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00:00:02 Have you ever been misjudged? 00:00:05 When Brother Parkin was serving 00:00:07 in Puerto Rico, it happened to him. 00:00:10 Brother Knorr came down from Brooklyn 00:00:12 for the very first international convention 00:00:14 on the island. 00:00:15 It was an exciting time for everyone, 00:00:17 and Brother Parkin did his best to get everything well-organized. 00:00:22 But after the missionary meeting, 00:00:24 Brother Knorr assumed that transportation 00:00:27 had not been arranged for everyone to get back to the hotel 00:00:30 —although, in fact, it had. 00:00:33 And later he gave Brother Parkin some strong counsel 00:00:37 about being better organized. 00:00:39 He even said that he was disappointed in him. 00:00:43 Well, Brother Parkin thought: 00:00:45 ‘That’s it. I’m out of here.’ 00:00:46 And he even told his wife later to start packing. 00:00:50 But at the time, he says that he didn’t argue with Brother Knorr 00:00:54 or try to justify himself. 00:00:56 Yet, he admits that he did feel misjudged 00:00:59 and was upset afterward for quite a while. 00:01:03 Has something like that ever happened to you? 00:01:06 Likely it has. 00:01:07 It usually happens to all of us at some time. 00:01:11 When others misjudge us, we might initially get upset, 00:01:15 feel betrayed, or become discouraged for a while. 00:01:19 We might worry that others don’t see us as smart enough, 00:01:22 strong enough, spiritual enough. 00:01:24 And what they said may threaten our whole identity. 00:01:29 So when something like that happens, 00:01:32 what will help us to stay loyal to Jehovah? 00:01:36 Open your Bibles with me to Psalm 37. 00:01:39 The writer here is King David, 00:01:42 and he well knew what it was like to be upset by injustice. 00:01:47 But more important, what he wrote is inspired of God, 00:01:51 so we can trust that it can help us. 00:01:55 Let’s start reading with verse 3. 00:01:59 He says: “Trust in Jehovah and do what is good; 00:02:03 reside in the earth, and act with faithfulness.” 00:02:07 When someone misunderstands us, 00:02:10 our first instinct may be to prove ourselves right, 00:02:13 but usually that isn’t very helpful. 00:02:16 David says we should focus on Jehovah and keep doing good. 00:02:21 Be faithful, be humble, continue caring for your assignments. 00:02:26 Jesus once said that “wisdom is proved righteous by its works.” 00:02:31 And many times, it’s our works over time 00:02:35 (instead of trying to straighten the other person out) 00:02:39 that win back their heart and our reputation. 00:02:44 Why can we trust Jehovah to help us in these situations? 00:02:47 Well, remember what happened to him in the garden of Eden? 00:02:51 Jehovah based everything in creation 00:02:54 —his entire sovereignty— on love. 00:02:57 After he made Jesus, they made everything else together. 00:03:02 As each new angel and human was created, 00:03:06 Jesus saw just how Jehovah treated them, 00:03:09 and that made him love Jehovah even more. 00:03:13 But then, as we know, Satan slandered Jehovah. 00:03:17 He didn’t challenge his position or power; 00:03:20 he challenged his motives—God’s love. 00:03:24 Now can you imagine how hurtful that was to Jehovah and Jesus? 00:03:29 And this raised all sorts of questions. 00:03:32 How many others would believe Satan’s accusations? 00:03:35 What would happen to Adam’s offspring? 00:03:38 How would Jehovah’s reputation be cleared, and so on? 00:03:43 Now, Jehovah is the Almighty, 00:03:45 and he took immediate steps to resolve those issues, 00:03:48 but it has taken a lot of time to resolve them. 00:03:53 So if someone misjudges us, 00:03:57 do you think Jehovah knows what we’re going through? 00:04:00 He sure does. 00:04:02 He knows exactly what it feels like. 00:04:05 And as David says later in verse 18 in this psalm: 00:04:08 “Jehovah is aware of what the blameless go through.” 00:04:13 Let’s read verse 4. 00:04:17 He says: “Find exquisite delight in Jehovah, 00:04:21 and he will grant you the desires of your heart.” 00:04:25 David is urging us here to find safety in Jehovah, 00:04:30 because when we feel safe, 00:04:32 it’s easier for us to hear what others are saying to us 00:04:35 or be less inclined to push our own views or justify ourself. 