2 Samuel 16:10 “But the king said, ‘What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the LORD has told him, “Curse David,” then who shall say, “Why have you done so?”’” 

SAITH THE LORD

The problem with vengeance is it doesn’t belong to us.  Just look at this story.  Shimei comes out and starts cursing David as he is leaving Jerusalem, fleeing from Absalom.  David’s mighty men want to cut off Shimei’s head, but David says, “No, the Lord will take care of him.”  Well, he doesn’t exactly say that.  He really says he trusts the Lord to do what he should do with himself and Shimei.

Not me!  I want vengeance.  I want to get payback.  Lol!  How about you?  We think we have the “right” to defend ourselves against harsh words or ill treatment.  I am NOT saying we should be a doormat for others.  I am saying, though, that we need to trust the Lord to defend us.  Perhaps that person who is giving you such a hard time has been put there by God to build your faith.

TEACHING MOMENT

There is no other way to teach our kids this truth than by living it out ourselves.  We can preach it to them until we are blue in the face, but until they see someone else actually doing it, they don’t believe it can be done.  And remember, you can’t do it.  Only Christ in you can do it.

Others are going to turn against your children.  They will have friends who call them names or try to ridicule or embarrass them.  If they learn now how to handle that, they will be so much further down that road of maturity.  The Lord will only allow to come into our lives what He knows we can handle.  We have to trust that.

Are you trusting Him today to be your defender?  Or are you taking up your sword against those who mistreat you?  Ask yourself what Christ would do.  Would He lash out at that person or would He love them?  I am not saying it will be easy, but it is what He asks us to do.

I will be the first to step up to defend the weak and vulnerable.  But I am also quick to try to defend myself.  It is not easy to just “take it” when you know you have done nothing wrong.  Let God handle it.  He has a big enough back to shoulder the burden.

Father, help me to let You defend me against my enemies.  Give me the wisdom to rest in You.

2 Samuel 13:21 “Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry.”

SIBLING RIVALRY

I grew up with an older brother, an older sister and a younger sister.  We loved each other, but, boy, did we ever fight.  My brother and I would wrestle all the time.  I would get mad at my sisters from time to time.  But one thing my parents did is they made sure we made things right. Continue reading →

2 Samuel 12:13a “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’”

ONCE YOU START

Here we are at probably one of the two most told stories about David.  The other is when he kills Goliath.  That’s a great story.  But here…well…this is another side of David we haven’t seen.  This is a story of his failure.

It starts out innocent enough.  He accidentally sees a lady bathing on a rooftop.  But that look turns to lust which leads to sin, which leads to another sin and another sin. You get the picture.  Once David decided to go against God’s commandments, he started down a slippery slope.

TEACHING MOMENT

Have you ever caught your child in a lie?  They are caught red-handed, but they begin to fabricate a story to try to get out of it.  One lie leads to another lie.  That’s exactly what David did.  This would be a great story to share with your child at such a time.  Now, depending on their age, you may want to “adapt” what you tell them started all of this. But they need to see how lies can build until someone gets hurt.

How can we teach our children the importance of always telling the truth and doing what’s right?  Simple.  Teach them God’s Word.  Teach them to follow His commands.  If they do that, they are safe.  But the moment they decide to do things their way…well…they are subject to failure.

How are you doing with this?  Are you making your decisions based on what you think is best or what you want to do?  Or are you seeking the Lord before you make that decision?  We are just as tempted as our children to do what we think is best.  We are just as tempted to follow the example of David, if we think we won’t get caught.

Decide today to not take that first step.  Don’t put one foot on that slippery slope.  If you do, it’s downhill from there.  The only way out is confession.  If that’s where you are, then confess it now.  Stop what you are doing and let Him cleanse you.

Father, I have sinned against You and You only!  Forgive my sin!  Cleanse my heart!

2 Samuel 10:2 “Then David said, ‘I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.’”

No one really knows the story behind Nahash’s kindness to David.  Scripture does not tell us.  We do know that Nahash was Saul’s enemy, so many speculate he was kind to David since “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, or so they say.

Regardless of the reason the kindness was shown, David feels obligated to repay the kindness toward Nahash’s son, but the son rejects it and even “spits in the face” of David by humiliating David’s servants he had sent.  Not cool!  There are lessons to be learned here.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to learn two things from this lesson.  First, they should repay kindness shown.  When someone blesses them, they should find a way to repay that.  It’s just the right thing to do.  A thank you card is appropriate or some other way to show their gratitude.

Secondly, don’t spurn a kindness shown from anyone, even from someone you “think” is your enemy.  You don’t know their motive.  Perhaps the Lord is working on them.  This act of kindness may be of the Lord.  As believers, we need to accept this act as Christ would.  Now, don’t be gullible, but be loving.

