Does
your heart ever feel torn when you look around and see the evil that is being
done in the world? The senseless killing, the lies portrayed as truth, the deafening
silence when persecution of Christians happens, the apparent lack of moral
compass in our leaders. There is so much happening in our world that could lead
a person to despair.
Now
imagine that you are right in the middle of this struggle. You are trying to
stand for what is right and just, and those who oppose you are standing on lies
and deceit. You see their motives, but
others are just oblivious. They can’t see, or won’t see what will hit them in
the face, given time. Like Lemmings, they are heading for the cliff, but
singing and partying as the march.
King
David had several moments in his life when he might have felt like this. One in
particular comes to mind. His son, Absalom, had stirred up discontentment in
some of David’s subjects. He had stirred the pot of blame and pointed clearly
at his father. If only he were king, none of this would have happened. He
pulled a classic political move. Paint the current regime as all evil, and
yourself as the only solution. Point at them, while all the while deceiving and
scheming how you will use the newfound power to destroy the enemy and solidify
your new power and position.
David
feels somewhat alone. He prays for an answer from the LORD, even while he
senses the LORD’s care and protection. His antagonist, perhaps Absalom, is
destroying the kingdom without really knowing it. In his desire for power, he
is setting up their his destruction. But David feels the pressure and wants
some relief.
Absalom
keeps shooting at the role of king, and David in particular. He tells them to
stop falsely ruining the image of the king. If Absalom is successful at kicking
David out, he will become king, a position he has destroyed. In today’s world,
think Washington, DC. We now don’t trust them to do what is right, and yet we
need them to do what is right. We have shot so many holes through them that they
don’t dare try to work on any solutions for fear of being shot again. No matter
what they do now, we will make sure they fail, even though their failure means
our failure.
David
calls on his detractors to take time to really consider what they are doing.
They are destroying the kingdom from within. They need to take time and
consider their motives. They need to stop believing their own public relations
campaigns and start examining the truth. David says they need to search their
hearts. Sometimes we need to do the same thing. We need to look inward rather
than outward. We need to make sure we are doing the right thing for the right
reason at the right time.
Then
David brings their chief complaint before the LORD. They have been complaining
about a tough economy. Sound familiar? But instead of blaming Wall Street,
David looks to the source of all true prosperity. He knows the LORD is capable
of restoring both his position and the hearts of the people. He ask that the
LORD’s favor would be on them, the light of His face. David knows that if the
LORD looks favorably on them, the economy will return to better times. For
them, that was a time when grain was abundant and the harvest plentiful.
When
we are tempted to get on a political bandwagon for or against the powers that
be, let us take time to examine our own motives. Take time to take
responsibility for our portion of the mess. Correct our heart’s bent and repent.
Then we will be able to rest in peace.