The Peope We Hurt Will Often Throw Stones At Us

572 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 16:12 "It may be that the LORD will look on my affliction, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing this day." 13 And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. ( 2 Sam 16:12,13) Shimei has met David and his men with cursing and David believes that this cursing was from the Lord and so he accepts it. His hope is that as he endures the cursing of Shimei without retaliation, that the Lord will see and repay him for his merciful reaction. David embraced the cursing of Shimei because he knew he had it coming. This was God's way of showing David that sins have repercussions David knew that he had been forgiven by God, but this incident reminded him that others aren't going to be so quick to forgive. This is a lesson, we would all do well to learn. We have this tendency to think that once we have hurt someone and fessed up to that hurt, that God forgives us and that's the end of the story, man up, move on.....it's not. The people we have hurt will often throw stones at us because they are still hurting from the harm we have brought into their lives. They will “browbeat” us (and that's the meaning of the word “affliction” here.) In other words, they will keep dragging up our past mistakes unless, God works forgiveness into their hearts. Notice that David didn't grab Shimea by the lapels and demand that Shimei forgive him, he knew that was something God had to work in Shimei's heart, and that would take time. Meanwhile, David would take the browbeating, trusting that God would work his patient submission into something good. The Holy Spirit puts it this way in Jas 1:2-4, “ My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Learn the patience of David. Learn to take it. Learn to say your deeply sorry for your wrongs as many times as you need to. Embrace the depth of the pain you have caused others by your sin. Knowing that God is using this to build you and them into the person He wants you and them to be.