated by fear tactics, and neither are we. So how do we trust the Lord to defend us in difficult situations? How do we work with a caustic critic who is unreasonable? Seek to stay above the fray of angry arguments.
As you trust the Lord to defend what is right, keep your heart pure. You will be tempted to lash back with infuriating words or, at the other extreme, acquiesce to your critic’s demands. Neither of these options is best. What is right is to stand your ground, involve other people as is appropriate to mediate, and remain friendly, firm, and fair. You may need to seek legal counsel to make sure you are following the due process of the law.
However, your ability to do what is right under a firestorm of criticism from someone you thought was a friend can be redemptive in the long run. Maybe your critic will wake up to the realities of what is right. Your short-term pain and patience will hopefully save another from long-term trials. God is the ultimate defender of you and His truth.
You cannot keep your reputation stellar and polished, but your Savior can cleanse your soiled status in the community. Submit to Him and trust Him during this lowly time of litigation, because God has the final say in what is right or wrong. He will judge fairly now and in eternity. You can sleep at night because God is in control of this situation. Your appeal is to almighty God.
“This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends his people: ‘See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again’” (Isaiah 51:22).
Prayer
Dear Lord, I lean into Your defense of me from unfair and inaccurate criticism, in Jesus’ name, amen.Application
Do I trust the Lord with my defense and my critics?Related Reading
Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 19:20; 2 Timothy 4:16; 1 John 2:1Post/Tweet today
Wait on the Lord to restore your good name, He is your defender in the face of unfair criticism. #wisdomhunters #theLord'sdefenseWorship Resource
4-minute music video- MercyMe:
4-minute music video- MercyMe: Grace Got You If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision. Learn how to help. Our free Apple app Our free Android appDonate
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision.
Download our app!
Comments are closed.
What do you do if your critic is your spouse and they insist their comments are just that comments and not criticism and also insist you are too thin-skinned? Anytime I try to defend myself I am told I need to grow a thicker skin or that he should be allowed to comment on anything I do then it leads to a blown out argument. This is in regards to how I do things like cooking or cleaning, etc. I try to not get angry but it’s so hard when it feels like someone is picking at you constantly trying or standing over your shoulder watching what you’re doing so they can tell you they know how to do it better, in so many words. If I don’t do it his way he gets mad or makes some passive aggressive comment.
Dear Shelley,
Thank you for reaching out to us with your question and your concerns. If you do not mind, I am emailing my response to you directly (off the blog) so you will be receiving an email from gwynne@wisdomhunters.com in your inbox. I hope we can continue this conversation that way. Thank you again for reaching out to us.
So grateful for you,
Gwynne