An Undeserved Curse

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.

Proverbs 26:2

As an old saying has it, “Curses are like young chickens; they always come home to roost.”

Maybe you’re reading today and you are in turmoil because of some unfair and untrue things that have been said about you. We can lose sleep over this. Our fear of those words can be like wild birds that you can’t get your hands on. We can withdraw from people, thinking everyone is hearing and believing these things. Then worse yet, we can try to fight back with a war of words. I am sad to say I have done all of the above, and yet doing these things did not give me any peace.

So what should we and could we do? Let me give you three things.

1. If someone has slandered you, first of all, take it to the Lord. Don’t you remember that Jesus was falsely accused? It helps to know that he understands. “Blessed,” he said, “are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matthew 5:10, NKJV).
2. This is the hardest. Put a guard on your mouth. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The Bible tells us, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Ephesians 4:29, KJV).
3. Be patient. I know this is easier said than done, but what goes around does come around. If the harsh words that were said about you are untrue, they will not land on you. They will fly home “like chickens to roost” on the one who said them.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

Have you ever been ridiculed for your faith or for taking a stand on morality? You’re in good company. Just hours before Jesus was arrested and condemned to death, he said these tragic words: “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. . . . This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures : ‘They hated me without cause’” (John 15:18-19, 25).

One Year Bible Reading

Jeremiah 39:1–41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalm 90:1–91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2