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