Monday, January 2, 2017

Suspicious Minds...

After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. And David said, “I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites. But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
(2 Samuel 10:1-5 ESV)
David had an open book policy - everything he did was public record. People knew where they stood.  He kept his word.  But not everyone knew or believed that, including these Ammonite leaders.  The suspected David of evil intentions, pretending to show honor, while actually sending in spies.   Their suspicions revealed their own hearts; that's the way they thought, what they would have done.  Thus, their actions and reactions served as an in-your-face rebuke.  This causes an offence that made things escalate.
The same thing happens to us when we always suspect the worst of people we do not really know.  Caution is good; suspicion can go overboard, where suspecting the worst brings out the worst, in both of us.   How do you view those you will see today???

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