The Lord Sees

2 Samuel 16:12

"It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day."

David was far from perfect, as we all are. However, in his dealings early on with Saul, David sought the Lord and acted righteously. Several times David could have killed Saul but he didn't even though Saul have him every motivation.

So when David is cursed and reviled, he does not reach in kind nor lash out in anger. Instead he bears up under it, knowing that the only opinion that matters is God's. David knew where he stood with God, therefore no word of man could shake him

If I live righteously, striving through my failings to please and honor God, I will be able to ignore these "light, momentary afflictions," looking ahead to a reward in Heaven.

Am I living righteously? What afflictions am I going through that I can look at in a different way?

Unexpected Answer

2 Samuel 15:12

"And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom."

2 Samuel 15:31

"And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

2 Samuel 15:34

"But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel."

God governs in the affairs of man. After all, He is the King of kings. David was betrayed by Ahithophel, his own counselor and apparently a very good counselor. David seemed to know that with Ahithophel on the side of Absalom's conspiracy, dark days were ahead. So David did what each of us should do when confronted with insurmountable odds - he humbled himself before God, prayed with all his heart, but he did not stop there.

David took these steps, then he acted. Hushai was brought into David's path and there king did not hesitate. David knew God has provided an answer to his prayer.

No matter what is going on, we must humble ourselves and pray continually. However we can not then sit back and hope God does something. We must be attentive and alert to Him answering our prayers, maybe in ways we did not expect and then be ready to act.

What have I been praying about for a long time? Have I been missing God's answer? How can I take righteous action now?

He Stole the Hearts

2 Samuel 15:6

"And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel."

With all that is going on in the American political system in the year 2026, this verse has significant meaning. Every human wants to be hears. Every person wants their opinion listened to and validated. All wish to know that someone will hear their case and do something about it.

However, government and anyone in it are not the ones to address our problem to. Can man truly give a solution to man? Human wisdom is not wisdom at all. No law of man can offer a solution to murder. Laws of man are impotent against the ferocious, sinful passions of man's fleshly heart.

Only God's wisdom gets to the heart. Only God can govern a heart through His Holy Spirit

Government is a tool that God uses there is no doubt. But it in and of itself is never the solution.

Where is my trust and confidence for solutions? Man or God? Am I seeking the true Wisdom?

Justice in the Wrong Way

2 Samuel 13:28

"Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant."

Absalom's admonition here some eerily similar to admonitions that God gave to his servants such as Joshua. The difference is that Absalom was acting out of personal hatred while God's command came from love and righteousness.

Amnon sinned gravely. David saw it and did nothing. Absalom bided his time, hate brewing deep inside until he could exact his own revenge.

Here we learn two lessons. One, those in authority must carry out timely justice without partiality. Two, how you go about doing the right thing is just as important as doing the right thing.

What is the right thing in my life that I am afraid of doing in the right way?

Sin: A Rotting Corpse in Beautiful Clothing

2 Samuel 13:15

"Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone."

James 1:14-15

"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

Sin is like a hideous, rotting corpse in bright, beautiful clothing. From afar, it appeals, calls and attracts us. But once we have had it, has our fill we are left with nothing but the decay, disease and death.

Sin destroys all it touches. Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Death is the end result every single time.

Our lust commands us and our flesh willingly follows. We desire and desire, want and want. And when we finally attain that evil desire, it turns to gravel in our mouths. Then what we thought we wanted, the one thing that we make us happy and finally satisfy that gnawing in our soul, turns suddenly to something we despise and loath because it has worked our ruin.

The Devil attempts to package sin as attractive and exciting and God's righteousness and dull, restrictive, boring. Nothing could be further from the truth. God and His love is life itself. The pure, satisfying water of life. The nourishing, hunger abating bread that our bodies require. These can only be found in Him.

Sin on the other hand is death. No life has ever been ruined by loving God and others "too much". Countless lives have been ruined and continue to be ruined by loving self too much.

How do I view the righteousness of God that I am to be seeking daily? Is sin more attractive to me than spending time with my Savoir?

