Trusting God With Your Critics
Somewhere in the back of my mind, there's a list, a running tally of people who've said unkind things, dismissed my work, questioned my motives, or just plain been rude. And if I'm being really honest, there are moments when I replay those offenses like a favorite movie, except nobody's enjoying the show.
Maybe you have a list too.
In my newest book, Hope Refined, David is at one of the lowest points in his life. He's fleeing Jerusalem, exiled from his throne by his own son. He's exhausted, humiliated, and heartbroken. And right in the middle of that miserable journey, a man named Shimei comes out and starts cursing him. Loudly. Publicly. Enthusiastically. He throws stones at David and his servants, kicking a man while he is very much down.
David's mighty men are on their feet in an instant. "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head." (2 Samuel 16:9) And honestly? That sounds reasonable. Shimei was out of line. Justice seemed simple and satisfying.
But David said no.
He didn't just restrain his men. He reframed the entire situation. "Let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him." (2 Samuel 16:11) He looked at the stones, the curses, the public humiliation, and instead of reaching for a sword, he reached for surrender. He left Shimei in God's hands and kept walking.
I find that extraordinarily difficult to do.
The desire for personal vengeance is one of the most natural impulses in the human heart. When someone wrongs us, every instinct rises up demanding that wrong be righted, preferably by us, immediately, and in a way that stings a little. But God's Word is unmistakably clear on this point:
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
Vengeance is His. Not ours to take, and not ours to carry.
The sword of vengeance is incredibly heavy. When we pick it up, rehearse the offense, nurse the wound, and plan the comeback, we think we're arming ourselves. But what we're actually doing is chaining ourselves to the very person who hurt us. We become prisoners of our own anger, dragging that sword around everywhere we go, too proud to put it down.
Shimei kept cursing. But David kept walking.
There is a kind of grace that only becomes visible when we lay down what we have every right to pick up. It doesn't mean pretending we weren't hurt. David was clearly not unbothered. The psalms he wrote during this period are raw with pain. But he knew that his circumstances (even this humiliating, stone-throwing, curse-hurling moment) were in God's hands. And that God's purposes were bigger than his anger.
Friend, maybe there's a Shimei in your life right now. Someone who has cursed you publicly, kicked you when you were down, thrown stones when you were already wounded. Your men are ready. The sword is right there. And everything in you wants to use it.
Put it down.
Not because the offense doesn't matter. Not because you're a pushover. But because you serve a God who sees every stone, hears every curse, and keeps perfect accounts. He has not forgotten what was done to you, and His justice will be far more thorough than yours ever could be.
Let God handle your Shimei. You just keep walking.
🔍 PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN: A Peek at the Study Behind This Post
The idea for this devotion began with my newest book, Hope Refined. While writing, I learned much about David's life, both the good and the bad. The spark here was a single, startling verse: "Let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him." This is not the response of a broken man, but of a theologically grounded one. That distinction demanded a closer look.
Read the full scene in context. 2 Samuel 15–16 is a masterclass in David's character under pressure. Read it straight through and pay attention to everything David doesn't do: he doesn't fight Absalom, he doesn't execute Shimei, he doesn't demand his crown back by force. His restraint is consistent and deliberate—a pattern, not an accident.
Dig into David's reasoning. The phrase "the LORD hath bidden him" is theologically rich. David operates from the conviction that God works sovereignly even through the hostility of his enemies, a concept sometimes called "meticulous providence." Look up Matthew Henry's commentary on 2 Samuel 16 for a beautiful treatment of David's submission here.
Cross-reference with Romans 12:17–21. Paul's entire passage on not repaying evil for evil reads almost like a commentary on this exact scene. The command to "give place unto wrath"—meaning to step aside and let God's wrath work—is precisely what David modeled centuries earlier. That Old Testament/New Testament echo deepens everything.
Search for the Psalms connection. Many scholars link Psalm 7 to Shimei's accusations and the events of 2 Samuel 16. Read it and notice how David processes the injustice, not by plotting revenge, but by appealing to God as righteous Judge ("the LORD shall judge the people", Psalm 7:8). That's your application: prayer as the alternative to vengeance.
Study time: roughly 1–2 hours, including a long and very satisfying detour through Matthew Henry but excluding all the research I had already done for the book itself. I highly recommend Matthew Henry for any narrative Old Testament passage, as he had a gift for finding the theology hidden in the story.
The best devotional Bible study often starts not with a topic but with a moment—a scene that feels surprising or counter-intuitive. Find the verse that makes you say, "Wait, why did he do that?" and start pulling. The treasure is usually right there under the question.
It is the time when kings go forth to battle. But this king has stayed home.
From the shadows of a royal palace, Merlin watches King David grow restless, silent, and strangely distant from the God he once served with such joy. As David's secret spirals into deceit and manipulation, Merlin wrestles with his own terror and bitterness. How do you confront the man you've followed for fifty years? How do you forgive a sin that has destroyed your friend and faith in your king?
Through long nights of sleepless wrestling, Merlin must decide whether to let David's failures define his view of God or allow God's mercy to redefine his hope.
Blending the grit of biblical history with the wonder of Arthurian legend, Hope Refined reveals a secret chapter of Merlin’s long life when he learned that even the greatest earthly kings fall and that genuine hope lies in a very different kingdom.