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One day, a group of fourth–grade students accused their teacher of sexually molesting them. The story quickly spread all over the city. The next day, the police found out that the charges were false. The class accused the teacher because he was planning to report their unruliness. Slander is a vicious crime that can do lasting harm. We learn from Psalm 5 that David’s enemies falsely accused him. But rather than retaliating, each morning he asked God to intervene. “O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. … Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness; you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked. … You will destroy those who tell lies. … Lead me in the right path, O LORD. … Make your way plain for me to follow” (from vv. 1–4, 6, 8). David knew that by letting God punish, the false accusers would get all they deserved. He asked God to lead him in the right way and make his path so plain that he would not miss God’s will. So when people falsely accuse us, we can take a lesson from David. Yes, we can set the record straight, but leave punishment in the hands of God.
