When We Are Wronged

Scripture Reading: Esther 9-10; Job 1-3; Acts 28; Psalm 35

Contend, O LORD, with those who fight against me… Psalm 35:1

Dealing with people who have made themselves our enemies is complicated. Psalm 35 is not a road map telling us exactly how to respond in every situation. Rather, it gives us an honest window into how David brought his pain, confusion, and longing for justice before God.

Elsewhere in Scripture, especially in the teachings of Jesus, we’re given clearer commands: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27–28). So rather than try to extract a formula from Psalm 35, we do better to treat it as a model for how to stay honest before God when we are wronged.

This morning, I don’t want to give you three steps for dealing with difficult people. Instead, I simply want to acknowledge how hard it is to navigate this inner maze while keeping your own soul intact.

When we’re under attack, physically, verbally, emotionally, or spiritually, so many questions rise up. Should I ignore the threat or confront it? Yes, vengeance belongs to God, but does that mean I stay silent? If someone is spreading lies about me, should I defend myself or let it play out?

And beyond the external situation is the deeper question: What is happening to my spirit in all this? How do I keep from becoming bitter or cynical? How do I trust God in the middle of the injustice? Can I keep from hating the person who is harming me?

David doesn’t give us a tactical plan, but he does give us a faithful instinct: he prays. Psalm 35 is a prayer. It is raw and real. He prays for justice. He asks for God’s intervention. And even in the midst of that plea, we see a man who still retains compassion. Later in the psalm, David confesses that when his enemies were sick, he grieved for them as if they were family (v.13–14).

He longed for justice, but he had not lost his humanity. He wanted God to act, but he still loved his enemies.

And in the end, perhaps this is the highest place a wronged person can reach: to hear the gavel of God’s righteous judgment fall against our enemies, and rather than stand and cheer, bow our heads and weep for them. That is not natural. That is the supernatural work of the Spirit of God within us.