Title: To Grieve or Not to Grieve/Topic: Choices

Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 19; 2 Samuel 20; Psalm 55; Matthew 28

Scripture: 2 Samuel 19:1-7
1 Joab was told, "The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom." 2 And for the whole army the victory that day was turned into mourning, because on that day the troops heard it said, "The king is grieving for his son." 3 The men stole into the city that day as men steal in who are ashamed when they flee from battle. 4 The king covered his face and cried aloud, "O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!"
5 Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, "Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. 6 You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. 7 Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don't go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come upon you from your youth till now."

Observation: Most of us have felt the intense pain of grief at one time or another in our lives. Even if a loved one has betrayed and mistreated us, as Absolom had done to David, we can mourn deeply the loss of that person. David's grief is understandable, but Joab was right in the rebuke he gave to David. By giving full reign to his sorrow, David was causing those who had defended him to feel that their service to him had been worthless. David was showing no gratitude to those who had been loyal to him. His grief, at this point, was self-indulgent. It made him more than useless as a leader; it caused those who loved and served him to feel shame for doing the right thing.

Application: I have felt this kind of deep grief in my life and have made the mistake that David made; wallowing in my pain while others who loved me were neglected by me as I grieved. There is a time for grief that is appropriate. But there is also a time that we need to make the choice to stop grieving and get on with life. If we don't make that choice, we become useless to God, others and even ourselves. We may always carry a sorrow in our hearts, but we must make the choice to live as though it weren't there. We must choose to live with joy or we will waste the rest of our years in sadness and self-pity.

Prayer: I know you understand all of our pain, sorrows and sufferings, Lord. You have felt them yourself. You took them all on your shoulders so that you could comfort us with your Spirit and free us from burdens that would destroy us. But it is still our choice whether or not we allow you to take those burdens or whether we choose to hold on to them and own them completely. May we lay all our burdens at your feet and choose to live with love, joy, peace and forgiveness toward others.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.