Tues.’s Devo - A Different Perspective

Read: 2 Samuel 14:1-15:22; John 18:1-24; Psalm 119:97-112; Proverbs 16:8-9
Joab knew that David longed for his son Absalom but might need some help bridging the gap, so he sent a woman to help David see his situation with different eyes. She was able to change his perspective about Absalom so David allowed Absalom back into the kingdom. He just didn’t want to see him face to face. This was ok for Absalom for a while but then he grew restless. When he couldn’t get Joab’s attention, he burned down his field. That got his attention and finally David’s. David allowed him back into his presence.
Absalom had an agenda. Little by little he flattered the people into loving him. When he knew he had the heart of the people, he went to Hebron and proclaimed himself king. When David found out, he and his household fled Jerusalem for their lives.
Absalom is a type of the anti-christ. He plants himself in the middle of what God is doing and then draws the attention to himself. His goal is to take over and be the head. There have been so many anti-christs throughout the ages.
In John, Judas was the anti-christ. He was planted right in the middle of what God was doing and rose up to gain the attention himself. What anti-christs don’t realize is that they never win. It always ends bad for them.
In verse 4 it says that Jesus went to the soldiers because he knew all that was going to happen to him. When he said, “I am he” they went backward and fell to the ground”. How embarrassing for them! That is when I would have wanted to tuck tail and go home, but they were committed. You have to wonder if Malchus came to accept Jesus as his Lord after having his ear cut off and put back on. He would have to have been blind not to see that miracle.
They took Jesus to the palace of the high priest, Annas and while Jesus was defending who he was inside, Peter was outside denying him.
Everything we read today has to do with having spiritual eyes to see. Things are rarely as they seem on the outside. It takes looking through God’s eyes to see the real picture. I wonder how our situation we are going through right now looks through God’s eyes. Ask him to let you see.
Lord, help us to see through your eyes and put on love and understanding. Give us discernment to see what the devil is planning also and not fall into his traps.