Loyalty

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

LOYALTY

2 Sam 15:27-37

27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Aren't you a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar. You and Abiathar take your two sons with you. 28 I will wait at the fords in the desert until word comes from you to inform me." 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31 Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness." 32 When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, "If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I will be your servant, O king; I was your father's servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,' then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel's advice. 35 Won't the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king's palace. 36 Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear." 37 So David's friend Hushai arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.

NIV

Within these exchanges between David, Zadok, the priest, and Hushai the Arkite, we find a truth that should be part of the life of all believers. Both Zadok and Hushai were loyal to King David, to the point of doing what he wanted, even if that was not their original plan. Of course, David wanted them back in Jerusalem, especially the priest Zadok and all the Levites who were carrying the ark of God. The ark should be in Jerusalem, but we also see David inquiring or making the point that Zadok was also a seer. This does not imply that he is a prophet or visionary, but that he has wisdom and perceives, but to have vision, seeing what is going on, being observant, to see. Nevertheless, the point is that loyalty is a virtue believers should hold dear to their hearts. First, and foremost, loyal to our Lord and Savior. The Lord could use our loyalty in many forms, depending on what he desires for us as we serve him and his pleasures. We remember David prayed that God could do to him whatever seemed good to Him. This is loyalty to the Most High God, when we pray, or ask him to do with us what seems right to Him. This could mean that he asks us to go somewhere, as David asked those two to go back to Jerusalem to be his eyes and ears at the court of Absalom. God would ask us to be in a situation that may not be the best for us, but that we would not be his eyes and ears, for he sees and hears everything and everyone, but to be his voice, to declare His word, to whomever He brings within our presence. God has a place for each of us, and as we are loyal to the Lord our God, we go, we come, we stay, we do, we stop doing, we follow his lead, step by step, because we love and adore Him. This is loyalty, that we should always be available to His every command. Loyalty also means we put aside any of our own thoughts or plans. We cannot demand our own way about anything in our lives if we are always wanting to please our Lord. Loyalty also means that we could experience a change in our pattern of living. Let us forfeit our own whims and fancies and yield to the plans of the Lord for our lives. That is true loyalty.