Silas
Beloved of All
Your honesty about this long and frightening season is received with care and prayer. Living with the sense that your home was not safe, noticing signs that someone may have entered, experiencing shocks in the shower and trouble with the heating, and then being shouted at with accusations you say are not true, would leave anyone feeling shaken and on guard. It is good that you are turning to the Lord who sees what is hidden and who promises in Psalm 34 that though many are the afflictions of the righteous, the Lord delivers him out of them all, and that He will condemn those who hate the righteous while protecting those who trust Him.
Only God knows what is in the human heart and what intentions were behind what happened in that flat. That truth should both comfort and restrain us. It comforts because nothing is hidden from Him, and He will bring the truth to light in His way and time. It restrains because we must be very careful not to bear false witness against another person. Scripture treats a false accusation as a serious matter, with the same judgment that would have fallen on the accused falling on the false witness if the lie is proven. When we do not have clear evidence, we must not state as fact that someone tried to kill us or hired others to harm us, even when fear and past experiences make it feel likely. To claim certainty where God alone has certainty can itself become a false testimony.
This is why Scripture so often warns about deception. A false prophet or teacher is not usually false in everything. Often most of what is said is true, which is what makes the error so convincing. They can appear gentle and trustworthy, like sheep, while inwardly they are not. Because of this we are told not to believe every spirit but to test what we hear, to look at the fruit of a life and at what is taught about Jesus Christ, and to require truthfulness that is complete, not partial. A report passed from one person to another, as when this woman confronted you with something she heard secondhand, is exactly the kind of thing that must be tested rather than immediately believed or repeated. The same caution applies to our own conclusions when we have only signs and unclear communication to go on. We can bring our questions and fears honestly to God without declaring as settled truth what we cannot prove.
You have also tasted something of persecution and false accusation. The New Testament shows that persecution does not destroy genuine faith. It often refines it, separates what is real from what is not, and causes love and trust in Christ to grow stronger. God does not overlook suffering inflicted on His people. He promises that He will judge with righteousness those who afflict others, and that suffering for His name will be shown in the end to be a mark of His justice and mercy. Our part in the meantime is not to repay evil for evil or to seek revenge, but to seek repentance and mercy for everyone involved. False comfort that says peace, peace when there is no peace helps no one. The only true hope for any of us, whether we have been wronged or have wronged others, is a complete turning to God and receiving His mercy.
For your situation this means continuing to pray as you have been, but with these emphases. Pray for protection and for peace that guards your heart, and take wise practical steps as well. If there was real danger from the electrical system or heating, have any new concerns checked by a qualified technician and, if you believe your life was threatened, bring that concern to the proper authorities who can investigate. Keep a simple written record of what happened and what was said. At the same time, pray for the landlord and for the woman who confronted you, and for the other residents. Pray not only that truth would be made clear, but that hardness of heart would be broken and replaced with a heart that is soft toward God, willing to take responsibility where responsibility is due, to tell the truth, to make amends where possible, and above all to submit to Christ for salvation. Pray also for yourself, that fear would not rule you, that you would be kept from bitterness, and that you would be able to forgive as Christ forgave, leaving judgment in God's hands.
May the Lord keep you in safety, quiet your heart when memories and accusations return, establish the truth in a way that is clear to all, and work in every heart involved to bring repentance, honesty, and reconciliation where it is possible. May He lead you into deeper trust in Jesus Christ alone, who is our only Savior, and form in you the fruit of patience and love even under trial.
Only God knows what is in the human heart and what intentions were behind what happened in that flat. That truth should both comfort and restrain us. It comforts because nothing is hidden from Him, and He will bring the truth to light in His way and time. It restrains because we must be very careful not to bear false witness against another person. Scripture treats a false accusation as a serious matter, with the same judgment that would have fallen on the accused falling on the false witness if the lie is proven. When we do not have clear evidence, we must not state as fact that someone tried to kill us or hired others to harm us, even when fear and past experiences make it feel likely. To claim certainty where God alone has certainty can itself become a false testimony.
This is why Scripture so often warns about deception. A false prophet or teacher is not usually false in everything. Often most of what is said is true, which is what makes the error so convincing. They can appear gentle and trustworthy, like sheep, while inwardly they are not. Because of this we are told not to believe every spirit but to test what we hear, to look at the fruit of a life and at what is taught about Jesus Christ, and to require truthfulness that is complete, not partial. A report passed from one person to another, as when this woman confronted you with something she heard secondhand, is exactly the kind of thing that must be tested rather than immediately believed or repeated. The same caution applies to our own conclusions when we have only signs and unclear communication to go on. We can bring our questions and fears honestly to God without declaring as settled truth what we cannot prove.
You have also tasted something of persecution and false accusation. The New Testament shows that persecution does not destroy genuine faith. It often refines it, separates what is real from what is not, and causes love and trust in Christ to grow stronger. God does not overlook suffering inflicted on His people. He promises that He will judge with righteousness those who afflict others, and that suffering for His name will be shown in the end to be a mark of His justice and mercy. Our part in the meantime is not to repay evil for evil or to seek revenge, but to seek repentance and mercy for everyone involved. False comfort that says peace, peace when there is no peace helps no one. The only true hope for any of us, whether we have been wronged or have wronged others, is a complete turning to God and receiving His mercy.
For your situation this means continuing to pray as you have been, but with these emphases. Pray for protection and for peace that guards your heart, and take wise practical steps as well. If there was real danger from the electrical system or heating, have any new concerns checked by a qualified technician and, if you believe your life was threatened, bring that concern to the proper authorities who can investigate. Keep a simple written record of what happened and what was said. At the same time, pray for the landlord and for the woman who confronted you, and for the other residents. Pray not only that truth would be made clear, but that hardness of heart would be broken and replaced with a heart that is soft toward God, willing to take responsibility where responsibility is due, to tell the truth, to make amends where possible, and above all to submit to Christ for salvation. Pray also for yourself, that fear would not rule you, that you would be kept from bitterness, and that you would be able to forgive as Christ forgave, leaving judgment in God's hands.
May the Lord keep you in safety, quiet your heart when memories and accusations return, establish the truth in a way that is clear to all, and work in every heart involved to bring repentance, honesty, and reconciliation where it is possible. May He lead you into deeper trust in Jesus Christ alone, who is our only Savior, and form in you the fruit of patience and love even under trial.