00:04:40 In other psalms, 00:04:43 David talks about how Jehovah brought him into a place of safety. 00:04:48 And really, who makes us feel safer than Jehovah does? 00:04:52 If we are in Jehovah’s place of safety, 00:04:56 then we can hear almost anything without becoming defensive. 00:05:02 Verse 5: 00:05:04 “Commit your way to Jehovah.” 00:05:06 David says: “Rely on him, and he will act in your behalf.” 00:05:11 In other words, let Jehovah lead you. 00:05:14 Once we fully commit ourselves to Jehovah, 00:05:17 we won’t feel lost or abandoned when we have setbacks in life. 00:05:22 We know that he’ll continue to guide and bless us 00:05:25 just as he did Joseph and Hannah and David and others. 00:05:29 Verses 23 and 24 of this psalm say: 00:05:33 “Jehovah guides the steps of a man when he finds pleasure in his way. 00:05:38 “Although he may fall, 00:05:40 “he will not be hurled down, 00:05:42 for Jehovah supports him by the hand.” 00:05:46 Verse 6: 00:05:48 “He will make your righteousness shine like daybreak, 00:05:52 and your justice like the midday sun.” 00:05:56 So Jehovah will either vindicate you 00:05:58 or, at the very least, reassure you of his love. 00:06:02 He knows our motives and intentions, 00:06:05 so if a relative or friend or an overseer misjudges us, 00:06:10 Jehovah will make his own decision. 00:06:13 The Watchtower once said that if Jehovah wants to vindicate us in some matter, 00:06:17 he can do so at the proper time. 00:06:21 And if he chooses to do that, it will be obvious. 00:06:25 One translation says in this verse 00:06:28 that it will become as clear as “the noonday sun” that you are right. 00:06:34 But not all situations get resolved in that way, do they? 00:06:37 We love to hear those stories about Joseph and Hannah and David, 00:06:41 where the underdog ends up on top. 00:06:44 But what about Mephibosheth, 00:06:46 Jeremiah, or the apostle Paul? 00:06:49 Were their reputations ever completely cleared during their lifetime? 00:06:54 So it makes no sense to hold on to hurt feelings 00:06:57 until Jehovah vindicates us. 00:07:01 It’s so much better to resolve the matter now. 00:07:04 Notice verse 7: 00:07:06 “Keep silent before Jehovah and wait expectantly for him. 00:07:11 Do not be upset by the man who succeeds in carrying out his schemes.” 00:07:16 The bottom line is that we can’t stay upset. 00:07:21 What, though, if we get counsel 00:07:23 that doesn’t seem to be 100 percent correct, 00:07:26 like in Brother Parkin’s case? 00:07:29 Of course, if you’re accused of something serious, you should speak up, 00:07:33 at least to satisfy your conscience. 00:07:36 But more often, 00:07:38 after you pray about it and think about what was said, 00:07:43 why not just apply what you can? 00:07:46 Most counsel has at least something that we can benefit from. 00:07:51 And if there is something that still doesn’t seem to fit, 00:07:54 then wait “patiently,” as the footnote on verse 7 says, 00:07:59 for Jehovah to clarify matters or make things right. 00:08:04 In most cases, the only way for misunderstandings to get cleared up 00:08:08 is with the passing of time. 00:08:10 I like this quote from a brother years ago. 00:08:12 He said: “If God has been willing to wait six thousand years 00:08:16 “for his true character to be made manifest, 00:08:19 “should not we be able to wait a few brief years 00:08:23 “to have our motives and lives, now so sadly misunderstood, 00:08:27 cleared of every misconception?” 00:08:30 That’s the key, isn’t it? 00:08:32 Focus on Jehovah, 00:08:34 and we can be happy even when we’re misunderstood. 00:08:37 Always remember that he knows exactly how you feel, 00:08:41 and in due time, he will act in your behalf. 00:08:47 How did things turn out for Brother Parkin and Brother Knorr? 00:08:50 Well, in his life story, Brother Parkin says: 00:08:53 ‘The next time Maxine and I saw him (about six months later), 00:08:57 he invited us to his room and cooked a meal for us.’ 00:09:01 Well, it looks like Jehovah gave Brother Parkin 00:09:03 “the requests of [his] heart,” right? 00:09:05 In fact, he told me recently 00:09:07 that he and Brother Knorr became the best of friends.
00:00:02 Have you ever been misjudged? 00:00:05 When Brother Parkin was serving 00:00:07 in Puerto Rico, it happened to him. 00:00:10 Brother Knorr came down from Brooklyn 00:00:12 for the very first international convention 00:00:14 on the island. 00:00:15 It was an exciting time for everyone, 00:00:17 and Brother Parkin did his best to get everything well-organized. 00:00:22 But after the missionary meeting, 00:00:24 Brother Knorr assumed that transportation 00:00:27 had not been arranged for everyone to get back to the hotel 00:00:30 —although, in fact, it had. 00:00:33 And later he gave Brother Parkin some strong counsel 00:00:37 about being better organized. 00:00:39 He even said that he was disappointed in him. 00:00:43 Well, Brother Parkin thought: 00:00:45 ‘That’s it. I’m out of here.’ 00:00:46 And he even told his wife later to start packing. 00:00:50 But at the time, he says that he didn’t argue with Brother Knorr 00:00:54 or try to justify himself. 00:00:56 Yet, he admits that he did feel misjudged 00:00:59 and was upset afterward for quite a while. 00:01:03 Has something like that ever happened to you? 00:01:06 Likely it has. 00:01:07 It usually happens to all of us at some time. 00:01:11 When others misjudge us, we might initially get upset, 00:01:15 feel betrayed, or become discouraged for a while. 00:01:19 We might worry that others don’t see us as smart enough, 00:01:22 strong enough, spiritual enough. 00:01:24 And what they said may threaten our whole identity. 00:01:29 So when something like that happens, 00:01:32 what will help us to stay loyal to Jehovah? 00:01:36 Open your Bibles with me to Psalm 37. 00:01:39 The writer here is King David, 00:01:42 and he well knew what it was like to be upset by injustice. 00:01:47 But more important, what he wrote is inspired of God, 00:01:51 so we can trust that it can help us. 00:01:55 Let’s start reading with verse 3. 00:01:59 He says: “Trust in Jehovah and do what is good; 00:02:03 reside in the earth, and act with faithfulness.” 00:02:07 When someone misunderstands us, 00:02:10 our first instinct may be to prove ourselves right, 00:02:13 but usually that isn’t very helpful. 00:02:16 David says we should focus on Jehovah and keep doing good. 00:02:21 Be faithful, be humble, continue caring for your assignments. 00:02:26 Jesus once said that “wisdom is proved righteous by its works.” 00:02:31 And many times, it’s our works over time 00:02:35 (instead of trying to straighten the other person out) 00:02:39 that win back their heart and our reputation. 00:02:44 Why can we trust Jehovah to help us in these situations? 00:02:47 Well, remember what happened to him in the garden of Eden? 00:02:51 Jehovah based everything in creation 00:02:54 —his entire sovereignty— on love. 00:02:57 After he made Jesus, they made everything else together. 00:03:02 As each new angel and human was created, 00:03:06 Jesus saw just how Jehovah treated them, 00:03:09 and that made him love Jehovah even more. 00:03:13 But then, as we know, Satan slandered Jehovah. 00:03:17 He didn’t challenge his position or power; 00:03:20 he challenged his motives—God’s love. 00:03:24 Now can you imagine how hurtful that was to Jehovah and Jesus? 00:03:29 And this raised all sorts of questions. 00:03:32 How many others would believe Satan’s accusations? 00:03:35 What would happen to Adam’s offspring? 00:03:38 How would Jehovah’s reputation be cleared, and so on? 00:03:43 Now, Jehovah is the Almighty, 00:03:45 and he took immediate steps to resolve those issues, 00:03:48 but it has taken a lot of time to resolve them. 00:03:53 So if someone misjudges us, 00:03:57 do you think Jehovah knows what we’re going through? 00:04:00 He sure does. 00:04:02 He knows exactly what it feels like. 00:04:05 And as David says later in verse 18 in this psalm: 00:04:08 “Jehovah is aware of what the blameless go through.” 00:04:13 Let’s read verse 4. 00:04:17 He says: “Find exquisite delight in Jehovah, 00:04:21 and he will grant you the desires of your heart.” 00:04:25 David is urging us here to find safety in Jehovah, 00:04:30 because when we feel safe, 00:04:32 it’s easier for us to hear what others are saying to us 00:04:35 or be less inclined to push our own views or justify ourself. 