Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things that I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. (Psalm 35:11-14)
There is an old saying that goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.” As much as I hate to admit it, this old saying rings true based on my own experience. I would imagine that many of you could say the same. Sad to say but it does seem that, very often, those people you try to help the most are the very ones who tend to bite the hand that feeds them. Those who required so much of your attention in times past are, sometimes, the quickest to turn on you and align themselves with your enemies. Apparently, David found this to be true as well.
When this has happened to me and my family, my first reaction is to become angry and, secondly, question God as to why He would allow such. To date, I’ve never gotten the answer I was looking for which would include God dealing with the offending parties. No, any impression I’ve received from the Lord in these situations has always been about my response — how I intend to handle the situation. Will I give into the carnal inclinations and thoughts or will I maintain a Godly attitude and disposition, believing God to take care of me regardless of what everyone else does?
Messiah said that, as His followers, we must be willing to go above and beyond what others may do. If someone slaps me on one cheek, I’m to offer the other to him also (Matthew 5:39). He went on to say that we are to love our enemies and to “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). In other words, though all of us want justice — especially when we have been wronged — it is more important that we strive to be authentic sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven. He is the only righteous Judge and, in time, He will mete out true justice. In the meantime, as we are exposed to wickedness and exploited by evil men, let us continue to bring honor to our King by exhibiting humility and a willingness to return evil with good. This is not always an easy task but it is one that identifies that we are truly His people.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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