Is there someone to whom you need to show a kindness?  Who has blessed you lately and you failed to thank them?  Our children are watching how we respond to others.  What better way to teach them these lessons from David than for them to see us do the same.

Now, if the other person turns your kindness away don’t put together an army and attack them.  Lol.  Let’s leave that to David.  The Lord knows your motive.  He will defend you.  Trust Him to do that.  You just need to be obedient to follow the Lord’s direction toward others.

Father, help me to be a blessing to someone today.  I truly thank you for others You put in my life to bless me.

2 Samuel 9:7 “David said to him, ‘Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly.’”

COVENANT

This story of Mephibosheth has always blessed me.  After David has solidified his kingdom he starts thinking about his old friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son.  They had been covenant brothers.  David had promised to protect Jonathan’s family once he became king.  So, David seeks out any of the family who may still be alive.

Can you imagine, though, Mephibosheth’s fear when the king’s soldiers arrived at his house to take him to David.  He probably thought this was it.  The day had finally arrived when David would kill him in order to rid the land of any of Saul’s descendants.  He probably had no idea of the covenant between his father and David.  What a wonderful surprise and blessing when he was received by David with such love.

TEACHING MOMENT

Promises are something we need to teach our kids about.  When we give our word, it means something.  When we give our word, we need to keep it, not matter how long that means.  Childhood promises made may not mean a lot when they are made, but the whole idea of making promises should not be taken lightly.

Probably the most visible “promise” your children see in you is the promise you made to your husband or wife (if you are married).  They need to see you keeping your promises to love, honor and cherish each other.  You are teaching them, in the way you do that, how they will treat their spouse one day.  Promises made should be promises kept.

What promise have you broken?  What covenant relationship has become a forgotten one in your life?  It’s not too late to make that right.  I doubt the other person has forgotten it either.  Now, you can’t make the other person keep their side of the covenant.  But you can make sure they know you are sorry you failed to live up to  your side.

Oh Father, this is a hard one.  I have made mistakes.  I have broken promises.  Help me be more like David in this.  Help me to be true to my relationships.

2 Samuel 6:9 “So David was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, ‘How can the ark of the Lord come to me?’”

WRONG METHOD

This is one of the most misunderstood stories in the Old Testament.  David is bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem when Uzzah is killed for touching the ark while trying to keep it from falling.  David didn’t understand this.  Why would God kill a man for protecting the ark?  David had not researched or been told that the proper way to transport the ark was NOT on a cart.  It should have been carried on two poles by four men, men of a certain tribe of Israel.

David was always so careful to follow the Lord’s directions.  We see that over and over in his stories.  But this time, in his zest to worship and glorify God, he failed to seek it.  Sometimes worship can be misdirected, can’t it?

TEACHING MOMENT

We need to teach our children that there is a right way and a wrong way to worship.  I am not talking about the type of music or the clothes we wear (well maybe a little, lol).  I am talking about what we bring attention to in worship.  We should never worship in such a way that people look at us rather than the Lord.  We should not be a distraction to others.  All they should see is Jesus.

In these days of “wide open” worship services where it seems anything is accepted, we need to be careful to teach our children that reverence is still needed.  David failed to show reverence to God by the way he instructed the men to carry the ark.  That may sound simple and maybe a little stupid to some.  But God demands reverence and expects His children to follow His instructions.

As you go to worship this week, think about how you are worshipping.  As you celebrate the Savior, are you pointing others to Him?  Do you worship in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus?  Don’t let anything you do or say point them toward you.

Show our God the reverence due Him.  In doing that, you honor the One who deserves all praise and glory.

2 Samuel 2:1 “Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Go up.’ So David said, ‘Where shall I go up?’ And He said, ‘To Hebron.’”

DETAILS

I just love the fact that one of the very first things David did after Saul died and he became king was to ask the Lord for direction.  He asked Him where he should live.  Come on now!  He’s king.  He could live anywhere.  But David wanted to know what the Lord thought.  So, he asked the Lord, and the Lord told him exactly where to go.

I read a quote the other day by A.W. Tozer that said, “Most people don’t hear God’s voice because we have already decided we aren’t going to do what He says.”  Not David!  He wanted to hear God’s voice and do what He said.  Hmmmm, we could learn something here, couldn’t we?

TEACHING MOMENT

Teaching our children to listen to us is important.  But even more important is to teach them to do what we say, especially when it comes to following the Lord.  Have you ever grabbed your little Gertrude’s face and held it in your hands so she would look at you and listen?  That’s exactly the kind of attention we should give the Lord.  We should have our eyes on Him, just waiting for direction.

The next time your child nonchalantly asks you a question, without really listening for the answer, give them an off the wall answer, just to see if they are listening.  “Mom, what’s for dinner?”  “Oh, I thought I would fix snails and toads.”  Lol.  Sometimes, we ask God for direction and then totally ignore His answer.  Later we complain that He hasn’t heard our prayer.  In reality, He heard and He answered.  We just weren’t paying attention.

