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Day 7 Psalm 7 Psalm 7:1 < O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: 2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:) 5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah. 6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. 7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high. 8 The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. 9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God tries the hearts and reins. 10 My defense is of God, which saves the upright in heart. 11 God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordains his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travails with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and dug it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. When problems come our way we must make decisions, but are they the right decisions? What of our motives-are they just? We tend to second-guess ourselves, hoping we made the right decisions, hoping our motives are pure and we cannot find any fault in what we do. David had fled from Absalom, and met Shimei in his retreat from Jerusalem who hurled insults as well as rocks at him, cursing him. 2 Samuel 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of King David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: 8 The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeks my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him. 12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust. Our first reaction to someone taunting us, cursing us, and slandering us would be to repay that person evil for evil. However, David’s reaction was to accept it as God’s will, and leave him alone to curse him and throw rocks at him. There would come a day when justice would be served for what Shimei did to David. It just wasn’t that day. As Christians we are called to do good to people who insult us and bring trouble our way. Jesus gave us the Golden Rule to follow. Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (KJV) Paul and Peter told us we are to be honest and do good to everyone regardless of how they treat us. Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. (KJV) 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. (KJV) When we turn our lives over to God, and treat all people the way we want to be treated and leave those people who bring accusations and curses our way in God’s hands, God will take care of them. David did two things, first he examined his own life to see if there was anything he had done wrong to bring the curses down on him, and be victim to the rocks hurled at him, and he left the person in God’s hands and told his army with him to leave him alone as well. We need to do the same thing – examine our lives and leave everything in God’s hands and let him take care of the situation. God will bring justice out of slander and cursing. We just need patience to see God’s hand in the matter. When we do, we will see a better end for what transpired than any we could do on our own. Let’s pray: Father, help me to have patience when people bring insults and injury my way. Help me rely on you and your justice, and not hurry to bring more problems to an already troubling situation, making matters worse instead of better. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 26 March 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay