Read:
- 2 Samuel 17:24-29
- 2 Samuel 18
- Psalm 121
Devastating storms, serious illness, relationship conflict, uncertainty about the future. Why do bad things happen, and how do we approach God when they do?
God created the heavens and the earth, and he gave people the free will to choose righteousness or go their own way. Because people choose to sin, we live in a world with pain and death. For David, one of those hardships was Absalom’s rebellion. His son, whom he no doubt loved, won the hearts of the people of Israel and then marched on the capital city. David and his men fled into the countryside, just as they had decades before, when David ran from King Saul.
Even during Absalom’s rebellion, God was in control. “Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “’Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.’ For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!” (2 Samuel 17:14, NLT) From David’s point of view, he had placed his servant Hushai in Absalom’s army as a spy. From Hushai’s point of view, he was serving the rightful king, David. From Absalom’s point of view, he was following what he thought was good advice.
They all had their own point of view but didn’t know all of God’s plan. Neither do we. God wants to transform us into people who live like his Son, Jesus. That’s what it means to fully follow him. Sometimes that transformation requires hardship. We grow closer to God when we pray through illness, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job.
David was a man after God’s own heart, not because he always did what was right. We’ve seen that isn’t true! He was a man after God’s own heart because he trusted God through every circumstance. Do you trust him?
Pray: God, I know your plan is perfect. Help me to have peace and to trust you in every circumstance. Amen.