People Will Take Shots At You, Don't Give Them Any Bullets

563 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 15:31 Then someone told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!" David is made aware of the fact that his trusted advisor Ahithophel has jumped ship and sided with Absalom. David's first response is to pray! We could learn from that. When some trusted friend turns against us, our first response ought to be the same. Note that David does not pray harm against his friend, but rather his request is that God would turn the advice of Ahithophel into silliness. When someone turns on you, typically they speak words against you to others. Pray, like David, that their words would be regarded as silly. God is able to answer such a prayer. Job 12:20 says, “He deprives the trusted ones of speech, And takes away the discernment of the elders.” and in Job 12:24 “He takes away the common sense of a country's leaders and makes them stumble about in a pathless wilderness.” God heard David's prayer and answered it. We read of it in 2Sa 17:14 So Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than the advice of Ahithophel." For the LORD had purposed to defeat the good advice of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring disaster on Absalom. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense, and in this matter of people turning against you with words, remember 1Pe 2:1,12 “ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” How effective is this? Let's be honest, if David would have kept his fleshly lusts under control, none of this would've happened. People will speak against you, that is your lot as a Christian, but let's you and I strive with the help of the Holy Spirit to not give them any ammunition.