David had a great friendship with Jonathan. When things settled down for him as king, he asked,” Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Mephibosheth was the recipient of David’s kindness, restoring his grandfather’s land to him.
Isn’t that what God does for me. God does not care if I am crippled or dirty, broken, or unworthy, He just wants to bless me far greater than I deserve, for the sake of His son Jesus. Nothing I do can even come close to being worthy.
Then he bowed himself, and said,” What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” (2 Samuel 9:8 NKJV)
Isn’t that how I feel though, so unworthy to even deserve God’s kindnesses. But God extends lovingkindness towards me, reaches out His hands to me and says “Come, Carol, eat at my table.” And just being in His presence fills me with peace and joy, so that I forget about anything else but Him.
David experienced God’s presence. You can tell because of the way he treated others. He consistently sought God for direction on what to do. And when anyone relies on God for guidance and provision, they are truly going to see God, because they are looking for Him to show up.
David tried to show kindness to Hanun, the king of Ammon son, after his father died. He wanted to do this because his father had shown kindness to him.
So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanum, their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told David, he went to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba twenty-thousand-foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from the Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. (2 Samuel 10: 2b-7a NKJV)
Sometimes a kindness is just that, a kindness. I need to be careful with whom I listen to. Sometimes Satan, or one of his human helpers, will get in my ear, and try to turn something good into something awful. Hanun listened to his princes and a war broke out unnecessarily. Often, I just need to accept a blessing and say thank you. I should not try to build a false narrative in my head and create a war either physically or mentally.
God was with David, and he won the “physical” battle that ensued that day. I too need to secure victory over my thoughts and my actions that could turn a good blessing into a complete mess. God is waiting for me to turn to Him and ask Him for direction and wisdom.
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds you. You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours, The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, In the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel. (Psalms 89: 1,7-9, 11, and 15-18 NKJV)
God is faithful! He is the anchor to my soul. He keeps me grounded. He keeps me on the right path if I let Him. It is so easy to get distracted by other things or people, but there is no one that can provide, protect, guide, and love me like God can. He makes me happy no matter what season of life I am in. Because I find comfort knowing He is for me, and not against me, He is unchanging, and He gives me hope no matter what I am facing.
I think Paul felt the same. He had been for Jesus, and against Jesus. He had been free, and bound in prison. But when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his whole life and outlook on life changed.
Jesus said to Paul— “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you, to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:16-18 NKJV)
Being in the presence of Jesus must have been so powerful. It changed Paul from darkness to light. And once he was changed, all he wanted to do was to lead people to Christ, no matter what the cost. He never looked back, just kept his eyes fixed on the mission that Jesus gave him.
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”
And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:28-29 NKJV)
Paul knew who he was in Christ, he knew it was worth it, even though he faced many hardships because of it. When you see Truth, you no longer want what is false again. Jesus is the real deal!
Father God, you are awesome wherever you show up. You are the truth, You are everything that is good. It is in You I place my life, for I know it is secure there! Thank you for the knowledge that You revealed, and are revealing to me. You are the real deal!!
Carol (carolvorwe)
Sixty-six books in a year 