Hitting rock bottom and attentive ears

 

 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, and they hear my words, for they are sweet. – Psalm 141:6

The “judges” in this Scripture are not righteous, but evil; those who use their authority and power to do evil. The psalmist confidently says: “they are overthrown…” Those who practice evil will certainly be overthrown. Do not doubt the greatest justice from the most perfect Judge: God, the One who will make sure the wicked stumble and fall.

This is why David did not worry about bringing about justice with his own hands when he was being persecuted by Saul and his army. Twice, he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but chose to let God deal with him. And God’s justice was perfect.

If the unrighteous persecute you, then turn to the Righteous Judge. Present your case to Him.

Many times, we feel tempted to repay evil with evil in a relationship, to retaliate, get revenge from the wrong we’ve suffered from a partner. The more powerful response would be to repay evil with good. It is as if you were “heaping coals of fire” on that person’s head (Proverbs 25:21-22). The good you do in exchange for the wrong you’ve received will burn in the other person’s conscience.

But it doesn’t end there. Notice the second part of the verse: “…and they hear my words, for they are sweet.” Some precious lessons are found here:

• There is no point talking to evil-doers when they are on top of the world, they won’t listen. Only when they fall, will they be willing to listen. Sometimes, you need to wait and let a person hit their head hard so that they will value what you say. Pride precedes a fall, and a fall precedes humility.
• When a proud person is humbled, the temptation to say: “I told you so! I warned you!” is very strong! But do not lose your cool. The pain of the fall will say this on your behalf. Like David, let your words be pleasant, not sarcastic, accusing or mocking. Ensure your words are always uplifting, not discouraging. Evil falls by its  wickedness and pride. You do not need to interfere. Focus on being positive, not negative.