Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again. But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him” (2 Sam. 15:25-26).
David's humble resignation and acceptance of God's stands alongside of other examples worthy of imitation...
Israel convicted of their own sin declared: “'We have sinned,' the Israelites said to the LORD. 'Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!' So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel" (Jdg. 10:15-16).
Job rebuked his unbelieving wife: "'You speak as a foolish woman speaks,' he told her. 'Should we accept from God only good and not adversity?' In all this, Job did not sin in what he said" (Job 2:10).
Men who truly believe in the power and wisdom of Almighty God do not shake their fist at Him even in the worst of times. They do not view God as a cosmic vending machine, dispensing blessings to those who pay and push the right buttons. When trials come, when standing on the threshold of death, they continue to trust Him who judges righteously. There is no sense of entitlement, there is no making demands, there is no complaining.
Such is true of the penitent as well...
"...the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 18:13-14).
Several years ago, one of my relatives was dying of terminal cancer. He had not been a religious man, and most of his life he spent indifferent to the things of God. He decided to try and "get right" on his deathbed, and in his "repentance" declared, "The Lord had better bless me..."
I don't think I'll ever forget those words, perhaps because they stand in stark contrast to the spirit of the penitent...not to mention the above examples of faithful men who would never dare say, "The Lord had better do this or that."
If anyone "had better" do anything it's you and me. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 1:6-7).