Fridays with David

Read 2 Samuel 10:1-4 – It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon.And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. (NKJV)

Sometimes you get what you ask for. The Ammonite king’s fateful choice to listen to his advisors rather than trust his father’s history with David would prove most costly. The advisors, fearing David’s men had come to the former king’s funeral as spies, refuse to trust past relationships and counsel their new king with advice that lacks evidence. Had David previously acted with deceit toward the Ammonites, their suspicions might have held merit. Instead, their actions provoke David to do exactly what they feared he had intended. He overthrew their city and they became his servants. Believing the worst about people often has you deciding what you’re going to get. If you think people will treat you fairly and you respond to them with similar respect, you’ll likely not be disappointed. But if you anticipate that you will be rejected or treated unkindly, your own manner changes and you may create an environment that ultimately meets your negative expectations. The point? Treat people the way you want to be treated and believe the best about them. When you do, you will usually be rewarded with the response you had hoped for.

– Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network of the Assemblies of God.