Category: 2 Samuel

2 Samuel 24:20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
Once again, David has messed up. He fleshly humanity is showing. And, eventually, he realizes his error and turns back to God. The verses below are the final step in his reconciliation to God. He wants to buy Araunah’s threshing floor and build an alter to the LORD. Araunah has a generous spirit and tells the king to take it and offer it up, no payment necessary. But David understands that his sacrifice must cost him something for it to be truly meaningful.
2 Samuel 24:21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an alter to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
Isn’t that the way with so many things? For them to be truly meaningful, they have to cost us something. There are many things in life that fit the bill—training for a half marathon, earning an advanced degree or certification, having a positive marriage, raising children, drawing closer to my Savior. They all cost me something. I have to sacrifice something—time, effort, pride, love, sleep—in order to attain these goals, which makes them more valuable because of what’s invested.
2 Samuel 24:22-23 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up….Your Majesty, Araunah gives all this to the king.” …
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the understanding that for things to be truly meaningful, they have to cost us something. Help me to invest time and effort into my relationship with You. Draw me closer. Amen.
2 Samuel 24:24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
Have a blessed day.

2 Samuel 22:2-3 “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….”
As is usually the case the night after a sleepless night, I’m even more exhausted this morning than yesterday. And the first day back is always exhausting. And of course there were glitches throughout the day—technology that didn’t work right, links that didn’t open properly, more students than I could socially distance. But God….
2 Samuel 22:7 “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From His temple he heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.”
He heard my prayers and showered me with blessing after blessing yesterday—encouraging messages from sweet friends, kind and enthusiastic students who were patient with me and with glitchy technology, a student’s gorgeous bouquet from her mom, filled with sunflowers and bright blooms, which brightened my day just to see it.
2 Samuel 22:17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for Your loving presence in the midst of my mess. Thank You for grace upon grace. Draw me closer. Hear my praise. Amen.
2 Samuel 22:33 “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”
Have a blessed day.

2 Samuel 19:1 Joab was told, “The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
Grief is something I struggle with. The finality of death on this plane is hard for me—to know that I will not see my loved ones again on this side of heaven is a heavy personal loss. And I would never try to judge another person’s grief, to say someone is grieving too much, because grief is too personal. I truly struggled with whether I wanted to write on this topics at all, but God kept nudging.
2 Samuel 19:2 And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, “The king is grieving for his son.”
So what can I learn from David and his grief over his son and his behavior with his troops? 1. God is still there, even in the abyss of grief. He is sovereign, even in the midst of our chaos. 2. We can’t allow ourselves to be so consumed by our grief that we lose sight of all that we still have. There are always blessings, even in our despair. 3. We must remember those who need us, who depend on us, even as we grieve. That’s a hard one because grief can feel so consuming, but it’s important to remember.
2 Samuel 19:3 The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle.
Lord, Thank You for this day and these reminders. I am no expert on dealing with grief, Lord. I feel much like David when it comes to the magnitude of pain I feel for those I have lost. But You have led me to these insights for a purpose. Help me to draw closer to You in the process of understanding Your word. Amen.
2 Samuel 19:4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, “O my son Absalom! I Absalom, my son, my son!”
Have a blessed day.

2 Samuel 18:9 Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom’s hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.
This image strikes me as utterly absurd. Absalom was incredibly image conscious, yet he was riding on a donkey. He was, by all accounts, a handsome man, yet it was his flowing hair that caused him to get tangled up in the branches of the tree. It almost strikes me as cartoonish to envision the donkey riding out from under him, leaving him suspended, helpless, in mid air. My mind has a hard time with it.
2 Samuel 18:29 The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
Contrast that image with the image of David—king, yet always father, worried about his son far more than his kingdom. When messengers come to bring him news, his question isn’t about the fate of the country. It’s about his son. Even after all the son has done against his father. I truly don’t know what do to with all of this—Absalom’s self-absorption and bitter end, David’s blind spot as a parent and a leader.
2 Samuel 18:33a The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept….
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. I sense a caution in this chapter. Absalom’s end is a caution not to get so caught up in self, in appearance, in vengeance or power. David’s caution seems to be not to get so caught up in our children that we fail to show them how to be good people or that we ignore other obligations. Help me to keep my eyes on You, Lord. Draw me and my family closer—to You and to each other. Amen.
2 Samuel 18:33b …As he went, he said: “Oh my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Have a blessed day.

2 Samuel 16:5 As King David approaches Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out.
Once again there is a lot going on in this chapter—deceit, slander, malice. Absalom is out of control, out to get David, and receiving spiteful advice from a bitter yet trusted advisor. And then we have Shimei—cursing David and pelting him and his men with dirt and rocks. But David keeps Shimei and his behavior in perspective.
2 Samuel 16:6 He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left.
If I had been David, hurt by my own son’s thirst for my throne and my blood, tired, grumpy, annoyed, and here comes this insignificant speck, hurling curses, stones, and dirt with reckless abandon, I feel like I would have aimed all my ire squarely at this new target that was totally within my power to annihilate. But David keeps his cool, and he keeps Shimei’s behavior in perspective—this is not his biggest issue, and God can speak to him through this man if He chooses, or God can shut Shimei up. David leaves Shimei to God.
2 Samuel 16:7-8 As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The LORD has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul….”
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. So often when I am frustrated and overwhelmed, I aim my ire at unintended targets, which always leads to regret. Thank You for showing me a better way. Give me the strength and grace to take it when needed. Amen.
2 Samuel 16:11 David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the LORD has told him to.”
Have a blessed day.