2 Samuel 15:30–37

So David went up by the Ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went up. Then someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

Now it happened when David had come to the top of the mountain, where he worshiped God—there was Hushai the Archite coming to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. David said to him, “If you go on with me, then you will become a burden to me. But if you return to the city, and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me. And do you not have Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? Therefore it will be that whatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall tell to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. Indeed they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them you shall send me everything you hear.”

So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city. And Absalom came into Jerusalem.

David doesn’t know what God is going to do next, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t pray about it. “O LORD, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”

And the answer comes right away. Hushai shows up with his robe torn and dust on his head (symbolic of grief). Hushai is just as sad about the current events as David is.

David recognizes this as the LORD’s clever response to his prayer. Hushai would be the perfect mole in Absalom’s cabinet, so David sends him back with this mission. Zadok, Abiathar, and Hushai will be David's eyes and ears in the palace. They will use Ahimaaz and Jonathan as messengers to deliver the news to David.

This may turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness, but even if it doesn’t, David will know what Absalom is up to.

God ordains the means as well as the ends.

The quick timing of this answer is just what the doctor ordered for David’s emotional state. He suddenly doesn’t feel alone. Yes, Nathan pronounced severe punishments from the LORD, and all that is now coming true, but there are many things he did not say. God’s promises to David were not revoked. All is not lost. Hope is returning.

Nothing in life is more encouraging than answered prayer. Even if the answer isn’t my first choice, the sense of God’s presence is worth far more than getting my way on some issue.

In fact, getting my way all the time would be kind of depressing.

God is supposed to be smarter than I am. I should expect some disagreement.

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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays' by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.