The Focus

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

THE FOCUS

2 Sam 19:8-18

Meanwhile, the Israelites had fled to their homes. 9 Throughout the tribes of Israel, the people were all arguing with each other, saying, "The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies; he is the one who rescued us from the hand of the Philistines. But now he has fled the country because of Absalom; 10 and Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about bringing the king back?" 11 King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: "Ask the elders of Judah, 'Why should you be the last to bring the king back to his palace, since what is being said throughout Israel has reached the king at his quarters? 12 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring back the king?' 13 And say to Amasa, 'Are you not my own flesh and blood? May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab.'" 14 He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, "Return, you and all your men." 15 Then the king returned and went as far as the Jordan. Now the men of Judah had come to Gilgal to go out and meet the king and bring him across the Jordan. 16 Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17 With him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul's household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to the Jordan, where the king was. 18 They crossed at the ford to take the king's household over and to do whatever he wished.

NIV

The King is coming back to take his rightful place in Jerusalem, for the people need a king, and with Absalom, the one who tried to be their king was dead, they now looked back to King David, wanting him to return to Israel. Of course, David did win over the hearts of all the men of Judah, as though they were one man. That could be our story about being as one man, having the unity of the faith. We are admonished to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Jesus wants us to be one as He and the Father are one. It is sad to see division in the church, with some even splitting and becoming two instead of one. We have also witnessed mini divisions within the church, with cliques forming into small groups instead of being unified. We wonder if denominational formations have caused the one to become many, which Jesus never intended for his church. But it is the return of the king that gives us our main story. As the people rushed to meet their king as he returned to cross the Jordan and to do whatever he wished. Are we not rushing to meet our King as he returns? Are we not supposed to do whatever He wishes? What does our ‘rushing’ to meet our King look like? We would think that our King would be our main focus, to be looking intently, intensely, with great expectation, of his return. However, we should ‘occupy’ till he returns, but have we become so invested in our occupying that it has become our main source of life, where it is almost as if our deeds have become our righteousness, or at least our religiosity. Have we become more interested in doing things, being busy doing life, even church life, that we are not rushing to meet our King? Then we have to consider whether we are willing to do whatever he wishes. Once again, we wonder if we have not decided what it is we will do, making our choice as to how we will serve, and then we have to ask if we are serving our King, or the church. This also makes us wonder if we are serving the church, is our motive to be praised by men, or are we thinking that by serving in the church, we are serving our King, and only want his praise? Is serving the church the same as serving our King? Maybe it comes down to the focus of our hearts. If our hearts, minds, or spirits are focused on rushing to meet our King, then all we do should be exactly according to his divine will and purpose for our lives. It comes down to our focus.