Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. —Zechariah 3:1 NASB
Accuse: to charge with a fault or offense: blame. —Merriam Webster Dictionary
Have you ever been falsely accused? Blindsided by an angry person who attributed motives to you that were absolutely foreign to what you were attempting to do? Back in my waitressing days in college, I remember being accused when I was just doing my job and serving a man his breakfast at the Denny’s restaurant counter. “Here you go, sir!” I said with a smile, as I set his plate before him. He put down his coffee mug and looked up at me with disgust in his eyes. “You can stop the smiling. I’ll give you your tip.”
I know. It was a little thing. But to me at the time it was big. If you know me, you know I smile all the time. Well. A whole lot of the time. I was not thinking about a tip at all. I was probably thinking about Ray Gamble, my then boyfriend. (A whole lot of the time back then was devoted to thoughts of Ray!) This man did not know me at all. Yet he had judged me cynically. It hurt.
Consider David when he was a young man. He’d killed Goliath, and he began winning battles for Israel. He became so popular that ladies throughout the land were singing songs about him. David had been invited by King Saul to live with him in his palace. Life seemed to be going quite well. Then, one day while David was playing his harp in the palace, Saul threw a spear at him and tried to kill him. “The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice” (1 Samuel 18:10-11 NLT). What had David done? Nothing at all that deserved a javelin thrown at him by his benefactor with the intention to kill. Shortly after that, David had to run for his life and spent years hiding from Saul—although he had done nothing wrong.
Accusations sting. They hurt. And yet … as terrible as a false accusation is, an even greater wound comes when the accusation is accurate, and we feel the full weight of shame on us. Guess who loves to accuse? The enemy of your soul. That’s who. In Zechariah’s account in our verse above, Satan accused the high priest of being unworthy of his role. Ever had Satan whisper to you that you are unworthy … as a wife or mother or employee or child? Bet you have. It’s one of his favorite tricks. And when he succeeds in making you cower in shame? He’s delighted.
But guess what? Because of the work Jesus did on the cross, Satan’s accusations are also … false. Of course you sin. Of course that high priest wasn’t worthy of the honor of serving in the temple. None of us are worthy on our own.
But here’s the incredible truth of the gospel. When Jesus died on the cross, he carried every ugly thing we’ve ever done on Himself. He said, in effect, Father God, I will take the punishment for this sin and pay it in full. That means every time you hear the voice of the accuser telling you that you can’t possibly serve God or make a difference in this world, you are free to call that accuser a liar. Which he is. If you have received Jesus’ forgiveness and He lives within you by His Spirit, you can serve God no matter what horrid sin you have committed in your past. Because the fact is—you are clean. You are pure. You are righteous in God’s sight. Jesus came to set you free. Please remember that. If you confess your sin, God is faithful and will forgive it. Every single time. And then you truly are cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is the truth. Bank on it and live it out by fulfilling God’s purpose for your life unhindered by the weights of shame and remorse Satan wants to lay on you.
Shame has no place in your life. When you feel accused, dear one, remember who the accuser is. You don’t have to listen to that voice. Ever. In fact, please don’t. Satan wants to keep you bound in chains of guilt and condemnation.
Oh. And you might like to read the end of the story concerning the accuser. It’s found in Revelation 12:10. Rejoice in this truth, dear friend, and live in freedom and gratitude for the grace and pardon found in Jesus Christ!
Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
—Revelation 12:10 NLT
Abba-Father, forgive me for the times I have allowed the accuser’s voice convince me that I am not the cleansed and purified daughter You say I am. Help me to quickly notice the accuser when he whispers in my ear and then run to You. Thank You for Your incredible forgiveness and the gift You gave when You sent Your Son to die in my stead. Forgive me when I don’t believe what You did and don’t live like the forgiven woman I am. I want to serve You freely! Help me to do so. In Jesus the Redeemer’s Mighty Name, Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
Donate
If you’ve been blessed, keep the blessing going!
Click over to our Donation page … and thanks.
Share it. Pin it.
