“Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon His vindication. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, ‘Where is the LORD your God?’ My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets.” Micah 7:5-10
Devotional Thought For The Day
It is one of the most painful aspects of life when those closest to us turn on us – neighbors, family, and friends – and are willing to inflict the deepest wounds upon us. For children of God this often involves the reality that those closest to us are best able to see our sins, our weaknesses, and our vulnerabilities. If they are not among those who confess their own sins and recognize that no one has any hope apart from the gracious mercy and forgiveness of God, they despise our weaknesses and comfort themselves that we are no better than they – so that they are eager and persistent in accusing and condemning us, even to the point of rejecting us altogether. They are apparently unaware that God continues to hear His dear children of faith – those who look to Him and wait for His salvation, and that after we have borne His indignation, His chastening, He will plead our cause, execute judgment for us, and bring our vindication to light for all to see. Our accusers and despisers will end up being covered in shame and trampled down like the mire of the streets. “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” [Matt. 7:2]
Still the pain lingers and remains stinging and biting inwardly, so the temptation is pressed upon us to trust no one, to have confidence in no one, and to speak openly with no one. Perhaps this is the wisest advice when it comes to those who are unbelievers, who have no knowledge of or faith in the gracious mercy and forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus. However, even though we may be wise to behave very circumspectly around unbelievers we cannot separate from them completely or there will be no opportunity to speak the Word to them that can bring them to repentance and faith in God’s love and salvation. So we must have some degree of trust in them, even though we know the pain they may try to inflict upon us. Our real vulnerability, however, lies in relationships with people who claim to be believers, who claim they repent of their sins, who claim to know and believe God’s love – so that we trust them and open ourselves to them, but who then seize any occasion to accuse and condemn us and destroy us. It should be noted that in this we have been deceived and betrayed, that no one who behaves in this manner is living in God’s love or loves God – and that when such attacks occur God our Savior will be our guard and shield. But the pain of such betrayals of love persists.
There is comfort, safety, and support within the fellowship of those who are truly walking in God’s light – and how blessed are those who find such children of God to have as friends and companions. We must take care to be such friends to fellow believers – not sycophants who approve of everything and never lovingly admonish, but as caring and compassionate neighbors who are eager to apply God’s grace and mercy to others as they repent, and who are joyful to continue living together by extending the same gracious forgiveness and mercy to one another. Pray God that we have an abundance of such friends, true brothers and sisters, and that He protect and preserve us from the others, those who dare to be in our house as our enemies. May they take heed – and not rejoice in the fall of the righteous, for God has the back of the righteous and shall surely raise him up again. Thanks and praise be to God!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, You are aware of our falls and our missteps, and the many vulnerabilities that we have to those who feign love for us but actually seek our downfall and destruction. Grant us grace and strength to bear Your chastening for all our sins. Grant us also patience and faith as we wait for You to raise us, deliver us, and vindicate us. Grant wisdom and repentance to our enemies, so that they do not rejoice over our troubles and exacerbate them with their accusations, before it is too late for them and they become covered in shame and trampled like mire. Lord, have mercy on all! Amen.