- Let God Handle It
"My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."
-- 2 Samuel 11b-12
Talk about turning the other cheek! David was King. The Lord's annointed. His son was trying to kill him. Saul's relative, Shimei, was cursing him. And still he wouldn't let his officials do anything about it. He trusted God to handle it. That's impressive.
I'm not sure I could do what David did. How about you? Could you walk away from someone who was cursing you? The man even through stones at David and his men. I'm afraid I would have had something to say. I might even have thrown a stone or two myself. I certainly wouldn't have resisted letting my soldiers teach the man a lesson. But David did the right thing. He trusted God to take care of the situation. And God did. (Shimei later apologized to David.)
The reason David was even at that place was because he was fleeing from his son Absalom, who had started a rebellion against David. Absalom, if you'll recall, was the same son who killed his brother. I wonder if this was pent-up anger at David for refusing to deal with Amnon, another son, after he raped Absalom' sister and David's daughter. Sounds like a soap opera.
Whatever the reason, David -- who was known as a fighter -- refused to fight his son. Just like he refused to kill Saul. He chose to let God handle the situation.
How much better the world would be if we all could do the same. We're so caught up in getting even or punishing someone else that we don't stop and consider what God wants. He has promised that He will right any wrongs done to His children. He has promised to care for us and deliver us from those who seek to destroy us. And God always keeps His promises.
So why can't we take a lesson from David and just let God handle people who are trying to destroy us?
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