Today’s devotion comes from 2 Samuel 3:31-39.
“Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. The king chanted a lament for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
“Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters;
As one falls before the wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him. Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people. So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil.” 2 Samuel 3:31-39.
—————
As a quick side note, “the sons of Zeruiah” in the last verse included Joab and Abishai his brother who killed Abner. “Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel; and Asahel was as swift-footed as one of the gazelles which is in the field.” 2 Samuel 2:18. “So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.” 2 Samuel 3:30.
For this devotion, we are not going to primarily meditate on the specific request of David in the last verse, “May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil.” Rather, we are going to primarily meditate on the general condition that we all face, namely, there are matters that we feel are too difficult for us for which we feel too weak to handle.
But, there is hope!
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21.
“22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.” Psalm 55:22-23.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 