KEY SCRIPTURE: 2 Sam 9:10 KJV Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.”

King David led a life of true love. He decided to honour the covenant he made with Jonathan, yet he extended the kindness to Ziba and his family. Please note that Ziba was a servant of King Saul, and David had no covenant with King Saul. King Saul made life very miserable for David. It would have been normal and acceptable for David to say since Saul made life difficult for him, he would do no good to Saul’s servant. David never gave in to any form of bitterness.

Unfortunately, many people are very bitter about a lot of negative treatment meted out to them. Bitterness in any form is poison to your body and soul. The Holy Spirit teaches that bitterness causes an individual to fall from the grace of God. Heb 12:15 KJV “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” The scripture said bitterness would trouble you, and it would defile others also. How does bitterness do this? A bitter person would go around spreading his anger and pain to others by telling them all the wrong things the one who made him bitter did to him. These people, not knowing the other side of the story, would be defiled by those negative words about the one who is claimed to have offended the brother who got bitter. Many have been defiled that way. They also get bitter against the person. Please note that human beings have no problem with others until those people have been painted black. Most of such accusations may be false, because they did not hear the view of the other person.

What made David comport himself in such a way that he was never bitter?

David’s secret was his trust in the Lord. He had committed his life, future, and will into God’s hands. He knew no evil could befall him, no matter how that individual tried. Just consider what he said in the song, Psalm 121:7 KJV “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.” David knew King Saul could not harm him, so he never grew bitter against whatever he did. He was given to please God always. Please give no place to bitterness but rather forgive the offences of people and love them instead. Commit your life into God’s hands, who will preserve you against those who may seek to hurt you.

THOUGHT: BITTERNESS HURTS YOU, BUT LOVE AND FORGIVENESS WOULD BLESS YOU

FURTHER STUDIES

Eph 4:32 KJV “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Heb 12:15 KJV Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;