Grace Mercy and Forgiveness

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

GRACE MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

2 Sam 19:18-23

When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king 19 and said to him, "May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. 20 For I your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king." 21 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the LORD's anointed." 22 David replied, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?" 23 So the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king promised him on oath.

NIV

It is right to prostrate before the king and confess the wrong he did, and King David showed him mercy and forgiveness for his wrongdoing. That is our lesson right out of the gate. We know that we are not perfect yet, even though we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. We know we are not free from sin as long as we are held captive in this flesh, even if this body, this form, has been given to us from the hand of God. However, we are not just our bodies, for we are a spirit who has a soul and lives in this body. Yet, we are corruptible and fall short of the glory of God. Yet, as we fall before our Lord and King, maybe not in the physical, but in our heart, in our spirit, and we confess our wrongdoing, our sin. We also know, from experience, that He is just and forgives our sin. He has said that no one will die in His kingdom, no one will be put to death. Of course, our bodies will be laid to rest, and in the eyes of the world, we will be dead, but we will be alive and in the presence of our King and our Lord Jesus. David may have been the king over all Israel, but our King is Lord over the whole of creation. Our King has authority not just over the wind and the waves, as He did to show his disciples his power, but he has absolute authority over the universe as well as over our lives. David promised Shimei an oath, and our King has promised us His oath on his own name. He promised that whoever confesses with their mouth and believes Jesus was raised from the dead will be saved from the penalty of death. We can live forever in the kingdom of God, for although we die, we live. Oh, death, where is your sting? We have been cleansed, washed in the blood of the Lamb, Holy is your name, Oh God! We fall before you, we confess, and we are forgiven. Thank you, Lord, for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Then, the second truth about grace, mercy, and forgiveness is when we think we have been offended or sinned against. David showed this mercy to Shimei, and we need to show grace, mercy, and forgiveness.