2 SamuelSample

The way David handles issues in his early reign is wildly contradictory to the way we see kings portrayed in Hollywood. Every time someone brings David news of a dead enemy (Saul) or kills an antagonist (Abner, Ish-Bosheth) David is heartbroken. He kills or pronounces curses on the killers instead of rewarding them. Why does his reign look so different than other kings we see in the Bible, history books, or movies? Because he serves the one and only God and has an accurate view of the role he plays in God’s perfect plan. David knows he is not the enactor of justice; that is God’s job. He knows he has no control of his future; that is God’s job. Unlike other kings, David’s early reign is marked by mercy, forgiveness, patience, and peace toward people who do not deserve it.

Present-day believers can learn a lot from David’s character. As you may already know, David is the only man in all of scripture to be referred to as “a man after God’s own heart.” Though David’s failures are MASSIVE and his kingship is flawed, he understands more than most, his role as a steward, in relation to God’s plan. David understands that he has to decrease so that God can increase. God alone has control over the issues we face. As believers, we need to practice what David did: mercy, forgiveness, patience, peace, etc.

Looking back at the word:

1. Skim through 2 Samuel 1:1-16 and Chapter 4. What would your response be in these situations? How can you best honor God in your leadership over others?

Questions to ponder: 

1. Have you ever felt the need to get revenge for the wrongs others have done to you? Why or why not?

2. Also, think about how you view yourself in relation to God.

3. Take some time today and consider how you view God.

4. Who could you tell about what you have learned this week? Make a plan to do this.

Let’s pray:

Take a deep breath.

 Father God, help me to release these ideas that I have to enact my own justice, or that I am in control of my future. Truthfully, there are very few things I have control over. You are greater than I am, and your insight is deeper than mine. Help me trust in your will and plan for my life.