DCLM Daily Manna 2023: DCLM Daily Manna 4 February 2024: Choose Your Battles
KEY VERSE: 2 Samuel 15:14 “And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.”
TEXT: 2 Samuel 15:13-22
3 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.
16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.
20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.
21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
There is a general tendency for people to fight back whenever they are provoked or their rights are violated. Seeking redress by any means, at such a time, may be attractive and justifiable; but sometimes, it is necessary to pause and ponder over the deeper implications of a hasty action. More damage is done when actions are not well thought out.
David was an experienced fighter and military commander. He had a sizable number of trusted and loyal troops, but he reacted in a way many would consider strange when his son, Absalom plotted his overthrow. Rather than organise a counter-insurgency operation against his rebellious son and his supporters, David ordered his men to flee from Jerusalem. Baffled, his servants who expected a different response, reassured him of their loyalty, and restated their preparedness to carry out any order he might issue to quell Absalom’s insurrection. But King David was in no mood to fight back. He knew that he and his men were outnumbered by the insurgents, who also had enough time to map out their strategies. But he remained considerate, urging one of his loyalists, Ittai the Gittite, to go back to Jerusalem, and not face the uncertain future that awaited him.
A lot of damage and loss have been suffered by many because of their wrong reactions to issues and some hasty decisions taken. It is not in every situation that we need to fight back. We may think we have good reasons to fight back and enough support to quell the attacks but may suffer far greater losses.
Hasty actions are not always the best response in dire situations. When troubles arise, we must remember that only our faith in God will eventually prevail. For “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Lord will fight for you, only if you will entrust Him with your battles.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 10-12
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Choose Your Battles – by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
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Daily Manna 4 February 2024
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