Tuesday 29 September, 2020

Oh my goodness so much has been happening for David. Now all the difficulties resolve and David gets to take back his role as King. Talk about complicated – both family and friends. How did he keep it all straight – who was with him and who was against?

The beautiful thing about this story is how David chooses to behave in the circumstances. Many people turned on him in quite nasty ways while other people just did nothing and sided with David’s enemies. So now that it’s all gone back in David’s favour you might think he would be angry with those who turned on him. Instead he first listens to each one and then chooses to forgive.

The passage also starts with the men of Israel fighting amongst themselves and it then ends with them all having another argument. David is being wise and compassionate in between. You think they might have noticed how David was behaving but no they didn’t. I want to learn how to make choices like David rather than the rest of the people.

Lord thanks again for the pictures you paint with the stories you tell us. How amazing that David could behave well in these circumstances. Thank you for the things you taught him when in earlier times he did not choose to behave well. Help me to remember that it is possible to choose to behave well even when people attack me or treat me badly. I have Your love all of the time forever so if people don’t always love me I can still love them anyway – with your help which is always available.

Written by Therese Manning