Bible Reading: Psalm 7; 2 Pet. 1:1-7
“My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.” – Psalm 7:10 (KJV)
Pastor Adeboye of Redeemed Christian Church of God shared a testimony sometime ago. He said there was a parish of the church that was established in a town in a Western state of Nigeria. The parish flourished over time and the Pastor in charge claimed ownership because he was one used by God to start the church. When reminded of the fact that the church was named the Redeemed Christian church of God, the man insisted that it was his own and after much persuasion and the man refused to agree, he was handed over to God. Within a few days, the man was killed by armed robbers when he travelled outside the town. Unfortunately, the man was the only son of his aged mother. So Pastor Adeboye said he had to start taking care of the aged mother until she died. Since then, he said he was careful not to hand over people to God for judgement because it could be very severe.
That is an example of how God fights for his children. In fact, there are many instances when God fights for his children without them knowing. He defends his own. This is what is stated in Psalm 7:10 (KJV): “My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.” The only condition that you need for God to defend you, as stated in the above verse, is to be upright in heart. If you are, you do not need to fight your own battle because God is always there to defend you. This is why he says in Romans 12:19 (KJV): “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
It is important that we leave our defence to God because he knows the full intent of every action which may not be known to us. Also, he knows the resources and limitations of the offender and the best time to repay the offender after giving him time to repent. Besides, his word is settled on offenders and he will bring them to pass. Matthew 18:7 (KJV) says: “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
Realizing this, you should also ensure that you live in peace with everyone as much as possible which is what is also expected of every true child of God.
Action point: Don’t be quick in taking action against your offenders. Always hand them over to God who knows the best way to deal with everyone. Besides, as you prepare to cross over to a new year, show mercy by forgiving everyone that might have wronged you in the year. Happy new year!
Bro. Biodun Oyapero