Do not keep silent,
O God of my praise!
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without a cause.
In return for my love they are my accusers,
But I give myself to prayer.
Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love. Psalm Psalm 109:1-5

When was the last time you were accused of something you didn’t do? If you’re anything like me, it may take a few minutes to recall such a time. In Psalm 109, the sweet psalmist of Israel cries out to the LORD because of those who have spoken falsely about him. Imagine having someone you love, turn on you with visceral hatred. That’s what happened to David. How did he respond? He gave himself to prayer. That’s the kind of heavenly perspective we should all strive for when false accusations are hurled at us.

Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Job is another person in the Bible worth considering. Remember what the LORD said about him in Job 1:8? “There is no one like Job on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.” Oh, to be like Job! God knows the truth about Job, and He tells Satan about his faithfulness. We know the devil falsely accuses Job in chapters 1 and 2, but we see his friend doing the same thing in chapter 22. Eliphaz makes horrible accusations against Job that are not true. In Job 22:5-7 Eliphaz says this, “Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquity without end? For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason and stripped the naked of their clothing. You have not given the weary water to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.” How would we respond to such accusations, knowing that we are innocent? Would the peace of God rest in our hearts and help us remain calm? Would we be able to say to ourselves, “God knows!” and boldly recite Romans 8:31-34?

As Christians, we strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We strive to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). We are very careful with our words and how we use them (Colossians 4:6). We are always looking for the good works that God has set before us that we might walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). And yet, despite all this effort, there will be those who falsely accuse us of all manner of evil. Take courage faithful Christian, you are not alone. Look to your Lord and Savior and rejoice that you have been found worthy to suffer in the same way as He. “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” 1 Peter 4:14-16

Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.
Psalm 109:29-31

By Danny Simmons