ESOCS Devotional 9 September 2025 – How To Handle Haters
MEMORY VERSE: “And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?” 2 SAMUEL 16:10 KJV
TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 16:1-10
When David was a little past the top of the mountain, there was Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth, who met him with a couple of saddled donkeys, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred summer fruits, and a skin of wine. 2 And the king said to Ziba, “What do you mean to do with these?”
So Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.”
3 Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?”
And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”
4 So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”
And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”
5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 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 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!”
9 Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, 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? So let him curse, because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Contrary to the childhood rhyme above, words do hurt. Justified or not, unkind comments can leave us insecure and ineffective.
In 2 Samuel 16, David’s son was plotting to overthrow him, so for his own safety, David fled the comfort of his throne. As David and his followers were traveling, Shimei, a member of Saul’s family, met them and showered them with mockery and curses. David’s reaction models a healthy response to unjust ridicule (2 Samuel 16:10-14).
Three things to consider when facing unfair criticism:
Keep things in perspective (2 Samuel 16:11-12)
1. In light of the fact that David’s own son was plotting to kill him: Dwelling on hurtful words gives them more power than they have on their own.
2. Fight the urge to respond (2 Samuel 16:14): Dealing with verbal abuse or hurtful comments can be exhausting. Lashing out in wounded response is never healthy. When David refused to retaliate, he was able to be refreshed.
3. Understand there may be a purpose to your suffering (2 Samuel 16:9-12): Instead of fighting back like his friends suggested, David focused on God’s faithfulness. Though God doesn’t cause evil to happen to us, He occasionally allows it because He understands that the testing of our faith strengthens it over time (James 1:3).
CHALLENGES
- If you’re the subject of hateful remarks, is there a reason for them? If you’ve offended the person, can you ask their forgiveness and restore the relationship?
- If the hurtful words are simply out of spite, what can you take from David’s example and put into practice today?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, help me to handle situations in a way that will show Your presence in my life in Jesus name Amen.
FURTHER READING: Isaiah 6:1-7; Romans 9:1-14; Revelation 7:1-17
ESOCS Devotional 8 September 2025
