False Charges

Psalm 17:1-2 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“1Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea;
listen to my cry.
Give ear to my prayer—
it comes from lips free of deceit.
2May my vindication come from Your presence;
may Your eyes see what is right.”

If we are following Jesus with our lives, in truth, and in sincerity, and we have denied self, died to sin, and we are now following the Lord Jesus with our lives, in surrender to His will, in His power, under His direction, we are bound to be misunderstood, criticized, thought crazy, and otherwise rejected because we don’t fit with the norms of society and the norms of so much of what is being called “Christian” and “church” these days here in the USA. And so we may pray to be liberated from the false charges against us.

You Have Tested Me

Psalm 17:3-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“3You have tried my heart;
You have visited me in the night.
You have tested me and found no evil;
I have resolved not to sin with my mouth.
4As for the deeds of men—
by the word of Your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5My steps have held to Your paths;
my feet have not slipped.”

If we believe we are being misunderstood and/or falsely accused of what we did not do just because we are not like the majority, and so we may seem odd to people who are used to a different norm, then before calling out to God to have the truth of our character shown for what it is, we should pray, and we should make certain that we have not done what displeases the Lord and that we have not failed to represent Him well. And when our consciences are clear, and we know we have done what is right, we can pray for mercy.

I Call On You

Psalm 17:6-9 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

“6I call on You, O God,
for You will answer me.
Incline Your ear to me;
hear my words.
7Show the wonders of Your loving devotion,
You who save by Your right hand
those who seek refuge from their foes.
8Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
hide me in the shadow of Your wings
9from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.”

There are Christians being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ all over the world. Many of them are being put to death, or they are having to go through much suffering because they stand on the truth of God’s word and they will not compromise with and become like the world just to be accepted and to avoid persecution. And a lot of their persecutors are not just the worldly who make no professions of faith in Jesus, but they include pastors and elders of “churches” and others who profess Jesus as their Lord.

For many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are buying into a false gospel message free from God’s requirements that we deny self, die to sin, and follow Him in obedience to His commands. And they are believing that if they make a profession of faith in Jesus that now all their sins are forgiven and now heaven is what awaits them when they die, even though they do not surrender their lives to Christ, repent of their sin, and obey God and His commands, because they believe they don’t have to. They might oppose us.

Although they may speak with arrogance, claiming faith in Jesus Christ, because they have convinced themselves that they can now continue in sin without condemnation, they may then end up resenting those of us who teach that we must repent of sin and obey God to be of genuine faith in Him. And their hearts may become embittered and callous towards us who teach the truth of the gospel, and thus they might persecute the Lord’s servants and messengers who are standing on the truth of the gospel faithfully.

So, for those who are presently enduring such rejection and persecution and mistreatment from those who are embittered against them, they are most likely to call on the Lord for help, for strength, for wisdom, for courage, and for determination to stay the course and to not give up just because life got much harder. And they may desire the comfort of the Lord, and His encouragement, and to be rescued from their enemies. But whatever the outcome of it all, we must keep trusting God and keep walking by faith.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Give Ear to My Prayer
An Original Work / November 14, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I Take Refuge

Based off Psalm 71
An Original Work / September 1, 2018
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

O, Lord, I take refuge in You,
For You are my God.
Turn Your ear now to me.

Be my Rock and Fortress
To which I do go.
Deliver me, God. You’re my hope.

My lips now give praise to You, God.
I always have hope,
Since You saved me from sin.

My enemies speak evil
‘gainst me, O God.
Oh, help me, O Lord, rescue me.

The path of my life has been hard.
For, I have had troubles
Too many to bear.

But You will increase honor,
Restore again.
Your faithfulness, Lord, comforts me.