2 Samuel 16:10
“And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah?
so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who
shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?”
One of the men in David’s life that I detest is Shimei. Shimei was a man who never got over his past, and he turned into a bitter man because of this. His bitterness turned to hatred, and it caused him to never accept the will of God for Israel.
The part of this story that I want you to focus on is how Shimei cursed David and threw stones at him as he fled from Absalom. This disloyal act that Shimei performed was worthy of death, but David wouldn’t let his men kill him. In fact, David saw another purpose in Shimei’s actions. David said, “…let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David.” David understood that Shimei was God’s tool to make him a better person.
Every person who does anything for the LORD will have a Shimei in their life. If you have a Shimei, or ever had one, you will understand the grind of dealing with them. However, just like David understood that Shimei was sent by God, you need to understand that God may have allowed your Shimei to help you become a better person. There are a few things you need to consider about the Shimei in your life.
First, everyone needs a Shimei to keep them humble. What Shimei did to David had to be humbling, but he didn’t let his actions provoke him to retaliate. Humans are proud beings by nature, and God allows the Shimei’s in our life to help us to stay humble and close to Him. Always understand that your Shimei is there to help you to keep a proper perspective of yourself.
Second, everyone needs a Shimei to help them stay close to the LORD. The only way David knew that Shimei was sent was by walking with the LORD. One thing you will find out about your Shimei is that it will cause you to pray more, and seek the LORD’s presence and power in your life. If you don’t let your Shimei make you bitter, you will find they will push you closer to the LORD.
Third, everyone needs a Shimei to teach them self-control. One of the hardest things about dealing with a Shimei is that you will want to retaliate, but you mustn’t do that. The Shimei’s want you to respond, but God wants you to die to self and keep doing what you are supposed to do. If your Shimei causes you to stop doing what you are supposed to do, the Devil will continue to send them your way to keep you from doing the LORD’s work. The best thing you can do when your Shimei is cursing and casting stones at you is to keep on walking and doing what you are supposed to do for the LORD.
Fourth, everyone needs a Shimei to remind them that the LORD is in control. If you stop retaliating toward your Shimei, you will see that the LORD will take care of them. The LORD is perfectly capable of silencing your Shimei. Until then, bite your tongue, stay under control, and keep serving the LORD.
My friend, stop worrying about the Shimei in your life. You need a Shimei to keep you humble. Your Shimei is God’s tool to promote you if you stay humble. Remember James 4:10 which says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”