II Samuel 6:12-19

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26          II Samuel 6:12-19          Hebrews 1:5-14

                  Have you ever held on to resentment in your heart of hearts? You know the kind. They may start small and grow or they can start big and become huge. They are connected to anger, bitterness, sorrow, and often guilt. Someone said something or did something that was unforgivable. At least you treated it as unforgivable because it somehow seemed right and good to hold on to the pain. Even though it was not healthy, not helpful, and even destructive to your spirit…you hung on.

Did you dream of getting even? Maybe you even made a plan of what you would say, how you would turn the knife, or even embarrass them in public by catching them in a trap. Humans are like that.

In II Samuel we find a very interesting woman. Her name is Michal. She is the daughter of Saul the first and now former king of Israel. Saul has been replaced by David and his daughter is angry.  Michal watches as King David rejoices in the presence of the Ark of the Covenant. He dances before the Lord but Michal just looks at him in disgust. Her anger and the way her father was treated continues to infect her spirit. She finally gets her chance to chastise David with words that are filled with sarcasm and a vindictive spirit. But it gets her nowhere.

That’s that way resentment grows in our hearts. It doesn’t just fade away. If it is not cleansed it will rise to the surface at the most inopportune time. Worse yet, it will become a giant speed bump on our journey to the manger. We won’t arrive in the fullness of the Lord with resentment in our hearts.  We will be required to stand at a distance. We will not be able to join the shepherds at the side of the manger. We won’t get close enough to see the face of the Christ child.

Resentment. It is an infection that is treatable. The first step is to desire a cure for the things that fester.