God is our Vindicator

I think it is safe to say we all have experienced pain at some point in our lives. We all have been through troubling and challenging times, and it is likely many of you are dealing with some sort of pain or distress at this very moment. Pain and suffering is just simply a part of life, and we cannot avoid it. Nevertheless, there is good news; as a believer, you can have a problem and still enjoy your life and have peace. It all begins with something called trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Like most people, I too have had quite a few negative and heartbreaking things occur in my life. In fact, I am still dealing with the impact of one in particular. At one point it caused me to be bitter, afraid, and imprisoned in my past. I didn't see a promising future for myself. For the life of me I could not figure out why one single person, a person who was supposed to love me and care for me, could abuse me and take away my happiness and who I was as a person. I couldn't figure out what was so wrong with me to deserve that type of treatment.

I blamed myself, and that is certainly where Satan intended for me to be. But fortunately God had another plan, a plan for good. One that would bring me up out of that darkness and into the light. I just had to believe and trust Him to be my vindicator.

I like to point out that this doesn't mean I no longer feel pain, or that I am miraculously healed now, but it does mean that I can still have peace and enjoy my life in the midst, if I choose. It also means that I forfeit control, I have to stop taking things into my own hands. I simply cannot do this thing called life on my own.

You see, we are a people who desire explanation; we want to know why things happen. We tend to ask God "why?" in those difficult times. We want to know why this person lied to us, why that person abandoned us, why we were mistreated or abused, why someone we loved was taken from us too soon, or why we didn't get that promotion at work. However, the frustrating part of it is that sometimes we just will not receive the answers to those questions, and we have to be okay with that. This is when we have to fully lean on God and activate this trust I'm speaking of.

Psalm 9:9-10 "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

There will come a time when you realize that it's not all about you, but rather that it's about Jesus. When that happens, the transforming power of God occurs, and this allows us to let go and let God. No matter what pain you have encountered or what you have been through or are still going through, you have a choice; either trust God to take care of you or be miserable trying to do it all yourself. We have to remember that one of God's characteristics is that He is a God of justice, and that means He will make every wrong thing right. Trust Him to be your vindicator in whatever situation you are in, and give Him the chance to defend you! You won't regret it!

Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

--Emily