He Has Put Away My Sin

2 Samuel 12:13

"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."

It's not that we sin, it's that we are sinners. We have a fleshly nature within that loves sin and is constantly pulling us in that direction.

The first act of obedience must be repentance. Repentance is turning from one direction and going the other. David realized his sin was against the Lord and he turned from that sin back to God.

Read Psalm 51. Verse 17 says,

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Death is the result of sin, every time. However Jesus offers to take that death and give us life. Have I accepted His mercy and grace today in my life?

"Thou Art the Man"

2 Samuel 12:7a

" And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man..."

In the majority of David's life we see a man, humble, who knew what and who he was in comparison to the living God. Here, we see a man who had no idea who or what he had let himself become. It took God's voice through Nathan the prophet to point out to David how far he had come.

I must be so utterly and completely sensitive to temptation so that I can flee at the first sign. David talked in the Psalms about how he desired God "as the deer pants for the water". A deer is also highly alert and will flee danger, warning others in the process. I must swiftly run away from temptation and all lust. But it is not enough to run from something if you don't have a place to run to. The Water of Life is waiting for you to drink deeply of His Love. If I simply run with no destination, I will quickly be lost and confused, because temptation is everywhere and only the strength gained by constant communication with God is strong enough to overcome

Do I know who and what I am in comparison to God? Do I let that humble me and keep me close to Him? Am I alert and wary of temptation?

Joy of Obedience

2 Samuel 11:27

"And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD."

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a righteous and angry God. The displeasure of the One Who holds our lives in His hand is not something to be taken lightly. His pleasure, however, should be our main goal in life, to bring Him glory and honor by the way we live our lives.

There are levels of obedience. At the base is obedience out of fear. Next is obedience out of pure duty with no heart or emotion. Next is obedience for reward. These are not what God calls us to. Rather He wishes us to experience the highest level of obedience - obedience out of love.

God desires us to be joyful and He being all knowing, knows what it is that will bring the greatest joy in our lives.

Jeremiah 7:23

"But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

Am I walking in obedience today?

He Tarried

2 Samuel 11:1

"And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem."

Being where God wants you is as important as doing what He tells you. The apostle Paul comes to mind. He spent a large portion of his ministry in prison, a place where most would assume nothing good could be accomplished. Paul did what God commanded him to do, and was content where God placed him.

David tarried at Jerusalem. What if Paul has tarried after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus?

Am I where God wants me to be? Am I being obedient to His promptings and leading?

Men of Courage

2 Samuel 10:12

"Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good."

I love the attitude of Joab here. He knows that he must do his absolute best, but that the results are in the hands of a good God.

First, we see a call to courage. Courage has a lot to do with faith in God. Courage is not fearlessness or brashness. Rather it is a confidence that allows action despite fear.

Second, we see a call to be men. A true man loves others more than himself and willingly sacrifices for their well-being. A true man will fight.

There are two causes that Joab calls his men to fight for - the honor of God and for their people. Our families and our God are what will matter in the end.

And finally, Joab lays it all in God's hands. He was committed to do his duty and trust God with the results.

What is my duty? How am I fighting for God and my people?

For Jonathan's Sake

2 Samuel 9:7

"And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."

In the eyes of most, David would have been totally justified in killing Mephibosheth. After all he was a descendent of Saul who had been nothing but an enemy to David. And even if killing wasn't justified, no one would've expected or required David to treat this cripple as a son and to honor him and make sure he was always taken care of.

And yet David did it anyway, for Jonathan's sake.

Is not this a small picture of our relationship with God after salvation? We are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, to dine with the King. Not based on anything we've done or deserve, we are lame, unable to help ourselves. But God shows kindness to us for Jesus, His Son's sake.

Am I living my life with anticipation for that moment when I will be with Christ? Do I daily recognize the blessings in my life that come as a result of God's kindness to me?

The Helmet of Salvation

2 Samuel 8:6

"And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went."

