Showing Kindness

SCRIPTURE:

OBSERVATION:

David is nearing the end of his life. These are some of his final words — not spoken in battle, not from a throne of power, but from a place of reflection.
If you knew you only had a limited amount of time before you went to heaven, what would you say to your loved ones?

David doesn’t ask for monuments, recognition, or revenge. He asks for kindness to be shown to the sons of Barzillai — people who stood by him in one of the darkest, most vulnerable seasons of his life, when he was fleeing from his own son, Absalom.

David remembered who showed up when it cost something.
He remembered faithfulness in the shadows.
And he wanted that faithfulness honored.

APPLICATION:

This passage always brings me back to a moment in my own life.

When my mom was in the hospital and we were told there was no hope, she did something very similar to David. For 25 years, every single week — rain or shine — she and four of her friends met for coffee at Zippy’s Kahala. It was a sacred rhythm of friendship and faithfulness.

As my mom was nearing the end, she asked me to remember them at her memorial service. She wanted them honored — seated with the family, and given orchid leis. It mattered deeply to her that the women who had walked with her through decades of life were seen and remembered.

That’s what love does.
That’s what faithfulness leaves behind.

Legacy isn’t built on titles or accomplishments. It’s built on relationships, kindness, and showing up.

So I ask myself:
Who has stood by me in quiet ways?
Who has been faithful when no one else noticed?
And am I living in a way that honors the people God has placed in my life?

PRAYER:

Lord,
Thank You for the gift of people who walk with us through every season.
Help me live with the end in mind — not in fear, but in faith.
Give me a heart that remembers faithfulness, honors others well, and chooses kindness even when it costs something.
May my life leave behind a legacy that reflects Your love.
Amen.