.png)
So the passage below just wowed me this morning. Here David is fleeing from his own son who is looking to kill him and rather than stand his ground as King and fight back he is fleeing to avoid a battle with his son. As he goes a man comes out and begins hurtling stones and curses at David and everyone with him. Not just any man but a member of the household of Saul the previous king. The soldiers with David want to go and kill the man for attacking the king. David refuses to let them. He allows the man to continue cursing him. He then rather then reacting to the circumstances says perhaps God will see me in my affliction and choose to bless me. David didn’t defend his right to be king, he didn’t get angry, he didn’t do any of the things most of us would. Instead he left the circumstances in God’s hands and chose to extend love. How different is his approach to the one we would often have? So often we are drawn into conflict rather than withdrawing from it. So often we believe we need to stand our ground rather to pull back so we don’t have to battle another person. How often do we feel we need to prove we are right even if it means damaging a relationship with someone. Shouldn’t we set aside ourselves for the love of someone else? Jesus went all the way to the cross sacrificing His rights as the Son of God because He chose to love us. I am undone by this passage and praying the Holy Spirit helps me love like this. “Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!” Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day.”” II Samuel 16:5-12