Daily Devotional Details

Date

David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. 2 Samuel 6:9-10

At this point, David felt he would rather be far from God than near him. He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord home, so he “took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite” (2 Sam. 6:10).

Now a Gittite was an inhabitant of the Philistine city of Gath. We have to assume, from the fact that he was living among God’s people, that he had come to know and worship the Lord. Then we read, “the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household” (6:11).

The God who has power to judge also has power to bless. David didn’t want a God who judges near him. But what he finds is that the God who blesses is far from him too! The blessing that would have been his goes to someone else.

Are you missing out on the blessing of God? Here’s what happens: You take offense at something God has done. Instead of walking closely with God, you keep at what you think is a “safe” distance from him. But now you are missing out on the blessing that could be yours! God is at work around you, but you no longer experience his blessing within you.

Now if that is your position, either you will remain offended at God or you will seek the blessing of God. When you cling to what has offended you, you forfeit the blessing that could be yours.

What blessing from God might you be forfeiting by keeping him at a distance?