Lamentations 3:22

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

The Bible compares our salvation to a helmet in the book of Ephesians. When wearing a helmet, you have little to no sensation when struck in the head. Things that would normally cause a great deal of pain or discomfort bounce right off.

It is as if the Lord's mercy and compassion that He shows us in salvation is armor that nothing can penetrate. Our enemies may hurl arrows and spears, hack at us with sword and ax, but we remain untouched.

The fruit that is preserved in a canning jar remains unblemished, and whole only so long as it remains within the protection of the jar. Once it leaves that protection the decay and breakdown begins.

Have I donned my helmet of salvation today? Am I resting in Jesus' accomplished work in my life?

Thy Servant

2 Samuel 7:27-29

"For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee. And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."

"Thy servant..." David used this phrase over and over. It is not a vain platitude that the "last shall be first" and that "he who would be greatest among you must be servant of all".

David didn't look at his role as God's servant as a demeaning or base role, but rather as an honor. It was his desire and goal to be the best servant he could be.

We too have been called to be servants, of God first and also of others. Blessings come to those who embrace this role in life and live, not to get, but to give. Not to be served, but to serve.

Who can I serve today? How will that show my love and service to God to the person I'm serving?

He Knows Me

2 Samuel 7:20

"And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant."

Can you wrap your mind around that? God knows you. There is nothing I can say, think or do that He has not foreseen. My deepest inner thoughts, my hidden passions and temptations, my true drive and motivation, all of it is plain as day to the One Who Sees.

It is not surprising that the One Who created me would know me inside and out, better than I know myself. What is surprising is that He would care to know me. How many people had God created since the beginning of time? Billion upon billion, and each He has know intimately, each He has desired to know Him. And out of all those people, He did not overlook me.

Who am I, oh Lord? That You, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator, Sustainer, God of everything, would stoop to know your creation?

Self Aware

2 Samuel 7:18-19

"Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?"

This is the perfect illustration of humility. "Who am I...?" David had an honest opinion of himself in light of Who God is. He saw himself as nothing but what God has made him.

And the humility is demonstrated fully by David's recognition of Who God really is and what He is capable of. "And this was but a small thing in Thy sight..." David marvels at what God has already done in his life, realizing what God has promised to do, realizing that God's power would accomplish it.

How do I see myself? How would I describe myself? How would I describe God? The "big" things in my life, are they not but small things in the sight of the Creator of the universe?

From the Sheepcote to a Throne

2 Samuel 7:8-9

"Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth."

We as humans forget so very easily. God has done more for each of us than we can possibly fathom, answered more unspoken prayers than we can count, and yet how quickly we assign our success to ourselves or another besides God.

Here God is reminding David where he came from and that it was God Who have him the victory. Humility only comes when we have a proper view of ourselves in light of a proper view of God. And humility is the only way to succeed. God will not, cannot be close to a person who holds pride in their heart

From where has He brought you out? To where is He bringing you? Are you humbly seeking God nothing but to serve Him with the life He has given you?

Mercies, New Everyday

2 Samuel 7:15

"But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee."

Imagine a life devoid of God's mercies. His mercy spares us daily from the Hell and judgment that we deserve. Without that, where would you be?

Lamentations 3:21-23

" This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

What an astounding blessing we have in the mercy of God! He is the Supreme Judge and had ever right to punish righteously, but His unfathomable love compels His matchless mercy.

How has God shown mercy to you today? Have you thanked Him? Take some time to revel in the mercy God has poured into your life.

Guard the Heart

2 Samuel 7:3

"And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee."

The heart is very important to God. He gives many commands regarding it, telling is to guard it with all diligence. We also know it can be deceitful and very wicked. When God is allowed into a life, He loves to take our old heart of some and give us a new hear in its place.

When we allow God to exchange our heart for a new one, we have new desires. The flesh remains, and we have a daily choice of which we will listen to- God, or our flesh.

When we consistently listen to God, delighting in Him, He promises to give us the desires of our heart. Our new heart has new desires that God longs to give us if we will only ask.

Am I listening to my flesh? Or to God? What is my delight and my resulting desire?