DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ACTS OF KINDNESS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – ACTS OF KINDNESS

"Now David said, 'Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?'..... It happened after this that the king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.   Then David said, 'I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nabash, as his father showed kindness to me.' "   (II Samuel 9:1; 10:1-2)

One of the hallmarks of a godly man or woman is the character trait of kindness.  David was a godly man and he demonstrated kindness.  As you read about his life in the Scriptures, he had a kind heart.

In the first instance, the search for an heir or Saul was fulfillment of a covenant David and Jonathan had made with each other.   A part of that covenant included these words by Jonathan:  " 'And you (David) shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.'  So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ' Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies.'" (I Samuel 20:14-16).  Kindness was a part of that covenant.

In the second instance, David sought to repay kindness that Nahash, the king of Ammon, had shown to David.  It is not clear what that kindness was, but David remembered, and wanted to do a kind deed for his son, Hanun.

One of the fruit of the spirit is kindness (Galatians 6:22) and should be a part of our nature.  And God says, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness…" (Colossians 3:12), and, add to your godliness, brotherly kindness (II Peter 1:7).  Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32).  Kindness is one of the characteristics of love. "Love suffers long and is kind" (I Corinthians 13:4  

God has demonstrated His kindness to us in Christ (Ephesians 2:7).  The kindness and love of God our Savior has appeared to us providing salvation (Titus 3:4-5).  We can reflect God's kindness to us by being kind to other people.  The bumper sticker tells us to do a random act of kindness.  But these are not just random acts of kindness; they are intentional.  

Love, Dad