March 4, Vindication

Today’s reading: Psalms 16-20

“Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right”  - Psalm 17:1-2.

David was in trouble so he prayed to the Lord and then wrote down his prayer. He was looking for vindication, which is the process by which people who saw him in a negative light would eventually see that they were wrong. Rather than try to achieve his own vindication, however, David prayed that God would look and judge his situation and then provide vindication on his behalf. In other words, David decided to trust the Lord for his reputation. Jesus did the same thing according to Peter’s account:

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ^‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Are you trying to achieve your own vindication where you have been wrongly accused? Can you let it go and trust the Lord for your reputation today?