Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.
– 2 Samuel 8:13-15
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
– 2 Samuel 9:1, 6-7
So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
– 2 Samuel 10:4-5
Devotion
David had some big faults as we will see in upcoming chapters, but he also had a big heart for God and other people. David’s experiences, good and bad, were used by God to mature him and to prepare him to be a godly shepherd of God’s people. David focused on being a godly leader by doing what was just and right for all his people.
In the section about Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, David proactively looked for someone to bless by sharing the blessings he had received from God.
In the third example above, David was sensitive to the discomfort and emotional needs of those he led. He was willing to inconvenience himself by temporarily sidelining some of his fighting men so they would not experience further embarrassment and humiliation as the result of their shameful treatment by the Ammorites.
The Big Question
What difficult experiences in your life has God used to mature and prepare you for His service? How can you proactively look for someone to bless by sharing the blessings God had given you? In what situations can you take action in an appropriate and healthy way to relieve someone else from embarrassment or humiliation?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.