2 Samuel 16:5-14

Shimei Curses David
5 When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8 The Lord has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” 10 But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. 12 It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, [1] and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 13 So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. 14 And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. [2] And there he refreshed himself.

a. A man from the family of the house of Saul: Shimei was a distant relative of the former King Saul, and he still resented David for replacing the dynasty of Saul.

b. Cursing continuously . . . threw stones . . . "You bloodthirsty man, you rogue!" Shimei was about as offensive as a person could be. He wanted to destroy and shred of dignity or confidence that David had left.

i. There are always people ready to rejoice when a leader falls. Shimei had this heart against David for a long time, but he could only show it when David was down and out.

ii. "It is very hard to bear a cowardly attack. One is very apt to reply and use hard words to one who takes advantage of your position and deals you the coward's blow. Only the coward strikes a man when he is down." (Spurgeon)

c. The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul . . . you are caught in your own evil: A quick look at the outward appearance of things seemed to confirm Shimei's analysis; but Shimei was wrong. None of this came upon David because of what he did to Saul or Saul's family.

i. Shimei was wrong because David actually treated Saul and his family with great love and graciousness.

ii. Shimei was wrong because David was not a bloodthirsty man. It is true that he was a man of war, but not a bloodthirsty man.

iii. Shimei was wrong because David did not bring Saul and his family to ruin - Saul himself brought the family to ruin.

iv. Shimei was right that the LORD had brought this upon David, but not for any of the reasons Shimei thought.

2. (9-14) David receives adversity in humility.

a. Let me go over and take off his head: Abishai didn't want to listen to Shimei curse or dodge his stones any more. The mighty men surrounding David were more than ready to kill Shimei in an instant.

b. So let him curse: David didn't try to shut up Shimei. He didn't close his ears to unpleasant or critical words. David was willing to hear what God might say to him through a cursing critic.

i. David let Shimei speak because he was not a bloodthirsty man (what have I to do with you). Ironically, if David was the kind of man Shimei said he was, Shimei would be dead.

ii. David let Shimei speak because he saw the hand of God in every circumstance (the LORD has said to him). He knew that God was more than able to shut Shimei up; David didn't need to give the order.

iii. David let Shimei speak because he put the "Shimei problem" in perspective (See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite?). David knew that his real problem was Absalom, not Shimei and he did not lost this perspective.

iv. David let Shimei speak because he knew that God's hand was on the future as well as the present (It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day). David knew that if he did what was right in the present moment, God would take care of the future.

c. Let him alone, and let him curse: "David could take this fellow's head off and that in a moment, and yet he said, "Let him alone. Let him curse." And this makes a splendid example. If you can revenge yourself, DON'T. If you could do it as easily as open your hand, keep it shut. If one bitter word could end the argument, ask for grace to spare that bitter word." (Spurgeon)

d. So they refreshed themselves there: David was not without hope or comfort. God allowed comfort to find him, even if it was in the small things. David was able to receive the comfort because he was at peace, knowing God was in control of Israel.

i. In refusing to cling to the throne David was like Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). "As we thus follow David through these days of humiliation and shame . . . we nevertheless understand more perfectly that he was indeed a man after God's own heart." (Morgan)

ii. In his book A Tale of Three Kings, Gene Edwards put these words into the mouth of David: "The throne is not mine. Not to have, not to take, not to protect, and not to keep. The throne is the LORD'S." It was that kind of heart that kept David on-track through such a difficult time and enabled him to even be refreshed.

iii. "This is radiant illustration of the deep and inward peace given to any man who is living in fellowship with God in motive and desire." (Morgan)


Ryle's Holiness... http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/holinessJR-018.htm

Fess Up to Your Mess-Up

Dr. Robert Jeffress
Pathway to Victory

Life's filled with perplexing questions for which there seem to be no easy answers. For example...
Why isn't phonics spelled the way it sounds? Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? If a vegetarian eats only vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? If you throw a cat out the window, is that kitty litter? Here's one more: Why do we instinctively deny our failures rather than admit them? You would think we would eventually learn that covering up our mistakes never works. But that doesn't keep us from trying, does it?

Last night I heard a veteran television reporter observe, "It's the same story since the Watergate fiasco. It's not the crime that ends up getting you but the cover-up of the crime."

Actually the tendency to hide our failures predates Watergate. It all started with Edengate. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they automatically felt guilty and tried to cover up their guilt with some ill-fitting fig leaves.

Since that episode in Eden, we've all become rather adept at the same sport. When we fail, our first instinct is to cover up and hope no one notices. When we are exposed, our first impulse is to accuse others and hope everyone agrees.