00:04:40 In other psalms, 00:04:43 David talks about how Jehovah brought him into a place of safety. 00:04:48 And really, who makes us feel safer than Jehovah does? 00:04:52 If we are in Jehovah’s place of safety, 00:04:56 then we can hear almost anything without becoming defensive. 00:05:02 Verse 5: 00:05:04 “Commit your way to Jehovah.” 00:05:06 David says: “Rely on him, and he will act in your behalf.” 00:05:11 In other words, let Jehovah lead you. 00:05:14 Once we fully commit ourselves to Jehovah, 00:05:17 we won’t feel lost or abandoned when we have setbacks in life. 00:05:22 We know that he’ll continue to guide and bless us 00:05:25 just as he did Joseph and Hannah and David and others. 00:05:29 Verses 23 and 24 of this psalm say: 00:05:33 “Jehovah guides the steps of a man when he finds pleasure in his way. 00:05:38 “Although he may fall, 00:05:40 “he will not be hurled down, 00:05:42 for Jehovah supports him by the hand.” 00:05:46 Verse 6: 00:05:48 “He will make your righteousness shine like daybreak, 00:05:52 and your justice like the midday sun.” 00:05:56 So Jehovah will either vindicate you 00:05:58 or, at the very least, reassure you of his love. 00:06:02 He knows our motives and intentions, 00:06:05 so if a relative or friend or an overseer misjudges us, 00:06:10 Jehovah will make his own decision. 00:06:13 The Watchtower once said that if Jehovah wants to vindicate us in some matter, 00:06:17 he can do so at the proper time. 00:06:21 And if he chooses to do that, it will be obvious. 00:06:25 One translation says in this verse 00:06:28 that it will become as clear as “the noonday sun” that you are right. 00:06:34 But not all situations get resolved in that way, do they? 00:06:37 We love to hear those stories about Joseph and Hannah and David, 00:06:41 where the underdog ends up on top. 00:06:44 But what about Mephibosheth, 00:06:46 Jeremiah, or the apostle Paul? 00:06:49 Were their reputations ever completely cleared during their lifetime? 00:06:54 So it makes no sense to hold on to hurt feelings 00:06:57 until Jehovah vindicates us. 00:07:01 It’s so much better to resolve the matter now. 00:07:04 Notice verse 7: 00:07:06 “Keep silent before Jehovah and wait expectantly for him. 00:07:11 Do not be upset by the man who succeeds in carrying out his schemes.” 00:07:16 The bottom line is that we can’t stay upset. 00:07:21 What, though, if we get counsel 00:07:23 that doesn’t seem to be 100 percent correct, 00:07:26 like in Brother Parkin’s case? 00:07:29 Of course, if you’re accused of something serious, you should speak up, 00:07:33 at least to satisfy your conscience. 00:07:36 But more often, 00:07:38 after you pray about it and think about what was said, 00:07:43 why not just apply what you can? 00:07:46 Most counsel has at least something that we can benefit from. 00:07:51 And if there is something that still doesn’t seem to fit, 00:07:54 then wait “patiently,” as the footnote on verse 7 says, 00:07:59 for Jehovah to clarify matters or make things right. 00:08:04 In most cases, the only way for misunderstandings to get cleared up 00:08:08 is with the passing of time. 00:08:10 I like this quote from a brother years ago. 00:08:12 He said: “If God has been willing to wait six thousand years 00:08:16 “for his true character to be made manifest, 00:08:19 “should not we be able to wait a few brief years 00:08:23 “to have our motives and lives, now so sadly misunderstood, 00:08:27 cleared of every misconception?” 00:08:30 That’s the key, isn’t it? 00:08:32 Focus on Jehovah, 00:08:34 and we can be happy even when we’re misunderstood. 00:08:37 Always remember that he knows exactly how you feel, 00:08:41 and in due time, he will act in your behalf. 00:08:47 How did things turn out for Brother Parkin and Brother Knorr? 00:08:50 Well, in his life story, Brother Parkin says: 00:08:53 ‘The next time Maxine and I saw him (about six months later), 00:08:57 he invited us to his room and cooked a meal for us.’ 00:09:01 Well, it looks like Jehovah gave Brother Parkin 00:09:03 “the requests of [his] heart,” right? 00:09:05 In fact, he told me recently 00:09:07 that he and Brother Knorr became the best of friends.
