Without Cause

Have you ever been falsely accused of something?

Silly question. All of us have at one time or another. Sometimes it was minor. Sometimes it was life-altering. Always, it was painful. Even the Savior of the world was falsely accused which puts us in good company. King David wrote about his own “valley of the shadow of death” season. for that is what these times feel like. Psalm 35 is familiar friend and a good guide for what to pray when these seasons come. Four times in the psalm, David says that his friends have turned on him “without cause” (cf. vs 7 (twice), and verse 19 (twice). When you have no explanation for a friend’s betrayal, let Psalm 35 help restore your hope.

Read Psalm 35

Another offering for the Poetry Project

Explosions of Malice

The words of my contenders
like explosions of malice
arrive at my heart pounding for entrance.
Without cause, they slap my love away
betraying friendship and bereaving my soul.

Why do they lie about me?
All I have done is love them!
I wept for them when they were sick.
My prayers poured upward for their restoration.
Yet they repay my good with evil,
and relentlessly mock and despise me.

“How long, O Lord, will you witness this?
Your eyes saw it all. Won’t You
rescue me from their malice?
Put an end to their rejoicing over me.
Say to my soul that You are my salvation.
Don’t let me forget that You are trustworthy.

Those who persecute, slander, and hate,
surround me and look to inflict sorrow
into my veins, infecting my spirit.
Defeat them, O God.
Judge me not by their words but by Your righteousness.
Vindicate me that Your faithfulness would be known
and You would be magnified by all Your servants.