WHEN IT’S NOT FAIR

My anger burned inside me when a friend hurt me, blamed me for everything and then gossiped about me. I wanted everyone to know what she’d done. I wanted her to hurt in the same way she had hurt me. I was so full of bitterness and anger that I got a tension headache which made my head feel like it was about to explode. But as I began praying for my pain to go away, the Holy Spirit challenged me. How could I look to get my own back while at the same time asking God for relief? If I believed God would care for me, why wouldn’t I trust Him to handle this situation? Knowing that hurting people often hurt other people, I asked God to help me forgive my friend. Though our friendship ended, God gave me peace.

The psalmist David understood the difficulty of trusting God while being unfairly treated. Though David did his best to be loving and serve well, King Saul was jealous of him and wanted to murder him (1 SAMUEL 20:27-32; 24:1-2). David suffered a lot during those years before God finally gave him the throne—but still he chose to trust God instead of trying to get even or sort things out himself (VV.3-7). He did his part to offer peace in his relationship with Saul—and then left the results in God’s hands (VV.8-22)

It is hurtful and frustrating when life is unfair and people get away with doing bad things to us. But by trusting God and knowing He takes care of us (and the people who have hurt us), we can forgive as He’s forgiven us and live in the peace only He can give.

Thinking it over . . .

How can trusting that God is perfect, loving, good and in control help us when it feels like other people are just getting away with how they treat us? Who do you need to forgive and trust to God’s mighty and merciful hands? When will you do this?