Trusting in the Lord (2 Samuel 1)
Read 📖
Today’s reading is 2 Samuel 1
Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
2 Samuel 1:11-12
Reflect ❤️
From the end of 1 Samuel, we see that God has been shaping David’s character in the wilderness. He was chosen and anointed by God—not because of outward strength or appearance, but because of his heart for God.
At the start of 2 Samuel, an Amalekite arrives with news of King Saul and his son Jonathan are dead. The opportunity for David seems to have arrived. The question is — will he seize the kingdom for himself, or will he trust in the Lord?
The news would have brought a mixture of emotions for David. Saul, Israel’s king—and the one who pursued him—was dead. And Jonathan, his loyal friend, was gone. Unlike the Amalekite, who saw opportunity as he wandered the battlefield, David does not use this moment for personal opportunity. Instead, he responds with lament—a grief so deep it will be remembered for generations. David knows that, despite Saul’s personal vendetta against him, this is the death of the Lord’s anointed—the fall of a King. And in that fall we can begin to see clearly what it truly means for Israel to have a king.
Grief is complex and weighty. It brings to the surface emotions and thoughts we may not anticipate until we face it ourselves—whether in the loss of a loved one or even in the death of someone who opposed us. Yet in all circumstances, we can seek the Lord with our hearts, even when it is difficult.
God follows through on his promises. When we're in the ‘waiting room’, the silence may feel long, and may feel it will never come, but what God shows us through Scripture time and time again that He is at work. We trust and draw near to him as he shapes us to be all He has made us to be.
Pray 🙏
Is there a situation you have been pursuing in your own strength, or calling God has put on your heart? Use this time to pause, reflect and pray.
Lord, you are sovereign, you are Lord of all. Create in me a heart that seeks you. Give me the faith to trust your timings, and may your word dwell in me as I seek to know your will. Amen.