Falsely Accused – Offense, Part 7

I once got offended at a cop. He made me so mad. I was innocent. I’ve had my share of transgressions, but this time, I really was innocent. A car in front of me saw this police officer and hit his brakes. I had seen him a way back and was already slowing down. So, when the guy hit his brakes, I hit mine a little harder. I closed the gap pretty fast, though I avoided an accident. I had done the right thing. The policeman pulled me over for tailgating. He didn’t agree with my assessment that I had done the right thing in preventing an accident from the other guy’s knee-jerk reaction. He lectured me. I began to seethe, because I knew that I was innocent. Well, it gets worse. 

He asked me for my registration. Did you know you are supposed to sign it? No? Neither did I. I think this guy was having a bad day or something, because he says, “You didn’t sign this. Did you know I can write you up and charge you $18.00 for not signing this?” Doing my best to be calm, I said, “I did not know I was supposed to sign it, but I can sign it right now, if you want me to.” He gives it to me to sign, then goes back to his car for a minute. In the meantime, I am just seething, because I am being falsely accused, and I know I didn’t do anything wrong. Never mind that I get away with other minor traffic offenses all the time. (Don’t look at me like that! We all do.) What’s that got to do with anything? I was innocent!

He came back with the ticket and told me to drive safely. I replied, “I always do.” I bet my blood pressure was off the charts. Ceci didn’t help. She just told me I needed to calm down. “What do you mean, calm down? I was falsely accused!” I exclaimed. The last thing you want in a moment like that is the truth. 

It took me a couple of days to calm down. I was really eating that raw meat. I was extracting every morsel out of it. That officer was just out there doing his job. I’m sure he was a good man who just made a mistake. I really needed to give him the benefit of the doubt and let it go. I put that thing down and picked it back up at least 10 times over the next week. “I forgive him,” I would think. Then, the next time I would see a cop, all of the emotion and anger was back. But, you know the Lord. He didn’t give me any break. As those emotions rose up, He dealt with my attitude toward authority and toward the law. He made me look at the roots of that anger and my pride. He extracted every morsel from it to bring healing into my life.

“If you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done.” (Matthew 6:14-15; GNT)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• So, we are now on day seven of asking the Lord to look through the hidden recesses of our hearts for any dregs of offense. Did you think we were done? Not yet. Thank Him that He is not done with us yet!
• Patterns of behavior are clues to our need of deliverance. Just like I seethed for a while every time I saw a police officer, you probably have those things that trigger you all over again. Time after time after time. Some of these offenses may be quite old. Some may be very recent. All of them need to get to the cross. Be brave and ask our faithful Savior for help finding root issues.
• Pride, envy, jealousy, covetousness, greed, and idolatry are root issues of sin in our life. Fear springs from these. Anger springs from these. Addiction, a side-kick of idolatry, does, also. These are fruit off a bad tree called sin and iniquity. Yes, we are saved when we ask Jesus into our hearts, but we are also “being saved” or sanctified as we daily work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Ignoring the fruit and roots of sin in our lives gives Satan a place in us. Get him out! Acknowledge your sin and iniquitous bents and apply the blood of Jesus there.
• Pride is in everyone. The Bible calls it the foolish pride of life. It manifested at the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and has been with us ever since. It is often hidden in plain sight; plain sight, that is, to everyone except ourselves. It holds us back, because it makes us think we know better than God. Open the door to your heart and let God root out the pride daily. It is in your best interest to do so. God blesses the humble, but opposes the proud.

A prayer you can pray:

Father, thank You that You are not done with me yet! You are faithful to apply the rod at the right time to keep me on Your narrow path of righteousness. You are the One Who makes us holy, for You cannot partner with the sinful and pride-filled. How beautiful is Your work in my life! My soul knows it well. So, for yet another day, I bring my heart to Your throne of grace. Use Your faithful scalpel of Truth, Holy Spirit. Cut between the thoughts and intents of my heart and don’t leave anything untouched that is meant to be removed today. Pride, envy, jealousy, covetousness, greed, and idolatry. If you are hiding anywhere, His light is about to shine on you. I will be changed by the great love He has for me. He is doing this work today in many thousands of Believers, so your kingdom can be undone in our lives and communities and nation. Revival and awakening are birthed in these waves where He calls us to turn from our wicked ways; to exchange them for righteousness and holiness. We repent of the fruit. We take His axe to the roots, and we will be free! Pride goes before a fall, but the Lord God gives favor and blessing to the humble. Root pride out of us, Lord Jesus. Amen!

Today’s decree:

“The meek shall inherit the land!”