“O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” (Psalm 86:14-17 NASB1995)
As followers of Jesus Christ, who are walking in his ways and in his truth, and who are sharing the truths of the Scriptures with the people of the world, we will have enemies. We will have people who will strongly oppose us and even some who may lie about us and mistreat us and cast us aside as unnecessary and as unwanted just because they don’t like what we are speaking. Or, if you are female, like I am, you may be opposed just because you are a woman, or because you are young, or because you are old.
For we live in a day and time when the truths of the Scriptures are being altered and diluted to make them less offensive to human flesh so that those who are trapped in sin may continue in their deliberate and habitual sins without conscience and without remorse. And we are living in a time when “the church” has been turned into businesses incorporated (partnered with) under the state, catering to the ungodly in order to grow their numbers. Thus, they do not operate as the biblical body of Christ under Christ’s rule.
So, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ who is taking the truths of the Scriptures to the people of the world, you should be prepared to have people hate you and reject you. You should be prepared to be an outcast with few friends to encourage and support you in your walk of faith in obedience to the Lord. You should get yourself ready to be treated as though you are weird, by human standards, like someone who has a deadly disease and needs to be avoided at all cost. For you will be in the minority, for sure.
But don’t be disheartened and discouraged if you are opposed, hated, lied about, and discarded. For Jesus was treated the same, as were his New Testament apostles and the prophets before them. Don’t let other people’s treatment of you or their opinions of you keep you from obeying the Lord in doing what he has called you to do, provided that what you are doing is of God, and it aligns with God’s word and with his will and purpose for your life. But keep persevering. Keep moving forward. And keep speaking the truth.
Yes, if you are a feeling person at all, it will hurt. It will sting when others speak evil lies against you, hoping to discredit you so that others will not listen to you. But don’t be like I was at one time where I believed people had power over me that God could do nothing about. Don’t respond in fear like I did and run away and try to escape the pain rather than to face it head on and to trust the Lord to see you through it. Lean on the Lord for your support, trust in his sovereignty, and trust him to work it all out for good.
Trust in the Lord to give you his strength to endure and to keep going forward. And then just keep being who God called you to be, and keep doing what he has called you to do, even if you are opposed, and even if people mock you and think you are crazy because of your dedication to the Lord and to his service. For it is far better to be living to please the Lord, in doing his will, and to be mistreated by other humans, than to have the approval of humans and not be doing the will of God. So, trust the Lord and do good!
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:16-25,34-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 9:23-26; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; Romans 5:3-5; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-17; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Hebrews 12:3-12; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 3:19; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
My Cry for Mercy
Based off Psalm 86
An Original Work / October 31, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.
Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.
Save me! I’m Your servant.
You are my God. I trust in You.
O, Lord, have mercy on me,
For I call to You.
Bring joy to me, for to You
I will lift up my soul.
You are giving and forgiving.
You abound in love to all who
Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.
Listen to my cry for mercy.
In days of trouble I call to You,
Knowing that You will
Do marvelous things,
Because You are my God.
Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.
Turn to me, Lord, and grant
Strength to Your servant.
O, Lord, You are my help,
For You love and You comfort me.
Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.
In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.
A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,
So that I may glorify You.
They’ve Risen Up Against Me
An Original Work / February 15, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