Failing to accept responsibility for our failures prevents us from receiving the forgiveness we desperately need, and it also precludes us from experiencing the new beginning we desperately desire.

In my new book, Second Chance, Second Act, I explain four benefits of "fessing up to your mess-up":

1. Admitting Failure Allows Us to Receive God's Forgiveness

Augustine said, "God only gives to those whose hands are empty." Only when we are ready to empty ourselves of denials and rationalizations for our failures will we be in a position to receive God's forgiveness for our mistakes.

May I share a secret with you? God already knows about your failures. He's aware of...

— your addiction,

— your bankruptcy,

— your divorce,

— your immorality,

— your squandered opportunities.

But He can't forgive you as long as you're trying to forgive yourself by excusing, denying, or blaming others for your failures. Aren't you ready to take off those ill-fitting fig leaves and ask God to cover your failures with His forgiveness?

2. Admitting Failure Renews Our Emotional and Physical Vitality

Nothing can sap your emotional and physical strength more than lingering guilt over unconfessed mistakes.

King David experienced the physical and emotional downside of denial after his moral failure with Bathsheba. As David reflected on the months he spent covering over his failure, he wrote:

"When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer" (Psalm 32:3-4).

However, once David admitted his failure, he experienced immediate relief:

"I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD';
And You forgave the guilt of my sin . . .
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice you righteous ones,
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart" (Psalm 32:5,11).

Are you physically and emotionally exhausted from trying to hide your mistakes? Are you tired of worrying day and night what will happen when others discover your failure? Nothing compares to the relief that comes from the belief that your mistake has been forgiven.

3. Admitting Failure Encourages Us to Move On

One morning recently I stepped out of the shower ready to dry my hair. After plugging the hair dryer into the outlet, I flipped the On switch and . . . nothing. I clicked it several more times, illustrating the definition of a moron: someone who does the same thing repeatedly expecting different results. Finally I reached over and pressed the small, red Reset button in the plug, and the dryer began to blow.

Occasionally it helps to hit the emotional Reset button in our lives. We need to start over and head in a new direction. Admitting to God, to others, and to ourselves that we have blown it helps us make a clear delineation between the past and the future. Our acknowledgment of failure serves as a marker for the beginning of our second act. Whenever we're haunted by guilt over our failure or we're tempted to repeat the same mistake, we can say, "Since that is part of my past and not part of my future, I'm not going there again."

4. Admitting Failure Allows Us to Learn from Mistakes

If we are unwilling to label an episode in our lives as a failure, we will never be free to learn from our mistake. For example, Thomas Edison is often quoted as saying that he had learned 1,100 ways not to make a light bulb.

But inside that humorous quip is a serious, but simple truth: until we're willing to admit our failure, we cannot profit from our failure.

My grandfather was financially astute. To my knowledge he never borrowed any money. I can still hear him saying, "Robert, interest can either be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy. It either works for you or against you."

The same can be said about mistakes.

The first step in making your mistakes work for you rather than against you is to admit that you've made a mistake. Remember, God is willing to forgive your mistake . . . if you are willing to ask.

In this month's series Second Chance, Second Act on Pathway To Victory radio and television beginning April 22 (www.ptv.org), you can learn how to turn your biggest mistakes into new beginnings.

(Adapted from Second Chance, Second Act by Robert Jeffress, Waterbrook Press, 2007)

Find this article at: http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11582247/

Coping With Loneliness

Humans were created to live in community. So how does one deal with feelings of loneliness?
By Debra Farrington


Three years ago, I moved from my home on the West Coast to the East Coast for a new job. Taking only my cat with me for company and continuity, I spent the first few months in my new home feeling more lonely than I have ever felt in my life. It wasn't that people weren't kind to me. But I was apart from good friends, my spiritual community, and all that was familiar. I was exhausted each day by the demands of a hectic job. What little energy I had left was spent in learning my way around, finding a new doctor, hairdresser, and dentist, not to mention friends and a new church. I remember being very envious of those whose husband, partner, or family moved with them. At least they brought some kind of support system with them.
While it might have been easier to have a built-in support system during those months, the unavoidable fact is that we all experience periods of loneliness. Popular mythology holds that only single people experience loneliness, but I've met married people who have faced lonely periods as well. As human beings, we need the companionship of significant people in our lives.

