So let him curse

Really? Is that the title?

If King David wrote about the incident I write about, the title would have sounded somewhat like this.

David enters a place called Bahurim and is encountered with an experience that is indeed hurtful for a king. Shimei (a member of Saul’s family) calls David a scoundrel, a murderer, threw mud on him, pelted stones and asks him to get out!

In a situation when David is escaping from his son, this could be the least of what he should have gone through. But Shimei relates what David is going through now, is because of what he did to Saul’s family.

But David’s reaction is more shocking than Shimei’s action.

When you walk into the workplace you might encounter that one person who throws in a sarcastic comment, you walk into the Church there is that one person who judges your attire or your hair or the way you put that post on facebook. You walk into your college you see the jealous faces thinking how you got there after all!

You walk into your home your father abuses the way you have failed him a million times! Your relationship feels abusive, your partner showers you with tags that emotionally break you.

People tell you that you deserve to be in a state of tears, because of what you have done!

You walk in…and all you find is curses?

Why did I even walk in?, is not the question that King David asked.

Rather he asks that, ‘If God permits that this man should curse me, then who are we to stop’

He continues to say that, ‘if God sees his state of misery, God can change it for his good’

Oh such a coward! You might think.

But, soon events changed for David, Absalom (his son) is no more a threat to him, the people welcome their king back and,

Shimei is on David’s feet asking for forgiveness.

Three things you can ponder on,

1. Acknowledge that God your Father is ‘the author’

Oh, we have heard and told this to many people and many a times sang songs on it too. If we have this understanding then why is it so difficult to grasp that the person whom you walk into, is a part of your beautiful story, no matter how difficult that person is?

2. Accepting that God is using you (as well as the other) as an instrument

So that you change? Yes. So that the other person changes? Yes. For His glory? An absolute,Yes.
Shimei didn’t come back to David because he feared his life. Because if he had feared death, he wouldn’t have cursed him at the city gate when David had the same soldiers around him. I am convinced that God saw David’s misery and accepted his surrender and stirred Shimei’s heart.

3. Assure yourself about what God does

The God I know (just like David desired) will look upon your misery and change curses into a blessing.
In the context of this, I will introduce you to an official Abishai who was so ready to kill Shimei, cursing and calling him a dead dog when Shimei cursed David. Abishai seeks permission to kill Shimei when he was bowing before David asking for forgiveness!

The personalities of David and Abishai is worth comparing! Abishai plays the role of those advisors in your life who teach you to practice bad for a bad. But that has never been our God’s equation.

It has always been Good for the bad. Blessing for the curse and Forgiveness for fall.
Be assured that our Saviour’s love is so abounding and His story for your life so beautiful, that you should allow the author to let you walk into more difficult people, Yes absolutely! And you can be an instrument to transform them.

So let him curse!

Portions to dig on:
1 Samuel 16: 5-13
1 Samuel 19: 16-23

Photo Credit: Unsplash