Psalm 37

Have you ever tried to understand how a person could do the very thing you felt was so undeniably wrong, you just could not understand their reason, and, or justification for their actions? When we initially meet people, we want to believe they are, who they say they are…, especially if they profess to be Christians. But we sometimes tend to forget that despite their profession, they are still children of God, striving every day, to be better than they were the day before— and therefore require grace.

As Christians, we are taught not to judge others. It is written in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged (NLT).” But …, what if we interpreted the emphasis to not be so much on the passing judgement, portion of the statement? What if it were more so on the ramifications, rather than the judgement?  The ramifications we would receive, which now personalize the event, to where it hits even closer to home and affects us directly.  The emphasis no longer placed simply on the statement itself, of not judging someone else. At some point, this approach may even become a quick turnaround to the reasoning of our own demise, when someone incidentally addresses our attack with reproach, at the very moment we render the judgement toward the other person.  

 In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord says to Samuel that men are only able to see the outward appearance of others, but He sees their heart. And yes, even if the situation isn’t in regard to choosing the next king, it is in regard to someone’s character. And because God is the only one who is privy to the things in their heart, He is the only one who can judge them. So, this is nice to know, if ever we are stuck, and do not know how to react to a situation, when it relates to the behavior of another person; we can always give it to God. We may not know what they are going through. Or, even, what enabled them to act in the manner in which they did to begin with. But God knows what it was that persuaded them, in their hearts, to (as they believed) justifiably act the way they did. He is the only one who truly sees what is going on inside of them. Right or wrong, God sees the true intentions of the heart.

And if by chance they were untrue in heart, well…, God will deal with them accordingly and fight the battles for those who were unjustly treated. Throughout Psalm 37, David speaks of evil doers who become extinct due to their poor choice of character. He encourages us to give these circumstances of injustice to God, with the assurance that in spite of the success of those who have offended us, God will vindicate our injustice. And as we humbly turn over the situation, without offense or anger, God will reward us.

And after, out of nowhere, you may, perhaps, will see God’s evidence of His vindication on behalf of you. Whether by coincidence, or firsthand, the demise of the person who inflicted you with such injustice will be made known. But even when you realize that this person is now experiencing the repercussions of their wicked ways, your first instinct should not be to rejoice, because they hurt, or offended you.  You should be reminded of who you are, and your place in the kingdom, as a child of God. For you to delight in someone else’s misfortune, you would only be acting out of character as well. Remember His grace, and the love God has shown you when vindicating your injustice and pray that the person finds his way as well.

We all can think of countless times we were unwillingly taken advantage of because of our kind-heartedness, or vulnerability. Or rumors which were spread in order to magnify someone else’s limelight. It would be so easy to curse this person, and justify our words, or thoughts of anger as compensation for the travesties brought against us.  But there is no need.  God has us. So, trust and delight yourself in his goodness and commit your ways to Him while doing good.  “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday, [for He is our vindicator] (Psalm 37:6 NKJV).”  

 CWB