Right in His Sight

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT

2 Sam 10:6-14

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David's nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob. 7 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country. 9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight." 13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

NIV

We have the battle plan that was set up between Joab and his brother Abishai, with each to look out for the other, in case the forces they are faced with become too strong for them. But the idea here is that although they were to be strong and fight bravely, it is the LORD who will do what is good in his sight. Here is where we have this idea that we might make our plans, but the Lord orders our footsteps. It might be good to make plans or to have a plan for how we are going to win, or be successful, or become what we want to be, or do what we think is the best method to achieve our goals, but whatever we think is best, it will be the Lord who will do what is good in his sight. We are to be strong and live with courageous endurance, but that is under the direction of our supreme commander in chief, the Lord of all, who will always do what is good in his sight, and that will be for our best. The Lord always has our best interests when he orders our footsteps. He leads us to the greenest pastures, he causes us to lie down beside still waters, and he is the one who restored and continues to restore our souls. How can we want anything that does not come from the hand of God? How can we even think that our plan is the best for us? Robert Burns’s poem about the best laid plans of mice and men shows us the unpredictability of life and that even the most carefully crafted plans can go awry. However, if we are walking with the Lord, that is taking his yoke upon us and learning from him, we will know his plans will not go awry, but will happen in accordance with his good pleasure. Let us always consult with our Lord as to how we should proceed in life, remembering we are told that we should not say that our plans to go here and make this much, or go there for a year and do this or that, but we should always be aware of making sure it is the Lord’s will that we do anything, for he will do what is right in his sight.