Have you ever been mistreated and felt it was unfair? 

One of my adult kids reported that some family members had accused me of an unkind act toward another family member. Many family members dropped all communication with me, but I heard gossip about disparaging comments spoken behind my back. I was devastated. How could they think that I’d ever do that? It’s not fair! My fingers itched to pick up the phone and find out who started such a stinky lie.

If you’re carrying hurt, anger, or resentment, it’s tempting to fire off an angry test or lose your temper during a phone call. Maybe you avoid confrontation, so your response is to entertain long, imaginary conversations in your head. None of us like to be mistreated, misunderstood, or maligned. However, someone’s bad behavior doesn’t have to keep you in the wrong emotional place. 

If you’ve wrestled with the understandable hurt, anger, or desire for revenge, today’s Happy Monday Devotional is for you. King David writes about an unknown but actual time in his life when he struggled with being mistreated. 

David begins this psalm in a pretty emotionally low place:

“I pray to you, O LORD, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die.” -Psalm 28:1 NLT

Take a moment and put yourself in King David’s place. It’s easy for us to think about Bible figures only on paper. Still, David had emotions, and he was deeply hurt. David told God that he might want to give up and die if God isn’t listening. It’s encouraging that David could be this honest with God – and so can you! 

WHEN YOU’RE DISCOURAGED OR IN PAIN, PRAYER IS POWER!

Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary. -Psalm 28:2 NLT

Notice how David doesn’t minimize his hurt. He doesn’t let it settle into his hurt and keep it around like a housepet. Prayer is proactive. Pray invites an Almighty God to make a difference where you have no power. Prayer is power. My friend, you aren’t being a complainer or a baby for expressing your pain to God. Even if you lost your cool, don’t let Satan convince you that because you messed up, then God doesn’t want to hear from you. Not true!

IT’S NOT WRONG TO PRAY FOR GOD’S JUSTICE

Give them the punishment they so richly deserve! Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness. Pay them back for all their evil deeds! Give them a taste of what they have done to others. -Psalm 28:4 NLT

You can pray for God’s justice when you’ve been wronged. I’ve seen and heard far too many Christian women give into others’ pressure to “forgive and forget” abusers or others who’ve committed illegal acts. You can love Jesus and press charges if the situation requires it. 

Your part is to work through the forgiveness process, which may or may not result in accountability. Remember, there is a difference! But leave any form of revenge to God. He won’t forget, even if it takes months, years, or even eternity. The scriptures say that God will replay, and you can trust God’s justice.

NO ONE CAN STOP GOD FROM BLESSING YOU

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. -Psalm 28:7 NLT

Here’s the hope for you to carry today! David’s naysayers didn’t mess up his praise! David knew nothing his enemies could do or say would stop God from blessing him. The same is true for you – people can talk about you, mistreat you, lie about you, or take away everything you own, but if you are a child of God, they cannot stop God from blessing you or taking care of you. Can I get an AMEN? 

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU: Which verse in Psalm 28 encouraged you today? 

Make Lent More Meaningful This Year!

• Do you start Lent with good intentions, but lose motivation after a week or two?
• Is Lent usually filled with guilt or going through the motions and you’d like to have a more meaningful experience with God?
• Would you like to experience the scripturally rich Book of Psalms in a fresh new way?

If you answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, click the button to find out more about the Finding Jesus in the Psalms book study. Check out the link to find out how to host a small group at your church or online with friends around the country this Lenten season.