Year 4, Day 336: 2 Samuel 19

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Challenge

• Challenge: God does not merely wish us to be in relationship with Him as we are.  He challenges us to grow, stretch, and transform as we take on the mantle of being His representatives to this world.

Challenge.  It is a double edged sword.  Without challenge, most of us would not grow meaningfully.  Sure, we might learn and occasionally do something.  But without challenge, we would seldom if ever grow and stretch in directions that are difficult but necessary.

David’s son dies.  David, being David, mourns the loss of his son.  That’s the natural thing to do for him.  David isn’t about power or really even concern for the kingdom.  David mourns that his son is dead.

But Joab comes along and challenges David.  He tells David that his mourning has gone too far.  The warriors who fought with him are beginning to no longer see the battle as a victory and are beginning to think something is wrong.  The whole nation is confused because David should be celebrating in public but is mourning instead.  They are beginning to miss the fact that God’s hand was at work in the battle.

David is just doing what David feels natural to do.  He’s just “being himself.”  But he needs to hear the words of Joab.  He needs that challenge to pull him back into proper alignment for the kingdom.  He needs the challenge to get past his own personal mourning and realize to give glory to God for delivering the kingdom back into the hands of the one to whom it was promised.

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