Psalms 103:6 – The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgements for all who are oppressed. Oppression takes different forms like intimidation, suppression of feelings and rights, depravity of belongings and rights, physical persecution, threats of various kind, nagging and unfair treatment. This phenomenon became part of human behavior and relationships through conflict which was a direct consequence of sin in man. Most people in this world are either the oppressors or the oppressed. Sometimes both these groups find their tables turned and we find oppressed people take vengeance through retaliation to try to teach the oppressors lessons. But these courses are not necessary for the oppressed people of God. They are emotionally, physically and economically oppressed by the world and its people largely because they belong to the Lord. When they try to live as taught by Jesus in showing the other cheek or leave quietly when treated unfairly, they receive the grace to leave the consequences to their Lord. The Lord Himself experienced oppression in this world and died an oppressed death on the cross. He never retaliated or resorted to calling names. He did not react when the enemies hurled insults at Him. When they persecuted Him after declaring Him innocent, He made no threats of any kind. He simply entrusted Himself and the oppressors to the Just Judge. He prayed that the Father forgive the oppressors. We know that both Stephen and Paul prayed that God forgive their oppressors because they believed that their God performs righteous deeds and judgements for His children. This released them from the bondage of retaliation and any temptation to have ill-will against their oppressors. They used the weapons of prayer and forgiveness which healed their hurt as a result of the oppressions they suffered. Such an attitude has helped David to sing songs of praise to the Lord of the oppressed.
Dear reader, are you a prey to oppression of a physical, emotional or economic nature? Do you find it difficult to endure this unbearable injustice? Do you have the temptation to react when oppressed? The best response from a child of God when oppressed is to meditate on the oppression our Lord endured for us. He understands the depth of pain that your soul is inflicted with when you are unfairly treated by those around you for no fault of yours. He sympathizes with you and wants to come to you today to comfort and strengthen you. The oppression will make you more patient and strong so that Christ-likeness will grow in your character and behavior. It will produce hope in you to wait for God to avenge you and comfort you. The Lord Jesus will comfort you by showing you the depth of His oppression which He endured for you at the cross. While suffering oppression, we need to keep on committing ourselves to the Lord and allow our self to be crucified so that we will not have the temptation to retaliate or react in a negative way. When we take law into our own hands, our Lord will not judge our oppressors. We must learn to be quiet and take our hands off the situation and give the Lord full freedom to act in our situation. He will then work on our character and make us like Him. He will fill us with His joy which will be our strength in times of oppression and intimidation. Our Lord will perform righteousness in our own lives and forgive us all our shortcomings as we forgive those who treat us unfairly. When we are unjustly crucified by the world around us, our Lord will hold us in His nail-pierced hands to strengthen and comfort us. Let His comfort be our strength today to weather away the pain of oppression that we suffer today.
Psalms 10:17 – You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them and You listen to their cry. Thought for TodayThe hope in glory that is bestowed upon God’s children make them wait patiently and joyfully for the day when all their oppressions will be removed forever.
