“David then said to Abishai and all his officials, ‘My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjaminte! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me His covenant blessing instead of His curse today.’” (2 Samuel 16:11-12)
Can you see it? David walking down the street with his friends while some crazy old man is antagonizing him, pelting him with rocks & yelling curses. Now maybe you’re thinking David got exactly what he deserved. I understand. By this time in scripture we know David isn’t an altar boy. But hear me out … there’s a valuable lesson tucked in here. David wasn’t just a man after God’s own heart. He was a man who stepped out in faith – even when it meant suffering God’s discipline to have His presence in his life. The Spirit stopped me right there asking, “How many times have you chosen your comfort over My Presence?” Whew … that took a moment to process. You see, though David was a sinner (like me) there’s one big difference: David opened himself fully before God embracing whatever God allowed in his life. Why? He understood God’s great love for him. David understood discipline was a part of love. And he had an unsinkable hope in the faithfulness of God’s limitless love. Perhaps today you are choosing comfort over God. Stop – embrace God’s discipline as an act of love & abandon yourself to fully interact with the living God.
Kelly McGaha