Stop Manipulating

550 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 14:23,24, “So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king's face. (2 Sam 14:23,24) This decision by David doesn't make sense to me. Absalom had fled to Geshur and stayed there for three years. To leave Geshur and return to Israel would be a death warrant according to the Law of the Avenger for he had killed his brother Amnon with pre-meditation. So on one hand David longed for his son and his safe return to his homeland, for he had already lost the first successor to his throne (Amnon) and now the next successor was holed up in Geshur facing execution should he ever set foot on the soil of his homeland. Nonetheless, Joab comes up with a plan to bring Absalom home, so that one day he will be able to succeed David. Apparently the idea of succession was David's primary concern, because even though Absalom was brought back under the king's pledge of safety. The king, forbade any contact between the two. You know, none of this happens if David deals with the crime of Amnon in the first place. Royal family or not, Amnon should have been punished according to the law of the land. Stop worrying about your precious succession David and let the Lord handle it. Or have you forgotten what God did shortly after the birth of Solomon? Nathan came to David and said, “his name shall be Jedidiah which means “beloved of the Lord.” (God had this whole succession thing already in His hand.) Meanwhile, David's job was to simply seek to live and govern according to God's Word. But he didn't and he continued to make mess upon mess, only to see God eventually work it out according to His plan anyway. Oh that we would learn to stop manipulating our circumstances and start trusting God. Let's seek to spend less energy on playing god, and more energy on drawing nearer to Him, trusting Him for the rest. God, give me the grace to trust You more.