Topic: Let God Be Your Defender [RICK WARREN Devotional 28 April 2023]
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Let God Be Your Defender
BY RICK WARREN — APRIL 28, 2023
FROM THE KEYS TO A BLESSED LIFE
“I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter.”
Psalm 62:5-7 (GNT)
You’ll always have people in your life who misunderstand you and don’t like you. Others will criticize you, judge you, attack you, and spread rumors about you.
In all of these circumstances, your natural tendency will be to fight back. When you’re misunderstood, you’ll want to defend yourself. When you’re attacked, you’ll be tempted to launch your own attack. When people criticize you, you’ll want to criticize them. When people insult you, you’ll want to hurl back your own insults.
Don’t do it! Instead, let God be your defender. Every time you are attacked, criticized, ridiculed, or misunderstood, you have two choices: You can defend yourself, or you can let God defend you. Which will it be? Who do you think can do a better job defending you? You or God? Of course, God can.
Pay attention to this: You’re most like Christ when you say nothing in the face of attacks, lies, and unfair criticism. You’re most like Jesus when you remain silent and leave it in God’s hands.
The Bible says, “When [Jesus] was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge” (1 Peter 2:23 GNT).
In the face of his unjust conviction and persecution, Jesus did not fight back. When it mattered most, he trusted God to defend him and bring ultimate justice.
King David was criticized and attacked his entire life. In fact, people repeatedly wanted to kill him because they were jealous of him.
But David said this: “I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. He alone protects and saves me; he is my defender, and I shall never be defeated. My salvation and honor depend on God; he is my strong protector; he is my shelter” (Psalm 62:5-7 GNT).
People will be jealous of your success, and some will even want to attack you. But like David, you need to let God be your protector, your Savior, your defender, your victor, and your shelter.
Let God handle it. Let him be your defense.
Talk It Over
- What practical things can you do in a tense moment to keep from speaking or acting in retaliation?
- Why does God want you to remain silent when you are under attack? Why doesn’t he want you to try to prove that you’re right?
- How does someone’s attack on your character say more about that person than it does about you?
Will you follow Jesus today?
God proved his goodness through his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 CSB).
Are you ready to trust God to fulfill his promise of eternal life? If so, pray this simple prayer: “Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
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