Bullies. Mean girls. We’ve all had to deal with them, and they come in many forms. Selfish family members destroy homes. Two-faced friends gossip. Sometimes we just need a big brother, a protector who will do something about it. In ancient Israel they called Him Yahweh Elohim. You know Him as “the Lord your God.”

The Israelites were running for their lives. They needed help, so they asked their cousins—family who should have stepped up and stepped in. But the Edomites didn’t fight for the Jews; they fought against them. They turned their backs on their cousins and turned them over to the enemy.

God would not overlook Edom’s pride and betrayal: “‘Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel, you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded, you stood aloof, refusing to help them. . . . You acted like one of Israel’s enemies. You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands. You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune. You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble’ ” (Obadiah vv. 10–12 NLT).

Sometimes, when the bullies attack, it just helps to realize that God knows and cares—He even gets mad about it! God isn’t ignoring injustice just because He is allowing it. Justice will be done. God has your back. The book of Obadiah has only one small chapter, but with one big message: the God who loves you fights for you even when it feels everything is against you. If you feel the sting of being bullied or wish someone had stood up for you when you needed it most, look to God today. He is standing up for you and standing with you no matter what you face. And if you feel as though you may crumble, ask Jesus to stand up tall within you. He will. “You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (Psalm 3:3 ESV).