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Today is Sunday April 18, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 19-20. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-april-18

Title: Bible Study: Everything is A Gift
All it takes to remind us of just how precious life is is to see the sudden death of a loved one, especially if it is a child or spouse. While we all wish we could have done a little more to keep that person alive or had just a little more time with him, it is important to realize that it's all in God's hands. We may not understand why He chose to take someone so soon, but He knows and if we take the time to talk with Him and let Him show us the answer He will let us know. In order to find the answer we need to find the Savior, He will comfort us and give us the answers we are looking for.

After their victory over Absalom, David's soldiers returned from battle expecting to be welcomed by a glorious victory celebration, instead, they heard the king weeping and wailing over the death of his son. “And the victory that day was turned into mourning unto all the people: for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son. And the people gat them by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son! And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives, and the lives of thy concubines; In that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither princes nor servants: for this day I perceive, that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well. Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably unto thy servants: for I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night: and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now.” - II Samuel 19:2-7. David's deep grief at the death of his evil son Absalom made him incapable of feeling or carrying out his responsibility to both God and the people. His sorrow was so great that he lost all sense of gratitude to God and his faithful followers, but the death of the rebel leader was the only way by which peace could be restored to the nation and the throne could be restored to its God-appointed king. Joab had to remind David that he had a job to do, take care of his people, not the dead.

It does not take long for a wicked selfish person to use a persons grief to his advantage, a man named Sheba used this opportunity to start another civil war. “And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.” - II Samuel 20:1,2. While we are full of emotions and grief, it is easy to lose sight of God and our responsibilities in life, but one can not let the death of a loved one take control of their lives. David had faced many sorrows throughout his life after sinning with Bathsheba. When the first child he had with Bathsheba became sick, David had prayed and fasted. Then, when he received word that the child had died, he confidently said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” David knew heaven would be all the more precious because his child was up there with the Lord. However, after Absalom's death, David expressed no hope of seeing Absalom in heaven. Perhaps he grieved so much because he wished Absalom had just one more chance to turn from his wicked ways. Which is one more reason to make sure that we all know for sure we are going to heaven when we die. However, God knew where Absalom was going had he allowed him to live, if you think about it there would have been some fierce competition with him and Solomon since it was God's choice for Solomon to take David's place as king, not Absalom, whom would have been the oldest at the time and next heir to the throne.

While we have no idea what the future holds, God does know what it holds and He sees beyond the surface of what we see. My brother passed away almost six weeks ago with double pneumonia, he was in the hospital and improving every day, then all of a sudden his body began rejecting the medication and he passed away two days later, he was only thirty-four, but he knew he was saved and safe in the arms of Jesus. We all questioned why he was taken so soon or what could we have done sooner to prevent this, but it was all in God's hands. God saw that pain that my brother would have been in beyond the pneumonia and did not want him to suffer any longer. So, he went home to be with God and now he is up there playing basketball with Jesus. We had to wait over three weeks to get him buried, leaving us with more questions, but through it all we never lost sight of God. The day that my brother was finally able to be put to rest my mother said, “God gave me the answer I needed, now I know why He took my son to be home with Him.” You see, everything we go through in life has a season, we may not fully understand and we will never forget the people who come and go so quickly in our lives, but one thing is for sure, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;... I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1,2,12,13. Everything is a gift from God

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and have a goof week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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