PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( 2 Samuel 16:10 ): I must admit, just as David’s men judged Shimei’s words and wanted revenge on him in the moment, I too have done the same in my own life, Father. David kept them at bay by immediately redirecting their heart and thoughts back to You, Father. I am sorry that I dip into a revengeful heart at times, Father, instead of seeing You through the turmoil of this life. Help me to be more like David in the chaos of this world instead of more like the men who wanted to kill Shimei on the spot.
PROMISE ( 2 Samuel 16:12 ): What I see here isn’t necessarily a promise from You, but David requesting a promise from You if it is in Your will. He says “perhaps the Lord will see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.” His focus, even through this turmoil, is still to reach out to You and take on whatever it is that is in Your will for him. He is asking for a promise from You to restore goodness to him instead of the affliction and curses he’s enduring, but ONLY if it is within Your will for that to happen. I need to be better at focusing on Your will for promises towards me instead of my own, just as David did here.
ATTITUDE ( 2 Samuel 16:10-12 ): These verses show great proof of David’s continued attitude towards his faith and You, Father. Although he has made mistakes, such as sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband not too long before this, he always seems to fall forward towards You instead of falling back towards his own flesh and the world. His attitude is focused on You throughout this scripture, even through the current affliction and turmoil he is facing in his life. Help me to be better at also keeping my focus on You throughout the ups, downs, and every in between in my life, Father. I know I will make mistakes and I know there will be mountain tops and valleys in my life. I hope that regardless of what I’m going through in this life that my focus is on You; especially the high points in my life because I tend to not go to You as often when things are going great. Help me to be just as focused on You in the high points in this life as I am in the low points, Father.
COMMAND ( 2 Samuel 16:11-12 ): I see that David envisioned a command from You to Shimei here. David felt that You commanded Shimei to curse David on this day through his affliction. I think sometimes things like this happen to get us truly to a broken state in our lives to break those worldly and fleshly bindings we want to hold onto so much. Sometimes affliction and cursing comes our way because we are too stubborn to have it any other way. I know I have fallen into this many times, Father. It took my wife asking me for a divorce before I was truly willing to see the issues in my own heart and to lean on You for healing and restoration. I had to be fully broken before I would allow You to put me back together. Thank You for this and for all You have done in my life, Father.
EXAMPLE ( 2 Samuel 16:5-12 ): David gives a great example to me on how to deal with affliction in this life as well as hatred from others. His example shows me that no matter what is going on around me or directed towards me, that I must always keep my focus on You. David is having rocks and dirt thrown at him and is being cursed at by Shimei, yet when his men ask him to allow them to go and cut of this guy’s head, David stops them and redirects their thoughts back to You. He stays focused on You throughout instead of embracing the turmoil and chaos that is around him as his true identity in You. Thank You for this great example, Father!
*DAILY NOTE: Wow! David is going through some things right now in his life. Definitely a lot of weight that I perceive being thrown his way through the affliction, hatred, and changes that are occurring. Regardless of the storm that he’s in right now, his focus has remained on You throughout all of this. How amazing is that?! He’s able to deal with and handle so much more in his life because of the fact that he is focused on You. How much more can all of us handle in this life if we are handling alongside You instead of alongside our own flesh, Father?! Thank You for an amazing scripture today for my quiet time. Help me to remember to always stay focused on You throughout all things this life may bring to me, both good and bad.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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