2 Samuel 20
This chapter feels like a big mess. People of Israel were deserting David, their rightful king, to follow Sheba son of Bikri, and Joab in his anger tried to kill an entire town rather than just the man who was betraying David (2 Samuel 20:2, 2 Samuel 20:15).
Sometimes I get in what feels like a mess. I get overwhelmed with relationships, work, and responsibilities that I neglect time with God. When that happens I tend to make rash decisions. I can get unrighteously angry with someone over the smallest thing and quickly act or speak without thinking. This can lead to miscommunication, a strife in a friendship, and usually ends with me needing to repent and resolve a deep wounded conflict.
When we aren’t spending time with God through reading His word, prayer, worship, Gospel community, then we can get out of tune with the Holy Spirit.
Oftentimes God can send us a message in something or someone that we wouldn’t expect. Sometimes it takes a person to call us up out of our sin and sometimes it’s a verse or a verse in a worship song, but no matter how far we try to get from God, He will always pursue us and try to speak to us; we need only to listen (Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 139:7-8, Psalm 73:26).
In this story, God uses an unlikely person to help Joab see his rash decision to be a foolish one. God uses a woman to speak to Joab and remind him of the relationship that the people of Abel have with Israel (2 Samuel 20:18-19). She makes a compromise with Joab and reminds him who he is truly angry at and gives him the head of Sheba son of Bikri, thus saving the rest of her people.
When we are closed off from God and not keeping our eyes and ears alert for His movement in the world, we can miss our chance to be obedient. We have to keep our souls awake to hear Him calling to us in ways we wouldn’t always expect. And when we hear Him speak to us we must respond with obedience and seek to bring Him glory and not ourselves.
Where do you feel like God is trying to speak to you? Do you feel like God is prompting you to remind someone of His glory?
Pray through Psalm 139:23-24 and ask God where your heart is not aligned with His.
