Like David, I tend to make quick decisions. Also like David, I tend to let the emotions of the moment cloud my judgment, instead of thinking about the long-term effects of some of my choices. And very much like David, I don’t always take the time to hear both sides of the story before I make my assessments.

Zibba and his family had been assigned by David to be the stewards of Saul’s land. David did this in order to be sure that Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, would have enough income to meet his needs. A passage that we’ll study next week (II Samuel 19:24-30) seems to verify that our lack of information about Zibba’s motives was also true about David as he encountered Zibba here at the beginning of his exile. David finds Zibba here to bring supplies; Mephibosheth has stayed in the city, expecting (according to Zibba’s report) to have Absalom restore him to his ‘rightful’ place. Without waiting to hear Mephibosheth’s side of the story, David makes a snap decision to make him forfeit his lands and to give the property to Zibba.

I’ve had more than a few opportunities to arbitrate arguments between my kids. You know the kind: “She hit me!” “But he was looking at me!” “But she was breathing my air!!” Those are much easier to deal with than the ones that relate to my response to real (or perceived!) situations that seem to reflect on the loyalty and support that I get from friends or family.

How do you respond when you feel that you’ve been wronged by someone close to you, or by someone that you’ve helped in the past? Do you grow cold and distant in your relationship with them? Or do you get loud and vocal? Do you talk with them directly, or do you talk with everyone OTHER than them? I confess that I’m a lot like David seems to be here, because my actions follow David’s when I display the attitude of “I’ll just show them!”

I think that, today, God is trying to tell me that my attitude should be one of grace and love. Even when someone hurts me, perhaps I should hold my emotions – and my decisions – in check until I at least have all of the facts. “Turning the other check” is, perhaps, not so much about being hurt by others as it is about not making decisions that will hurt others in turn.

A fellow traveler,
Dave