2 Samuel 6:18
“Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.”
David is using the resources of the kingdom to bless the people. Everyone gets sustenance and dessert. Saul milked the resources of the people. The giving was in the opposite direction. David points them toward God and and blesses them.
How are we in relationships? Do we take or give? We are meant to bless others. As we walk with Christ He fills our lives with blessings that our cup overflows. We are meant to fill others and bless them.
We are selfish by nature. Jesus tells the pharisees that they act according to their father, the devil. Prior to being born again, we were the same. Selfishness and pride were from the evil one and we immersed ourselves in them. Seeking our own way and seeing those in our way as competitors.
We are now in Christ. We are still competing over the same things. When we bump up against someone who wants the same thing, we still feel the competition, but we pray about it. Sometimes we give it up, other times we love them but still pursue it. We don't see them as enemies. We pray for them and love them. If they get the object instead of us, that's ok. God's will. He has something better for us.
David was promised the kingdom, but Saul had it. David still honored and served him. He wasn't bitter. He trusted God throughout those 15 years on the run as a fugitive. He had two opportunities to take the kingdom from Saul. But it didn't feel right to him. He feared God and loved others.
We can confidently live trusting in God to provide for us. We can use opportunities to bless others. If we don't get what we want, praise God, He has something better for us.
Lord, help us to bless others. Help us not to feel threatened, but to bless.