Re:Verse passage – 2 Samuel 16 (day two)
“Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.” vs. 12
Humility often brings a broader perspective. Here we see the displaced king walking among his predecessor’s family and friends, and his reception is less than regal. Ordinarily this would have been met with a swift retribution. David’s loyalty to Mephibosheth notwithstanding, it is unlikely that he would have tolerated rocks and insults being hurled at him. Although David has been brought pretty low, his response isn’t some sort of pity party, and I appreciate that. He has a healthy understanding of how God can use these moments for a course correction, or to gain greater insight into the larger picture. Sometimes there will be valleys to walk through, but that doesn’t mean God is not teaching all along the way. Stand up, take a breath, and figure out what is God’s next step for you.
Reading your blog today Aaron, makes me think of the verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9, which says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Through David’s weakness and inadequacy, he knew to seek God in all of this, and through that, produces humility. May we all do the same!
Suffering is part of life. Young or old, experienced or inexperienced, we all experience suffering to some degrees. When we meet someone, we must be mindful in our judgment because we don’t know what the person is going through in his or her life. No one can escape from suffering. Not everyone brings their personal suffering to make it a public event.
Each suffering is a lesson learned. In life, we either learn through success as how we define it or through failures. But we learn a lot more through our own failures and our own sufferings. Each suffering is a teachable moment. It comes to us in different forms and levels. We may experience sufferings economically, physically, mentally, socially or spiritually. Whatever it is, it is an opportunity for self-awareness and evaluation. Maybe God allows for suffering to teach us the value of humility, the value of suffering when the suffering is the result of disobedience to God, and the value of love and compassion.
After all, humility will bring us closer to God and is a wisdom and a strength. This verse below reminds us why we should choose humility over pride!
Proverbs 11:12, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Good reminder of how we should live our lives to please God!