Enter the biblical stories of Adam and Eve in Genesis ("it is not good for man to be alone"), or of the animals entering the ark 2 x 2, and it seems like we have a biblically mandated solution to loneliness--marriage. But the Bible also contains the stories of single people leading full and rich lives. Miriam, Moses' sister, helps lead the Israelites out of Egypt. A beloved leader, she leads the people in celebration after their escape. When she is punished with leprosy, and must stay outside the camp for seven days, they will not go on without her. When she dies, the people stay put until she is buried. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, in the New Testament, appear to be single, and have significant friendships with many, including Jesus. Paul, Jesus, and others fill the pages of the Bible--all single people, beloved of God, with rich, full lives. God doesn't appear to them and demand that they get married to fulfill the mandate in Genesis. Perhaps we get too focused on Adam and Eve, and the Ark, and forget that the Bible contains stories that affirm the value of the single life as well.

Still, loneliness can be a reality in the single life, but perhaps some of it comes from confusing loneliness with the act of being alone. I often tell people in my singles retreats that we won't make good partners for anyone in this life if we can't be a good partner to ourselves first.

If you find that you dread an evening by yourself, make a list of the things that you might do to nurture yourself. That list can include anything that nourishes your mind, body, or soul: browsing your local bookstore, taking a leisurely bath, listening to music, walking, meditating, journaling, enjoying a favorite hobby, going out to a movie or show (yes, you can go out by yourself!). Use that list to make your time alone into restorative time for yourself. We get so little self-care time in this life, and I can guarantee you that anyone who is married, and particularly those with children, would be thrilled to have an evening to attend solely to their own needs. Jesus often went off by himself to pray and escape the demands of others and of the day; it's not a bad model to follow.

Another time that loneliness strikes us can occur when we want a partner in life so deeply that we ignore the wonderful community that surrounds us. There's nothing wrong with the desire for a partner, but focusing exclusively on that rarely brings it about. Humans were created to live in community, so one way to move away from loneliness is to focus on others. It is in giving that we receive, says the prayer of St. Francis. What we will receive we cannot know in advance; this isn't a magic formula. But volunteer your time, pay attention to the needs of family, friends, and colleagues, or give of yourself in any other way that seems appropriate, and see what happens. Let yourself experience the intimacy of friendship and of service to others, rather that putting life on hold until that significant other comes along.

Finally, learn to befriend your loneliness. Think of it as your teacher, and ask it for wisdom. Speak to God about your feelings, and ask to know what this time of loneliness has to teach you. Talk with others about it--friends, clergy persons, spiritual directors, or others--and ask their help and support. As I grappled with loneliness in my new home, and talked with others about it, I realized that I had to live differently if I wanted more connection to others. I was spending too much of my time at work, leaving little time to get the rest I needed in order to have enough energy to go out and make new friends and develop new support systems. My feelings of loneliness in a new environment were kept at bay by working too many hours, which further increased my isolation. By listening to my feelings--as uncomfortable as that was--I discovered that my loneliness had something to teach me about living a more balanced life, one that had time for prayer, friends, and fun, and not just work. Even God took the Sabbath off.

None of this is to say that feelings of isolation, of loneliness, are fun or easily managed. They are real and sometimes very painful. And if they are chronic, you might want to find someone who can help you look at them carefully. But these feelings can be important tools in making changes in your life. They certainly have been so in mine.

Debra Farrington is the author of 'One Like Jesus: Conversations on the Single Life' (Loyola Press) and leads retreats on being single and whole. Her most recent book is 'Living Faith Day by Day,' about the wisdom of monastic traditions.

The Path of Brokenness

READ | John 12:24

Today’s verse gives a beautiful illustration of brokenness: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” That is, only by falling and breaking can a single grain produce a rich crop. If it remains isolated and protected, it will never produce anything.

That’s how the Lord works to mature His children. He breaks us in order to bring spiritual growth and supernatural ministry into our lives. And the process is always the same:

1. He targets the areas in which we are not submissive to Him.

2. He arranges the circumstances and selects the tools with which to break self-sufficiency.

3. He controls the pressure and timing of those circumstances to bring us back into His will.

If we refuse to be re-formed through this brokenness and instead cling to whatever God wants us to release, then He will put us on the shelf. Just like the single, unbroken grain of wheat, we will become fruitless and alone. Yet we resist brokenness at every turn. We want to hang on to the things we think bring joy. We want to persist in relationships that are stunting our spiritual growth. We want to take the path of least resistance and hope that God will bless our laziness. My friend, this is not the road to maturity that our Father has prepared for us.

Brokenness hurts. The Word, however, proclaims that it hurts far more not to be broken. Don’t be distracted by short-term happiness. Look where your Father is leading you and let Him do whatever it takes to get you there.

Broken by Lifehouse

The Broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm holdin on)(I'm holdin on)
I'm barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain (In the pain)
Is there healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm still holdin on)(I'm holdin on)
(I'm still holdin on) (I'm holdin on)
I'm barely holding on to you

I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home