II Samuel 19-21

God, help me be as loyal to you, my family, and my friends as Rizpah was to her family. God, help me understand you do not always deliver your people. Many have suffered because of fools and the right wasn’t discovered till after their death. I pray you will give me grace to serve you, no matter how I am treated or respected. I pray that you will help me trust you to fix things if you decide you want to do so. I love you and I thank you for all that you are doing. God bless me as I serve you, please.

David had every right to make those that had tried to take his kingdom suffer and die. He chose the better part. He allowed them to live. His mighty men wanted to kill them. David didn’t need anyone to die to figure out that he was God’s man. He knew God had given him his kingdom back. 

So many times I am tempted to get even, to make others suffer like they have made me suffer, but that is not the way I am shown in the life of Jesus or here in the life of David. It is best to know that God is the One moving in my life and to allow Him to do with me as He sees fit. 

Let’s watch what God is doing in our lives. Let’s trust Him. Let’s allow Him to avenge us. As leaders, we are not to be vengeful but to forgive and help others.

Leadership principle. David did not fight to save his kingdom when Absalom raised himself up, but now he was quick to send his men to seek the head of Sheba. It is not clear why David would react differently on two different occasions. Obviously, we will need to be careful not to draw a hard and fast conclusion when David does not defend his kingdom with Absalom. There must be times to stand and fight and other times when we should not defend ourselves. Both are tragedies and I do not presume to say what should be the way we handle an attack, but we need balance in what we do under these severe attacks. 

God, I want to respect the man you have put in leadership. They are your men and you will handle them as you see fit. I confess that I have not liked or respected their position due to how they have treated me. I now see that you put there them and if David could respect the position of Saul, then I must do the same. Forgive me this wrong. 

Psalm 5

God, please hear my prayer. I lift my heart to you. I have nowhere else to go. Sin does not please you. You will discipline sin. You will not allow men and women to continue living in wickedness. Many want to destroy me, and I have no way of protecting myself. I need you. God, help me as I have and continue to trust you. 

God, I find joy in and love you and want to do more than that every day. I trust you and will begin stepping out more and more to do things you will use to honor yourself.

Psalm 38

God, I know that I have deserved your chastisement. I have wronged you and sinned. Your punishment for me will be over soon and I will have learned my lesson. I want to grow in grace. I want to be used of you. 

My friends have left me. I am alone, and all are afraid to even talk to me. Please do not abandon me. God, I do continue to believe you and look to you. Please work in my life for your honor and glory. 

Psalm 41-42 

God, I have lived my life thinking of and caring for the poor. Please remember that. I ask you to keep me alive and bring me back. I am your man, and I love serving you. I know that I have sinned against you. I am doing all I can to learn and grow in you.

My best friends have sought to destroy me. They still hate me and will not stand with me. God, I ask you to favor me. You are all that I have. 

God, you bless those who think about the poor and help care for them. I have tried to do that for many years. You have promised to deliver those that consider the poor in their time of trouble. I will trust you to take care of me and keep me alive. I will expect, by faith, your blessings on this earth. 

I ask you not to give me over the will of my enemies. Strengthen me when I am sick and dying. I am hurting and need your touch. God be merciful to me. Heal my soul. I know that I have failed you in so many ways. My enemies speak evil of me. They can’t wait for me to die and for my name to die with me. 

Those who speak to me often only want to give me empty platitudes and get all the information they can get for their gossip mills. Everyone that hates me whispers together against me. They plan and devise my hurt. 

Many that are doing this were my best friends that I trusted. They stayed at my house and ate my food, but now they lift cup their heal against me. They are sure a destructive disease has got me, and I will never get up again. 

I ask you to be merciful to me. Please give me life again. Let them be paid for what they are doing. I do not ask to do it, but I ask that you do it. I will know you favor me when you do not allow my enemy to triumph over me.

I know I belong to you. You know my integrity. I know I am yours. You are so good that I will praise you all the time.

God, I love you. I think of you all the time, day and night. I hunger for you. I want to be yours and do all you want me to do. For a long time, I have been brokenhearted. They are asking where my God is. They want to know why you have not stepped into work in my life.

I hurt, but then I remember who you are. I have worshipped you. I will praise you. Why are you discouraged, Austin? Time to remember God and all that He is and has done. 

Things get rough, but I know you will command loving kindness as soon as this storm is over. I know you are with me and will return my song. I pray to you, God of my life. 

I say, like the psalmist, have you forgotten me? Why do I live in pouring being oppressed by my enemies? They constantly talk of me, mock me, doubt I am yours, doubt your love for me, doubt my salvation. They want to know where you are.

Why am I discouraged? Why am I upset? I will decide to hope in God I will praise you soon. You are the blessings and health in my life. You are my God.

God, I shall praise you, and I do not praise you now. I know I can allow things to discourage me and get me off track, and I want to get back to trusting you and turn to God and His working in my life.