Psalm 35 Devotional

Kindness Repaid With Cruelty

“They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.”Psalm 35:12 (BSB)

Betrayal by people he once cared for lies behind this prayer. When they were sick, he wore sackcloth, fasted, and grieved for them as if mourning a brother or his own mother (35:13-14). But when he stumbled, they gathered in glee and slandered him without rest (35:15). They repaid him evil for good (35:12). Small wonder he asks the LORD to take up shield and spear against those who fight him (35:1-3).

The strong requests in this psalm, that his enemies be shamed and caught in their own nets (35:4-8), are hard to read. But they are prayers, not plans. David brings the injustice to the only one who can judge rightly, and he asks to be vindicated by God's righteousness, not his own (35:24). Paul gives the same counsel to believers who are wronged: do not avenge yourselves, but leave room for God to repay (Romans 12:19). You can be fully honest with God about a betrayal and still leave the outcome in his hands.

To think about: Is there a betrayal you need to bring honestly before God, trusting him to judge rather than settling it yourself?