See my Distress Lord...See!

If you would like and this would probably make more sense to you if you do, read II Samuel 16:5-14 before reading this.

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 man of blood, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The LORD has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!"

Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." But the king said, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD said to him, 'Curse David,' who can ask, 'Why do you do this?' " David then said to Abishai and all his officials, "My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life. How much more, then, this Benjamite! 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."

On Sunday while at Reach Out I started perosing through my Bible to find something appropriate to share with the attendants. Because of how my week was it was hard to have spent time just meditating on what I wanted to share. I think this was God's doing to show me this verse. As I contemplatively looked through the scriptures I came upon the afore mentioned verses.

Now here was David in one of the most embarrassing and probably lowest period in his life. In chapter 15, Absalom puts in motion his conspiracy and in due time had David fleeing for his life from Jerusalem. In the first verses of chapter 16 he is told a lie by Ziba about Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son and David's surrogate son in a sense. Here was King David in a turmoil, spiritual, emotional, psychological, economical and physical turmoil. This shifting that was taking place in Jerusalem impacted on him as a whole being. If I was preaching this from the pulpit I guess at this point I would ask "what has gone wrong in your life that is causing a blizzard in your entire being?" There are some situations that only impact a part of our being, but there are others that take a toll on our entire person.

Can you imagine...one switch and suddenly everything that God promised you is thrown into a whirlwind. Remember David's ascent to the throne was not out of selfish ambition or pulchritude. It was divinely ordained and orchestrated for the glory of God and the redemption of our souls. Although God being sovereign can switch the flow of history like he can with a might river...He has somehow bond himself to His Word. And David was a part of his promises to Israel. Like we are a part of his promises to the eagerly expectant creation that has been waiting for our manifestation.

There is something in us that our world is awaiting like a family awaiting the birth of a child. Like any pregnancy there are phases of discomfort. But these are processes of progress and necessary for fruition. Now here is where I would bring in the above scripture...after facing all that, David is now being accuse by Shimei and stoned. He accused David of being a man of blood in killing Saul's household...He saw David's plight as the wages of David's sin against Saul...He saw Absalom's reign as being by divine design...and he also called David a scoundrel. Not only was David in political turmoil, but here he was now undergoing further personal persecution.

Now If I were in David's shoes I might have loved the counsel of Abishai. "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head." How many of us wouldn't like someone in our armoury of friends like this lad. Reminds me of Peter. But David rebuked him and then concluded "...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."

I must confess that when I first read this scripture I thought to myself "this is really hard to preach." But having reflected on it, I think I would love to get up and really preach on this, especially when I consider the thrust of David's contemplation. In the midst of what he was going through he saw this as an avenue that God could use to enter his situation. Somehow in the mind of David God seemed to have not been paying attention, but probably this cursing might get the Lord's attention. "God might see..." when we read the Psalms we know that David knew God was all seeing, so it wasn't that he thought God was uni-focal, he knew God was omni-focal. But he just felt God was not paying attention. He was seeing, but not seeing!

Oh Lord, I have missed this so many times and probably its because in those time I feel I had God's undivided attention. But even when we are wrongfully persecuted we should still listen to the providence of God before reacting. Its not that David would not be mindful of what Shimei did, but he was more focused on what God was doing. Even though David forgave Shimei when he was returned to the throne we see in I Kings 2 that he was still mindful of what was done to him and gave advice regarding it.

What are you going through that is causing you distress that God can use as an avenue to do you good?

WELL...A SUH MI SI IT, WHA YU THINK?