[One-Verse Meditation]

2 Samuel 17:14

“And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.”

(Meditation)

Ahithophel’s plan—to pursue David at once and kill him—was an exceptionally brilliant one. It was a highly effective strategy: giving the fleeing enemy no time to regroup, and striking them with a smaller force while they were still on the run. Hushai’s counsel, by contrast, called for a full-scale campaign that would display Absalom’s kingship before all the world. Hushai offered this plan in order to buy time for David and his company. Blinded by his craving for kingship and self-glory, Absalom chose Hushai’s counsel. It was another opportunity to put himself on display.

But Scripture records the inner meaning of this scene in this way: “For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring harm upon Absalom.” Here we meet both the Lord of judgment and the Lord of salvation at once. For Absalom, this was the judgment of God bringing calamity upon him; but for David, it was God’s intervention bringing about his deliverance. So, from David’s standpoint, this word would have been read like this: “For the Lord defeated the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to save David.”

Here is grace. Everything that happens to us serves God’s saving purpose. If we truly believe this, our expression changes, and our steps change as well. We become thankful even for small things, and find ourselves smiling for no reason at all. Drooping shoulders are lifted, and our steps grow light. Why is that? Why do our hearts and thoughts change like that? Because not a single part of our time is without value. All of it is within the will of God. Within that will by which He loves us without measure.

(Prayer)

Lord, because all my time is within Your will, I am thankful for each and every moment. Every part of my daily life is precious. Hold me fast, so that I may live this “today” with joy and gratitude. Amen.
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(Daily Meditation)

2 Samuel 17:11–26