II Samuel 15:13 “And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.”
Fickle Friends
You know who your friends are when you have very few friends. That is true, in part, because people are fickle by nature. In David’s life, when he fled from Absalom, he encountered people who responded to his troubles in different ways. Some were opportunists; some were traitors; and some were loyal friends.
You may even face the same types of people in your life. Ittai and Hushai were friends to David when it was not “cool” or safe to be David’s friend. Ahithophel was a conspirator against David who was out for vengence. Ziba was an opportunist who tried to manipulate David’s plight to his own advantage. Shimei cursed David and threw stones at him.
At one time, being a friend to the king was a desirable place of prosperity. But people are fickle, and when the winds of change blew in, the people walked out. One day you can be on top of the world; the next day, you can be all alone. Just ask David.
So how did David respond to these people? What should you do when people betray you, have it out for you, curse you, and use you? Psalm 3 reminds us that God is our Help and our Shield when we cry, when we sleep, and when we fear. Don’t gain your value in life from the feedback you get from fickle people. When you look around and all of your friends are gone, there is Friend that never changes and is always present!