What have you been asking the Lord lately?  Have you been listening for His answer?  Are you willing to hear His answer?  Will you do what He says?  David did.  He could have lived anywhere, but he went to Hebron because God said so.

Oh Lord, show me how to listen better.  Open my ears and my heart to hear Your voice.  And give me an obedient heart to follow wherever You lead.

Jonah 1:1-3 “1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.’ 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”

ESCAPE

Have you ever wanted to escape from the presence of the Lord or try to hide from His watchful eye?  I have.  There have been times that I just did not want to do what He wanted me to do.  One of the parents at the church I serve posted recently a conversation with their 3 year old, obviously about obedience.  His response was, “Ok mom. I don’t really want to obey cuz I just don’t want to.”  Lol.  I have felt that way myself.

But we can’t escape obedience forever.  God has a way of getting our attention, just like we have to get our children’s attention sometimes.  Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh because he hated them.  He knew God would save them, and he wanted no part of it.  So, he decided to go the opposite direction as far away and as fast as he could.  You know the rest of the story.

TEACHING MOMENT

You can really have fun with this story with your kids the next time they decide to disobey.  You can threaten to throw them in the ocean for a large fish to swallow.  Just kidding!  That would not be cool.

But your children need to understand this story isn’t just another fish story.  This really happened.  It’s in God’s Word, so it’s true.  And the point of the story is also true and can be believed.  Little Johnny or Susie need to know that God will not allow His children to remain in disobedience without consequences.  Believe me – obedience is much easier than dealing with the consequences.

So, what are you running from?  What has God told you to do or to stop doing?  Are you running in the opposite direction?  Do you need to stop right where you are and do a 180?  God will get your attention if you continue to run from Him.

Father, thank You that You love me enough to discipline me.  I don’t like it, but I need it.

Colossians 2:6-7 “6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.”

STEP BY STEP

So many believers forget how to walk.  They truly think that once they ask Christ in their lives, they can just walk wherever and whenever they want.  Not so!  Paul tells us here how to walk.  You have to be firmly rooted, built up in Him, established in your faith, remembering your instruction and overflowing with gratitude.  No wonder so many Christians forget how to walk.

But it’s not that complicated.  We just have to let Jesus do the walking.  If we simply take His hand, He will lead us.  He will help us climb when the path gets steep.  He will steady us when we get weak.  He will whisper in our ear, “You can do this.”

TEACHING MOMENT

Have you ever had to encourage your child while you are on a walk or bike ride?  They start out gang busters.  You try to tell them to slow down, but they are so full of energy and excited.  Before long, they get winded and hot.  Those final few steps or laps are brutal.  You practically are dragging them to the end.  Right?

The next time this happens, refer to these verses.  Remind them that we have to live our Christian lives with discipline and patience.  We can’t run ahead and expect God to just bless us.  We have to stay with Him and allow Him to choose the right path for us.  We have to allow God to tell us when it’s time for a break and rest.  When we do those things, the path is much easier.

Are you tired?  Is your fuel gauge running on empty?  Are you so busy running ahead of God that you forgot He was even on your team?  Stop!  Take a break!  Ask God what it is He wants you to do.

Father, help us to let you lead.  Even when we think we know best, help us to trust You.

1 Samuel 31:11-12 “11 Now when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men rose and walked all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan,”

WHATEVER IT TAKES

This is, I must admit, a pretty somber story.  Saul and his three sons were killed in battle by the Philistines.  The Philistines, trying to humiliate the Israelites, fastened their bodies to a wall.  How awful!  How denigrating!  So, the men of Jabesh-gilead came and took them down.  They could have been killed by the Philistines for this, but they came anyway.

Now, why would they risk that?  Because Saul had rescued them from Nahash, king of the Amorites, years ago when Saul had just begun his reign as king.  They had not forgotten Saul’s courage and what he had done for them.  This was payback for the kindness shown them.  They had to do this.

TEACHING MOMENT

Kindness is something that is hard to teach our children. They learn this best by observing it.  So, Mom and Dad, be kind!  We are told in the Word to put on kindness.  I believe the Lord knows that it just does not come naturally to our flesh.  But it is expected.

Find some ways for your children to show kindness to others.  Take some cookies to the local fire station and thank the firemen for their service.  When you see a police officer in a restaurant while you are out eating, buy his or her meal.  Walk up to a soldier and thank him or her for their service to our country.  Take a meal to a shut-in at your church.  These are all ways to show kindness and gratitude to others.

Who has done something for you in the past for which you have not thanked them properly?  Do that today.  Pick up the phone and call them.  Send them a gift card.  Whatever you choose to do, just do it.  You might just make their day.

Father, thank you for sending people in my life who bless me.  Show me today how to bless them.