September 6, 2013 2 Samuel 15:1-6 1 After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Now Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate. So it was, whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the king for a decision, that Absalom would call to him and say, “What city are you from?” And he would say, “Your servant is from such and such a tribe of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right; but there is no deputy of the king to hear you.” 4 Moreover Absalom would say, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me; then I would give him justice.” 5 And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. 6 In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Fridays with David Deceivers are among the most challenging people to handle. They tell you what you want to hear in order to get something from you. And usually you don’t have any idea that they are plotting to take advantage of you. Absalom is unsatisfied with his long-awaited meeting with the king and now he looks to gain the trust of the people and ultimately lead a popular rebellion against his father, David. How does he do it? By telling the people what they want to hear and fueling their dissatisfaction with their rightful king. That’s what these self-centered people do to deceive us. They entice us with attractive words and magnify our frustration with the leaders we have. How easy do we fall for such tactics? How quickly are we drawn into office gossip or criticisms of others? If we make a habit of engaging such conversations, we open the door to all sorts of deceptive manipulation. It’s better to stay clear of those with an “Absalom spirit.” – Dr. Mike Clarensau serves as Senior Director of the Healthy Church Network
Posted on: Fri, 06 Sep 2013 10:45:36 +0000
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