ESOCS Devotional 7 September 2025 – How Do You Know Who To Trust?
MEMORY VERSE: “And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, [even] from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.”2 SAMUEL 15:12 KJV
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL: 15:17-37
And the king went out with all the people after him, and stopped at the outskirts. 18 Then all his servants passed before him; and all the Cherethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who had followed him from Gath, passed before the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Return and remain with the king. For you are a foreigner and also an exile from your own place. 20 In fact, you came only yesterday. Should I make you wander up and down with us today, since I go I know not where? Return, and take your brethren back. Mercy and truth be with you.”
21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also your servant will be.”
22 So David said to Ittai, “Go, and cross over.” Then Ittai the Gittite and all his men and all the little ones who were with him crossed over. 23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people crossed over. The king himself also crossed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people crossed over toward the way of the wilderness.
24 There was Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had finished crossing over from the city. 25 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. 26 But if He says thus: ‘I have no delight in you,’ here I am, let Him do to me as seems good to Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait in the plains of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. And they remained there.
30 So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. 31 Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32 Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me. 35 And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Indeed they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”
37 So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city. And Absalom came into Jerusalem.
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Do you know someone who will say one thing but do another? It can be pretty annoying. Whether it’s doing your fair share of a school or work project or keeping a promise to a friend, people that are trustworthy are always appreciated. But, we live in a culture where people don’t always practice what they preach, and many times Christians are no different.
In 2 Samuel 15, Absalom is outside the city gate trying to trick and win people over with his outward appearance and personality. He lied and sweet-talked his way into the Israelites’ hearts, while his true motives remained hidden. He said all the right things, but was dishonoring his own father.
We are all human, and we all like getting what we want. So, it is no surprise that we have to fight the temptation to use our charisma to get our way and things that benefit us and our own selfish wants. But we are called to be better than that!
It’s wise to weigh other people’s character and their true motives before placing our trust in them.
This common temptation means we should also be careful about who we trust. It’s wise to weigh other people’s character and their true motives before placing our trust in them. Do their actions match their words? Does what they are doing appear right, but when we look a little deeper it’s actually wrong — as with Absalom?
When we take the time to examine others’ intentions, as well our own intentions, we open the door to real relationships that will last. And God can take healthy relationships full of integrity and use them to show us His love and draw us closer to Him.
CHALLENGES
- Do people know the real you, or do you use a fake personality or “wall” to win people over? Can people see God through you when you do that?
- Is there something you need to do to be honest about who you are?
- Is there anyone you should re-think about putting your trust in?
PRAYER POINT
- God, I pray for the spirit of discernment to help me know and understand the true motives of people around me in Jesus name, Amen.
FURTHER READING: 2 Samuel 15:17-37; Romans 8:1-23; 24-39
ESOCS Devotional 7 September 2025
