November 28, 2019

Today you should read: 2 Samuel 19

In today’s reading we learn that David is overrun with grief over the death of his son Absalom.  A parent’s love is a unique thing that never turns, even if the child does. We read in verse 2… all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son.  Verse 4 reveals more:

The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Maybe you’ve experience overwhelming grief caused by loss, or loneliness, or even by someone deserting you.  Where do you turn? What do you do? How can God heal your heart?

 

• Realize that grief is a normal, human emotion.  Normalize the normal… Everyone grieves at one time or another in his or her life.  Even Jesus, the Son of God, grieved – actually several times that we know of. We know He grieved at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), He wept over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), and in the garden asking His Father to remove the cup of suffering from Him (Matthew 26:36ff). 

 

 

• Don’t be an island – reach out to others for help.  When grief is overwhelming, it’s easy to shut down.  That’s exactly the worst thing for you to do. It’s at times like this we need the support of others the most.  Reach out strategically to those who can help you.

 

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:2

 

• Draw near to God – allow Him to love you.  The times we need the Lord the most, are the times we often pull away the hardest.  He’s what you need. He can minister to your soul in ways that no one else can.

 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  James 4:8

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:2

 

• Remember that this too shall pass.  Often when you’re in the middle of a “grief storm” in life, you think you’ll never get out.  It feels hopeless and permanent – it’s not. Jesus told us that in this life you will have trouble – but He has overcome it (John 16:33).

 

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-  A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.  A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.  A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

 

• Rest in God’s faithfulness.  You can trust Him.  He is worthy of your trust and He’s never failed.  This reminds me of one of my favorite hymns:

 

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father.  There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not, 
as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.  

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!“
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Remember the words of Psalm 30:5 – Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

By: Tim Parsons — Lead Pastor