His love

As I read this piece of Psalm 119 and noticed that mockery is mentioned, I realized it must be important.  In verse 39 it said,  "Deflect the harsh words of my critics —
but what you say is always so good." 
It must not just be me that has a hard time with this.

Psalms 119:41-48

This is how to stand up to mockery.  By letting God's love shape our lives.  It's in choosing to love the unlovely, which we become every now and then.  In my first Church, the Pastor's wife was a good friend to me as a new believer.  I thought a lot of her and her family.  But she had this rule that people shouldn't call her son the "Pastor's son."  That would make him become a bad person because Pastor's sons often did.  It never made much sense to me. The Pastor and his family had a small apartment over the sanctuary.  My Grandma was visiting so I took her to my Church.  I was so proud of my Church.  While I was chatting with my Grandma in the pew the Pastor's son came running down the aisle.  I pointed at him and told her, "That's the Pastor's son."

A couple was sitting behind us. I vaguely remember the wife saying, "They live upstairs in an apartment and he feels very comfortable in the Church," with a giggle.  A few days later I received a call from the Pastor's wife.  She was so angry.  She said how disappointed in me she was for saying her son was a Pastor's son.  How she had told me never to say that.  I asked who told her that, wondering how it got interpreted so badly.  She just replied, "That doesn't matter!"  I felt ashamed and like I had done something horribly wrong- I was unaccepted by more than one person.

I hadn't thought of this in years.  But, recently it came to mind.  God's still small voice asked, "Would you handle it this way?"  I thought about it and realized I wouldn't, at least not intentionally.  I saw the Pastor's wife in a new light- she was trying to protect her son.  Then I was able to forgive her and myself.  There had been a little thorn in my soul- so small I didn't realize it still hurt.  Through His love, He took it out.  God's love helps us learn how to interpret things, handle things well, forgive, and have compassion.  His Word helps us understand the difference between right and wrong.  We all mess up at times and say the wrong things.

41 Let your love, God, shape my life

with salvation, exactly as you promised;

42 Then I'll be able to stand up to mockery

because I trusted your Word.

43 Don't ever deprive me of truth, not ever —

your commandments are what I depend on.

44 Oh, I'll guard with my life what you've revealed to me,

guard it now, guard it ever;

45 And I'll stride freely through wide open spaces

as I look for your truth and your wisdom;

46 Then I'll tell the world what I find,

speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed.

47 I cherish your commandments — oh, how I love them! — 

48 relishing every fragment of your counsel.

THE MESSAGE