There’s an old saying that goes, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The problem is…it’s not true! Words do hurt. Some words will even break your heart.

In King David’s life, there was a time that words crushed his already despondent spirit. His son, Absolom, had worked against him to take over the kingdom (2 Samuel 16:5-14). This painful turn of events had David and faithful followers of his regime on the run from the capital city. While they were escaping, a man from the house of Saul named Shimei began hurling comments at David. He shouted, “You man of bloodshed!” “You worthless man!” He was cursing and throwing stones at David and his people, as well as kicking dirt on them as they walked.

This man, Shimei, was a man left from David’s past. Voices from your past will rise and haunt you when you’re moving to a new place, trying to overcome evil, or between revelation from what’s coming next.

1. The voice of the enemy will always bring an IDENTITY issue.

This man called David worthless and a man of bloodshed. At certain points in life, David must have felt worthless. His own father didn’t invite him to be considered by the prophet Samuel for anointing, leaving him alone to tend the sheep while the other sons were honored at a banquet. We also know that David was both a man of war and a man of murder as he spilled the innocent blood of Uriah to cover his own sin. The insults this man was hurling at David were indeed true, but the enemy used a voice of condemnation rather than conviction to get at David in this moment.

2. The devil is both a liar and an accuser. When you’re down or struggling, he’ll heap more condemnation on you rather than less.

David was already dealing with the loss of his kingdom and the betrayal of his son. Now, this man is hurling accusations at him that are painful, and somewhat true. We can know the difference between conviction and condemnation because conviction always draws us to repentance and back to the Father, while condemnation brings guilt and shame.

3. When faced with a fight against accusations, be honest before the Lord and let HIM mark you as clean.

One of David’s loyal men asked David if he could cut Shimei’s head off to silence him! David answered with calm wisdom, saying that God had allowed it and he would endure it. His leadership in that moment impacted those following him. David reflected on the truth of what was being said but didn’t get stuck in it.

4. Although we may feel weary, pray for a new blessing the SAME DAY you feel the cursing. Blessing can overtake cursing if we humbly ask God to shift the voices and the way we perceive what we hear and feel.

GUTSY FAITH RESOURCES:

As a new partner to Gutsy Faith, Amanda is available to help people unravel what, for too long, has kept them bound. If you’d like to know more about getting help or would like to connect with Amanda for a FREE CONSULTATION, contact her below:

Amanda Moore, M.Ed., LPC-Associate. Supervised by LaMonica Ross, LPC-S.

Website: wonderchristiancounseling.com
Email: amanda@wonderchristianco.com

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Episode 91: Words That Hurt