Prayer: Father, my actions and intentions may be misinterpreted by others. Only You know my heart. I seek to please You in all I say and do. Amen.
Reading: 2 Samuel 10 key: vs. 1-4 “It came about after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son Hanun reigned in his place. Then David thought, “Let me show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent word by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived at the land of the children of Ammon, the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David is really honoring your father because he has sent consolers to you? Has not David sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” So Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved off one side of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and sent them away.” TLV
Attention: In 2014 I launched a non-profit called The Widows Project. As I contacted pastors or leaders of widow’s groups, one of the common first questions were, “You are a widow, right?” I had to explain that I was not a widow, but one who through scripture had come to see a kingdom responsibility for widows and various disadvantaged people groups like orphans, prisoners, and the poor. Suspicion of my motives was a difficult barrier to overcome as I invited the community of faith to join me in meeting the needs of widows. It became obvious to me that my task was to create the organization and it was the responsibility of the healed widow community to minister to the widow (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). I led the organization for seven years handing it over to a couple of widows to oversee.
David wanted to show kindness to the son of the deceased king of Ammon. His advisors created suspicion about David’s motives and humiliated the servant’s David sent to “comfort him concerning his father.” David retaliates and Aram as a nation is vanquished. The consequences of misinterpreting David’s motives were great.
Our motives can be misinterpreted among family and for years no one speaks to each other. Motives can be misinterpreted among business partners or spouses. Suspicion and mistrust are costly. Be sure of your motives before questioning other’s motives.
Action: I choose today to be discerning of other’s motives before declaring wrong motives publicly.
Yield: I choose today to yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading and guiding.
Engage: I choose today to engage in the discerning of motives whether from the heart or not.
Relationship: I choose today to stay close in intimate relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, I can easily be influenced to a wrong opinion of someone. Help me to discern the motives of people, both men and women. May our collective goal be to love You and love people. Amen.
Memory Verse: Jacob (James) 1: 19-20 “Know this, my dear brothers and sisters: let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger— for human anger doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.” TLV
Music Video: Rich Mullins—Peace https://youtu.be/u0H4dY1APGY?si=yUX1j0WLul0cLonW
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”