Daily Devotional for Tuesday, December 19

David Ridiculed

“Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away,” 2 Samuel 10:4.

Can you remember a time when you were absolutely and completely humiliated? Maybe you were the subject of a prank. Maybe you made a mistake. Maybe someone made fun of something about you over which you have no control. For me, humiliation is one of the worst feelings in the world. My heart starts racing, my face gets hot, and most of the time, the tears start flowing. I am utterly defeated and want to hide in a corner for days.

In verse 2, we see that Nahash the king of the Ammonites had died, and David remembered him fondly as he had shown some sort of kindness to David. This was most likely when David was running from Saul in the wilderness as Nahash was an enemy of Saul. Nonetheless, David wanted to send his condolences to Hanun, Nahash’s son, through his servants. Instead of accepting whatever gifts David had undoubtedly sent, Hanun listened to the advice of his counselors, believing that David was sending his servants to spy on the land. In a rash attempt to prove that he would not be an easy target, Hanun took David’s servants and completely humiliated them by shaving off half of their beards and mutilating their clothes. This public act of disrespect was all based on an assumption rather than an actual fact.

It is so easy for us to listen to the lies the world tells us and to assume the worst in others. Satan uses this as a tool of division and destruction. We get suspicious of others and assume that they are our enemies when, in truth, Satan is the enemy. We waste energy and resources fighting each other when we should be uniting against the deceiver to see lost souls saved.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Refuse to let lies and assumptions get in the way of showing love and kindness to others. Be the light of Jesus wherever you are.

Ashley Ridings