Today you should read: 2 Samuel 16
There are 3 figures that we need to focus on in today’s passage, and none of them are David.
1. Ziba: This is Mephibosheth’s servant, and if you recall Mephibosheth is Jonathan’s son, the son of Saul. So here is the Saul’s grandsons repaying David for the kindness David showed his family. If you recall, Jonathan and David were close friends, and after Jonathan’s death, David took care of Mephibosheth, who was crippled (ch. 9). It is amazing to see that someone from Saul’s lineage is willing to help out David, because the second person in our passage is from Saul’s lineage but he is cursing David.
2. Shimei: This man is a descendant of Saul. His words and actions are the complete opposite from Ziba’s. If you remember from Tim’s message on Ruth 1, he talked about how you can be bitter or better. Well, Shimei is the bitter one, while Ziba and Mephibosheth are the better ones.
Mephibosheth and Ziba could have blamed David for the death of Saul and Jonathan, but they didn’t. They knew who God had ordained to be king and they helped David in a time of need. Shimei, on the other hand, blamed David for their deaths and did not follow what the Lord ordained.
3. Much like Shimei, Absalom did not follow what God had ordained. Nowhere in Scripture does it say God anointed Absalom to be king. He decided he wanted to be king and nothing was going to stop him from trying to get that. His actions are wicked, and nothing like how the king of Israel was to act.
What do we learn from these three guys? Well, as Tim says, “Things always go better when you do them God’s way.” Ziba knew that God ordained David to be king and he was going to help the king in a time of need. Shimei and Absalom rejected David as king and wanted their own needs met.
How are you doing following God’s plan for your life? Are you constantly trying to take control of it or do you submit to God’s authority and rule? This week, notice the times where you are trying to control your life and take that time to stop and pray. Ask God for guidance and direction in that time.
By: Brice Stockton — Student Ministry Apprentice
JumpstartCPC.com 
Wasn’t Ziba actually looking out for himself? It turns out that he betrayed Mephibosheth. I don’t think he gave a rip about King David. He was just being opportunistic.