Lord, I need to be honest. Reading 2 Samuel is not proving to be inspiring for my faith. It is actually causing me to struggle with how I view the bible. It also challenges how I think about God. That’s not a bad thing, struggling and being challenged can be a good thing. But I…
my own song of praise
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 22 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. [2 Samuel 22:1] Lord, I sense in David a deep awareness that his success and security are in You, because of You. He sees the circumstances…
grieving with hope
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 21 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Lord, as I read 2 Samuel 21, I am stuck. I do not find this inspiring, I am not sure what You want me to learn. I don’t get that there is a famine because Saul killed the Gibeonites. I appreciate that he broke the treaty with them, but I don’t get why THIS…
a troublemaker crushed
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 20 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!” [2 Samuel 20:1] I had a tough time finding a lesson in this reading. I was…
humility and mercy
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 19 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him, “May my lord not hold me guilty. Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For…
a father’s love
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 18 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, “Be gentle with the young man Absalom for my sake.” And all the troops heard the king giving orders concerning Absalom to each of the commanders. 2 Samuel 18:5] The final battle between David’s army and Absalom’s. Absalom has every intention of killing his father, yet here…
God’s hand and ours
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 17 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom. [2 Samuel 17:14] David is on the run. Absalom is determined to kill him. His…
confession and invitation
By Shane Claiborne, published in Esquire. Tell me what you think…. To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so…
Chuck’s story (Part 2)
The story of Chuck, the homeless man who collects treasures in his shopping cart, continues. Here is the next part of the story. Each week I will add a new chapter to the story, with the hope that we can become treasure-seekers like him. Please note, this is told as if it is a true…
enduring the cross
SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 16 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. [2 Samuel 16:13] David is going down, and Shimei (related to the former king Saul) is letting him know it. Though he…