Where is God when you’re mistreated or attacked unfairly? Why would He allow one of His children to be treated that way? What can we learn from David’s response to unfair attacks and His understanding of the sovereignty of God that can help us when we face those situations?

Today’s Readings:

2 Samuel 15 & 16
Psalm 66.8-15
Proverbs 16.27-30
John 7.1-27

Where is God When You’re Attacked Unfairly?

2 Samuel 15 & 16:

The Sovereignty of God & Unfair Attacks

In these two chapters, we see David’s trust in God in what must have been two very difficult situations.

The first one concerns the broken relationship between him and his son, Absalom. Years of not dealing with problems had led to bitterness and finally rebellion on Absalom’s part. Absalom had been secretly plotting to overthrow his father by deceiving the people and was now on his way to take Jerusalem.

David had been warned about the planned attack and was fleeing the city along with his household and hundreds of his men. But when Zadok the Priest joined him, David sent him back into Jerusalem with this statement:

Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place. But if He says thus. “I have no delight in you,” here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him’ (15.26).

Let Him Curse

Then in chapter 16, a man by the name of Shimei, one of former King Saul’s descendants, began following David and his men as they fled cursing and throwing stones at them. Abishai, one of his generals, offered to take off Shimei’s head! But David responded by saying:

So let him curse, because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ And David said to Abishai and all his servants, ‘See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life. How much more now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. 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 was an imperfect man. In fact, his own actions had contributed to some of the hardships he was facing. But what was it about David that allowed him to trust God in this way?

God’s Providence

I believe David knew God in a way that many of us do not. He knew His character and understood His providential care for each of us.

I recently read this definition of God’s providence. In his book Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges defines it this way:

God’s providence may be simply defined as God’s orchestrating all circumstances and events in His universe for His glory and the good of His people.

We don’t use the word providence much anymore. We may be more accustomed to thinking of it as the sovereignty of God. But whether we call it His providence or His sovereignty, when we truly understand and believe that God is completely in control of His universe, including the events of our lives, that He has orchestrated each event that comes into our lives for our good, as well as, His glory, we can trust Him even when things are difficult or when a trial doesn’t seem to end.

If you are struggling in this area, consider doing a study on the attributes of God. A.W. Tozer and A.W. Pink both have excellent books on the subject. If you prefer listening, Ligonier Ministries has a study by Dr. Steven Lawson that they offer for free. You can also find it on YouTube. Another good book on the sovereignty of God is It’s Not Fair! by Wayne Mack. 

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 66.8-15:

My Father, But …

Verse 8 begins, “Oh, bless our God, you peoples!”

The meaning of the word “bless” includes: kneeling, praising, saluting, and thanking. The word “salute” caught my attention. When we think of saluting, we think of the military. But what is a salute? It’s an acknowledgment of someone’s superiority or rank. Webster says it’s “a formal gesture expressing respect.”

I believe God wants us to have a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him. Because we are His adopted sons and daughters, Paul said we have a right to call Him, “Abba,” the Aramaic word for “Daddy” (Rom. 8.15).

But that familiarity should not lead us into a forwardness or over-familiarity where we begin to see ourselves almost as peers, or worse yet, where we begin to think God is at our beck and call like a genie in a bottle. We must, also, understand “… that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deut. 4.39). He may be our “Abba, Father,” but He is still God and we are not!

Proverbs 16.27-30:

When Ungodly Men (or Women) Dig Up Evil

Proverbs 16:

²⁷ An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning fire.
²⁸ A perverse man sows strife,
And a whisperer separates the best of friends.
²⁹ A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
³⁰ He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He purses his lips and brings about evil.

Notice the verbs in these four verses about how ungodly men and women operate. Take a closer look at them. They dig up evil and it’s on their lips like a burning fire. They sow strife and separate the best of friends. They entice their neighbor and lead them in a way that is not good. They wink their eyes and purse their lips to bring about evil.

The Temptation to Gossip

Let’s look a little closer at those descriptions. Digging up evil and sowing strife. Have you noticed how some people like to dig for dirt and how they ask questions that are none of their business? And then can’t wait to share the latest bit of gossip with the next person they meet.

And where is the juiciest gossip repeated? Often in secret. The Whisperer’s tidbits are often preceded by things like “Don’t tell anyone,” “I just thought you should know …” or “Don’t say it came from me.”

And what about the person who says something that really stings and then winks, “I was only kidding!” Or pridefully purses her lips before she points out someone else’s sin.

But if we’re honest, most of us would admit that gossip can be very tempting. Yet, notice what kind of a person looks for gossip or repeats it. It’s an ungodly person, someone who, at least at that moment, is living as if God doesn’t exist. So, let’s pray that God would convict us of our own tendencies to gossip or sow strife. And let’s remember that all we do, we do before the face of God.

John 7.1-27:

The Truthfulness of the Word

If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority (v. 17).

Most of us meet people or have people in our circle of friends and family who express doubts about the veracity and inspiration of the Scriptures. They ask, “Wasn’t the Bible just written by men?” They fail to understand that:

… no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1.20-21).

But if we have been born again and we surrender our will to His and ask for His wisdom in our lives, our spirit begins to witness with His Spirit that not only are we the sons and daughters of God (Rom. 8.16) but that His Word is Truth (Ps. 119.160).

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk about the various reactions to the claims of Christ, God’s love for unborn babies and their parents, how God uses the sins of others for our good, and the rewards of serving God in our homes. We’ll also discuss the question: Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit?

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If you would like to receive a FREE downloadable and printable Bible study through the book of Mark, you can click here for more information.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

You might also check out this short series:

How Psychology Affects the Spread of the Gospel – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.