David

Lord, your heavy hand demanding justice seems cruel and I know it's just because my ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts.  Show me grace in the Old Testament. I know it's there. Help me to see it.  I continue in 2 Samuel reading of David's life. There's a story that stays with me.  David went to talk to Shimei ,  a friend of his son, Absalom who was trying to take over his kingdom. That alone was breaking his heart. When David and his servants arrived, Shimei came out  cursing and throwing stones at David, accusing him of being a murderer, which he was. David's soldiers offered to kill the man cursing him. David said, "No, God told him to curse me." David knew the man was right. He was all those things  (a murderer), and He knew there were consequences for what he had done. He owned it. David and his men walked away heading toward  home. Shimei didn't let them go, he followed David cursing him along the way, continually throwing stones at him- at the king! The men continued to walk wearily.  David never defended himself or made excuses. He thought maybe the Lord would bless him because of the mistreatment of Shimei all the while reminding himself God told the man to curse him. David never pointed out Shimei's sin to him, making  him aware of the hypocrisy. David walked. He was exhausted. He was a man after God's own heart.

Sometimes God sends someone to remind us of our sin and in that person's brokenness he forgets his own sinful state. It's not our place to be defensive. Own it.  It's not our place to convict. " Yeah, well you...."  Keep walking, maybe God will bless you because of their cursing.

The legalist is always harder on other people than he is on himself, so he can feel better about his own state, but the Spirit-led Christian demands more of himself than he does of others so he can glorify God in his humility because he knows God is his standard.