Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: 2 Samuel 10 and Psalm 87

“Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.’” (v12)

The new king of Ammon, Hanun, chose to humiliate envoys whom David had sent to express condolences after the passing of Hanun’s father. Hanun’s advisors had raised his suspicions that perhaps David had ulterior motives, and Hanun chose to react on the basis of those suspicions. It proved to be both dangerous and foolish to make decisions based on suspicion rather than evidence. And we would do well to understand this truth for our own lives too. Instead of protecting his people, Hanun’s suspicion-based decision led to them being humiliated in battle, and even their allies, the Arameans, ended up being subjected to Israel.

Joab’s motivational speech to his troops in v.12 stands in stark contrast to Hanun’s fear-based approach. In the face of an enemy that outnumbered them and had them surrounded, Joab called upon his men to operate on the basis of faith in the Lord’s ultimate sovereignty, to be strong and courageous despite their fears, and to fight to the best of their ability, but all the while to trust the Lord’s power and plan. This approach resulted in a great and lasting victory over both the Ammonites and their allies the Arameans. It’s no wonder this elite fighting force became know as the “mighty men” (v.7 NKJV).

Heavenly Father, when I am faced with potential conflict and battles, please help me not to operate on the basis of suspicion and fear. Help me instead, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to stand up with courageous faith and to face my difficulties to the best of my abilities, trusting in Your ultimate sovereignty and goodness to accomplish Your purposes and plans. Amen.