..."Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It
may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the
cursing I am receiving today." - 2 Samuel 16:11-12
As David's enemies were increasing
and he was fleeing the city from his son Absolom who was seeking to take his
throne, a man named Shimei began heaving rocks and cursing him as he passed by.
Cursing the king was against the law, so David had every right to cut off the
man's head -- as his generals were encouraging him to do. Here we see the
difference between Saul and David in their response to those who would seek to
do them harm. This is the defining difference between a leader who seeks to
lead through a vertical dimension with God versus a horizontal fix-it mode. God
knew David as a man after His own heart. Yet, David was a murderer, adulterer,
and had failed in many areas of his life. But one thing separated this leader
from all the rest: He had a heart that sought to please God and be in His will.
When David blew it, he repented.
What is the purpose God desires to
accomplish with the estranged relationship you may have with someone? Has He
brought this affront to find out what is in your heart today? Will you seek
revenge and solve the problem yourself? Or will you find the grace to allow God
to carry out vengeance in His time if it is needed? When I learned this lesson
to stay vertical with God and avoid the trap of fixing things in my own
energies, it was a day of freedom. No longer was it my problem. We must examine
our own heart in these matters. But if we are clean, then this affront is for
character building. It is the only way God builds the deepest level of
character in His saints.
A.W. Tozer tells us, "It is
doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him
deeply." God actually rises up storms of conflict in relationships at
times in order to accomplish that deeper work in our character. We cannot love
our enemies in our own strength. This is graduate-level grace. Are you willing
to enter this school? Are you willing to take the test? If you pass, you can
expect to be elevated to a new level in the Kingdom. For He brings us through
these tests as preparation for greater use in the Kingdom. You must pass the
test first.
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