Restored

Restored

The LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

RUSS AND SHARON were in their forties when their business partner betrayed them, taking everything: the business, their mutual friends, the blessing of the church they all attended, the perceived “good” side of a business relationship gone bad.

Wiped out financially in the midst of raising a family, Sharon cried out to God for justice, even as her husband steadfastly refused to litigate and did nothing to defend himself against the rumors as their small community supported his former partner. She wept and prayed, begging God for redemption.

Stunned, my friend Sarah and I found ourselves leaning over the small table we were sharing at a favorite coffee shop, listening to our beloved mentor recount a piece of her journey we’d never heard and would never have guessed at these many years later.

God restored everything Russ and Sharon lost. They started a new business that flourished and was eventually passed down to their sons. Sharon was moved into a position that eventually gave her international spiritual influence. They are ordinary people who love God, who clung to him during the darkest parts, leaving redemption in his hands rather than seeking it themselves. And he was faithful in his redemption.

God knows betrayal. It was Judas’s kiss that led to Jesus’ arrest after years of being doubted, shouted down, and chased out of town. He knows the deep hurt when someone is besmirching our character, when they are telling only the parts that make them look good, when they are lying.

Oftentimes, the best thing we can do is to cling to God when we’ve been betrayed, resisting the temptation to point fingers back and letting go of the desire to defend ourselves against lies. Time has a way of exposing the truth, and God assures us of redemption as we take refuge in him.

Lord, give us refuge in the midst of character smears and lies. Be our defender. We know that you expose the truth in your timing, and that you will redeem what has been stolen. Amen.

-Julie

One Good Step: Can you stop defending yourself, trusting God to do that on your behalf? Start keeping a list of the times God has been your redemption, reminding yourself of his promise the next time you want to rise to your own defense.