KEY VERSE:
“And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword” (2 SAMUEL 15:14).
There is a general tendency for people to fight back whenever they are provoked or their rights are violated. Seeking redress by any means, at such a time, may be attractive and justifiable; but sometimes, it is necessary to pause and ponder over the deeper implications of a hasty action. More damage is done when actions are not well thought out.
David was an experienced fighter and military commander. He had a sizeable number of trusted and loyal troops, but he reacted in a way many would consider strange when his son, Absalom plotted his overthrow. Rather than organise a counter-insurgency operation against his rebellious son and his supporters, David ordered his men to flee from Jerusalem. Baffled, his servants who expected a different response, reassured him of their loyalty, and restated their preparedness to carry out any order he might issue to quell Absalom’s insurrection. But King David was in no mood to fight back. He knew that he and his men were outnumbered by the insurgents, who also had enough time to map out their strategies. But he remained considerate, urging one of his loyalists, Ittai the Gittite, to go back to Jerusalem, and not face the uncertain future that awaited him.
A lot of damage and loss have been suffered by many because of their wrong reactions to issues and some hasty decisions taken. It is not in every situation that we need to fight back. We may think we have good reasons to fight back and enough support to quell the attacks but may suffer far greater losses.
Hasty actions are not always the best response in dire situations. When troubles arise, we must remember that only our faith in God will eventually prevail. For “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
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