The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Samuel 16:1, 5-7 ,
"When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba,the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.... As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, 'Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel!'"
In a defining time in David's life, the time he had to flee his beloved Jerusalem as his son, Absalom, attempted his overthrow, David encounters two men. Ziba and Shimei. Ziba was a steward of Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, and Shimei was from the same clan as Saul.
When David encountered Ziba, Ziba had brought David refreshment, supplies and support. When David encountered Shimei, Shimei cursed him. It is not difficult to see in the account that the Lord had sent both men for each to have an encounter with David that day. One to encourage, and one to challenge, to test, to stretch in a very painful way.
David acknowledges that Shimei had been sent his way as he told his troops, "Leave him [Shimei] 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." Verses 11-12.
I am mindful that this is just the way the Lord works in our lives. He sends things our way that stretch us, that bring about maturity in us, that grow us spiritually and other ways. In Revelation 3:19 Jesus says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." In Proverbs 3:11-12 we read, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." And in Hebrews 12:7, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?"
Yet at the very same time the Lord will provide us encouragement and refreshment, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." It is my conviction that when I need it in the midst of some struggle, the Lord is always faithful to raise up someone to encourage, to strengthen as Ziba did in David's life. As I look back on the hardships I have faced in my life, I recognize those the Lord sent my way to provide the encouragement, the refreshing, the strengthening I needed at the time. Our faithful Father is like that. It is what he does.
"When David had gone a short distance beyond the summit, there was Ziba,the steward of Mephibosheth, waiting to meet him. He had a string of donkeys saddled and loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred cakes of raisins, a hundred cakes of figs and a skin of wine.... As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul's family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king's officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David's right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, 'Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel!'"
In a defining time in David's life, the time he had to flee his beloved Jerusalem as his son, Absalom, attempted his overthrow, David encounters two men. Ziba and Shimei. Ziba was a steward of Saul's grandson, Mephibosheth, and Shimei was from the same clan as Saul.
When David encountered Ziba, Ziba had brought David refreshment, supplies and support. When David encountered Shimei, Shimei cursed him. It is not difficult to see in the account that the Lord had sent both men for each to have an encounter with David that day. One to encourage, and one to challenge, to test, to stretch in a very painful way.
David acknowledges that Shimei had been sent his way as he told his troops, "Leave him [Shimei] 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." Verses 11-12.
I am mindful that this is just the way the Lord works in our lives. He sends things our way that stretch us, that bring about maturity in us, that grow us spiritually and other ways. In Revelation 3:19 Jesus says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." In Proverbs 3:11-12 we read, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." And in Hebrews 12:7, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?"
Yet at the very same time the Lord will provide us encouragement and refreshment, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." It is my conviction that when I need it in the midst of some struggle, the Lord is always faithful to raise up someone to encourage, to strengthen as Ziba did in David's life. As I look back on the hardships I have faced in my life, I recognize those the Lord sent my way to provide the encouragement, the refreshing, the strengthening I needed at the time. Our faithful Father is like that. It is what he does.
I am fully convinced that the Lord does not leave any of us, his children, to simply meander through life in the spiritual poverty we show up in his family with. He works in our lives. He brings those times of difficulties to stretch us and he also provides us those who will minister to our needs at those times, refreshing us.
Good to keep in mind as we face what the Lord may bring our way, just as he did when he brought Ziba and Shimei into David's life on that day.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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