A few days ago I was reading 2 Samuel 19 and was struck that David knew the right time to show mercy. A few chapters before, Shimei cursed and threw rocks at David. At that time David sees God's sovereignty in the situation and says that the Lord told Shimei to curse David. He tells his men to leave Shimei alone. If it were me and I was queen, I would consider having him taken away. David shows his faith in our sovereign God.
In the current chapter Shimei falls before King David, begging for mercy. Again, David's man suggests killing Shimei because he cursed the King. David responds with mercy, swearing to Shimei that he will not die.
David shows great mercy to a man who cursed him. This reminds me that I need to show mercy to those who wrong me. Too often, I feel justified to point out others' sins. A great leader knows when to show mercy and when to exact judgement. My prayer is that I train my children to use wisdom in their leadership. I also pray that I will show by example the right times to show mercy and the right times to judge.
Kerry
Making Biblical Decisions
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