In a world that glorifies getting even and pursuing retribution, whether directly or indirectly, it can be difficult to understand and practice the concept of giving our pain to God and never seeking revenge. Sometimes, it is not uncommon for people to judge and sentence us without even hearing our side of the story. Learning to keep silent in the face of adversity can be challenging, but it is a powerful way to demonstrate trust in God. He fights our battles and brings justice in His own timing.

In the book of 2 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒖𝒆𝒍 16, we find the story of David being cursed and belittled by Shimei. Shimei, a Benjamite from the house of Saul, attributes David’s circumstances and the loss of his kingdom to God’s judgment for alleged past sins against the house of Saul. David, a powerful and influential figure, could have used the weight of his position to fight back. Abishai, David’s bodyguard and nephew, wanted to fight back, but David would not let him. (𝒗. 9).

David, rather than defending himself or reacting violently, restrained himself. He recognized the sovereignty of God and he responded humbly. He could also have commanded his associates to retaliate on his behalf. After all, it is common for people to use those close to them or people close to their perceived enemy as proxies for their retaliatory attacks. But David chose to see God in everything. David set his affection on God and trusted God to defend him.

In our daily lives, we encounter numerous situations where we may feel wronged or falsely accused. Sometimes, others may dismiss us and pass judgment on us before giving us a chance to explain our side of the story. The natural response is to want to defend ourselves and speak up against those who have harmed us. Rather than going around defending ourselves and seeking revenge, it is far more productive to keep silent and let God defend us. It is important to remember that God is in control, and He sees all. It is in those moments of injustice that we must draw closer to Him and give Him those unbearable pains. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑, 𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝒘𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔. By trusting in Him and surrendering our pain to Him, we can find true peace that transcends this world.