Inspirational Thought of the Day:

Our God vindicates the accused and also the accuser – to set both free from the trap of the enemy.

Scripture of the Day:

Psalms 57:2

“I cry out for help to the sovereign God, to the God who vindicates me.”

Psalms 59:10

“The God who loves me will help me; God will enable me to triumph over my enemies.”

Psalms 59:12

“They speak sinful words. So let them be trapped by their own pride and by the curses and lies they speak!”

You have an enemy whether you know it or not. The enemy of your soul. He loves to accuse you and discourage you. To deceitfully craft the worst description of you. And he has friends who love to do the same . . . people who might have even been close to you at one point. It hurts more that way.

Pretty insidious, huh? But that is his nature. If you have never had an enemy, just wait. Satan incites others against us, too. When people tear you down, they are doing his work and the spiritual battle only intensifies when a bunch of flesh is added to it.

Ever had someone roast you behind your back? Maybe they have even convinced others of their lies and you might feel it is insurmountable to overcome their slams. But God.

Sovereign.

Our God is sovereign – that means He rules over all. He knows all. He knows when people are tearing us down and Papa does not like it. But what amazes me about God’s sovereignty most is that He also knows us completely – inside and out – and chooses to forgive and blot out all of our sins. Amazing God.

Love.

It is this kind of unconditional love that helps us when we are torn down. What a promise in the Scripture above – God will enable us to triumph. But we cannot forget why He will. He loves us so very much. But He also loves our enemies. God can be on both sides and not be two-faced. What love!

Just.

Our God is a just God. He sees when we are unfairly treated and He will not tolerate sin. Man’s opinion might last a lifetime, but his days are numbered. God’s perspective of us lasts forever.

Humility.

What others say about us might not be true, but there is something about us that is less than lovely that is true. Anything good in us is Christ alone. Truly. When someone is jealous or hateful toward us, it reminds us of the salvation of our great God that bore our real shortcomings and every transgression. No one’s perception of us matters anymore. Just God and His forgiveness.

Good. 

Our God is good even when life is not. He wants to vindicate us when we are slandered. He revels in the relationship He has with us and longs to be our Defender. That’s just Who He is.

The Point of it all.

Our vindication is sweet, but perhaps there is a greater purpose in God’s deliverance. When we have compassion for the ones who have harmed us, we trump the enemy’s plan and God is glorified. Pray that God will reveal the deception their vision is clouded by. Recognize the spiritual battle and refrain from thinking the battle is in the flesh. Our God vindicates the accused and also the accuser – to set both free from the trap of the enemy.

God chose to suffer rather than be vindicated. In our suffering, we can reflect on God’s choice and see the fruit He attained. Pursuing His glory more than protecting our own frees us to love our enemies and push past their insults. God sees. And He will use it all for our good and His glory. Even this.

Hope Discovery for today: When others slander us, our God defends us.

Prayer: God, open the eyes of those against us, that they may know the truth and most importantly, know You. Deliver them from their bondage to jealousy and hatred and give them understanding. Protect our hearts from the attacks of evil and vindicate us for Your glory!