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March 27, 2019

2 Samuel 1:11-13

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.

Psalm 86:15-16

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
    show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
    just as my mother did.

New International Version (NIV)

   How do we unite people who are divided? The strong polarization of opinions in our world divides along political, generational, socioeconomic and tribal lines. Even believers succumb to the strong centrifugal forces pushing us apart. We are tempted by the culture to adopt the world’s methods to protect ourselves and fight our enemies. The New Testament moves us beyond retaliation to reconciliation. Even in the story of David we see a foreshadowing of the love of our Savior and Shepherd Jesus, who forgave those who crucified him.

                After Saul died, Israel became a nation divided. Quickly the people of Judah crowned David as their King. For a period of years, the rest of Israel remained under the leadership of Saul’s son Ishbosheth. As the people of Israel lived in a state of conflict, David chose to love those who were formerly loyal to his master Saul. He and his men grieved the death of Saul, even though Saul had pursued him to take his life. David worked to unite the people of Israel under the leadership of the Lord, his Shepherd.

                David possessed the greatest resource any leader can have. He lived in an abiding, intimate relationship with the Lord. This gave him a spiritual, moral and emotional compass. We hear it in his prayer in Psalm 86. He knows the Lord well enough to know that he is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. This relationship with God guided his behavior toward the family of his former enemy and master Saul. When in doubt he prayed. He knew he needed the Lord. This deep dependence on God cured him of hostility and anger toward others. He refused to retaliate against those who harmed him. When the time came, he had so loved all the people that they gladly made him King of all Israel.

Pray with me:

Father, how we thank you for your grace and compassion toward us. May your forgiveness of us lead us to forgive others who have wronged us. We pray that you will bring us a spirit of unity. With Jesus our Lord we pray, “Make us one.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane

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