God Is Our Defender

When we are falsely accused, it’s natural to try to defend ourselves to
prove our innocence. I used to try to defend myself by tarnishing the image
of my accusers. But now at age sixty, I have learned to explain myself in a
proper way, and to let God be my defender.

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I came to see this truth when someone I had helped made false accusations
against me, causing a misunderstanding between me and a friend. I was so
hurt because I knew I was not guilty, and I was tempted to speak evil about
my accuser. But I decided not to, believing God would defend me. Indeed, He
did! My friend learned the truth, and our relationship was restored.

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Deuteronomy 32:4 says God is just and faithful in all His ways. When people
accuse us falsely, God knows the whole truth, and His justice will prevail
in the end.

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In Mark 14:55-59, some of the Jewish religious leaders were trying to kill
Jesus, so they had many people bear false witness against Jesus, accusing
Him of things He hadn’t done, but then their witnesses did not agree. In
this way, their accusations were shown to be false. Jesus did not defend
Himself or try to show how bad these accusers were; instead, He entrusted
Himself to God the Father and let Him handle the matter. Even when Jesus
was sentenced to death, the one presiding over His trial, Pilate, said that
Jesus had done nothing wrong (Luke 23:4, 14-15, 22). Jesus was willing to
die a death He didn’t deserve so we could be made right with God. And death
didn’t have the last word. After three days, Jesus rose from the grave!

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When we are falsely accused, we can certainly try to explain ourselves. We
can also tell the truth about what other people have done. But we don’t
need to try to show how bad our accusers are or paint a bad picture of them
so people will believe us rather than them. Let us learn to trust the
faithful and just God to be our defender even when people may fail to
understand us. While our reputations may not be restored before Jesus
returns, we can know that one day He will bring everything into the light
and right every wrong. • Enid Adah Nyinomujuni

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• When people falsely accuse us, how does God call us to respond? (If you
want to dig deeper, you can read about how Paul responded to false
accusations in Acts 24-26.)

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• If anyone has done something wrong, it’s important to be open and honest
about this, especially if a person is being hurt. If someone has hurt you
or others, who is a trusted adult you can tell right away? (If you want to
dig deeper, read Matthew 23 and Galatians 2:11-21.)

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He [Jesus] was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.
Isaiah 53:7a (NIV)

Read Verses:

Mark 14:55-Mark 14:62; 1 Peter 2:22-1 Peter 2:23; Isaiah 53:7; Deuteronomy 32:4