OUR DAILY BREAD : PREVENTING REGRET

[cimi]

November 23
Monday


PREVENTING
REGRET

READ
2 Samuel 18:31-19:4
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The king was deeply
moved, and went up to
the chamber over the
gate, and wept.
__2 Samuel 18:33
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In the 1980s, the British band Mike and the Mechanics recorded a powerful song titled, "The Living Years." The songwriter mourns his father's death, because their relationship had been strained and marked by silence rather than sharing. The singer remorsefully says, "I didn't get to tell him all the things I had to say." Struggling with regret over words unsaid and love unexpressed, he laments, "I just wish I could have told him in the living years."

Kind David similarly regretted his broken relationship with his son Absalom. Angered over David's refusal to punish Amnon for raping his sister Tamar, Absalom killed Amnon and fled (2 Sam. 13:21-j34). David's servant Joab knew that he longed to go to his fugitive son, so he arranged for Absalom to be brought to him. But their relationship was never the same again. Absalom's bitterness sparked a conflict that ended with his death (18:14). It was a bitter victory for King David, causing him to lament his lost son and their failed relationship (18:33). No amount of grieving, however, could undo David's regret when dealing with broken relationships. The pain of trying to make things right can be hard. But it's much better to do what we can to make things right "in the living years." __Bill Crowder
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`````````````````````````FOR FURTHER STUDY``````````````````

````````````Do you have s strained relationship with someone?```````
```````````For help, read on the Internet What Do You Do With A``````
`````````Broken Relationship? at www.discoveryseries.org/q0703````
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A broken relationship can be repaired--
but only if you're willing to try.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Samuel 18:31-19:4*******

31 Just then the Cushite
came, and the Cushite said,
"There is good news, my
lord the king! For the LORD
has avenged you this day of
all those who rose against
you."

32 And the king said to the
Cushite, "Is the young man
Absalom safe?"

So the Cushite answered,
"May the enemies of my
lord the king, and all who
rise against you to do harm,
be like that young man!"

33 Then the king was
deeply moved, and went up
to the chamber over the
gate, and wept. And as he
went, he said thus: "O my
son Absalom--my son, my
son Absalom--if only I had
died in your place! O
Absalom my son, my son!"


1 And Joab was told,
"Behold, the king is
weeping and mourning for
Absalom." 2 So the victory
that day was turned into
mourning for all the people.
For the people heard it said
that day, "The king is
grieved for his son." 3 And
the people stole back into
the city that day, as people
who are ashamed steal
away when they flee in
battle. 4 But the king
covered his face, and the
king cried out with a loud
voice, "O my son Absalom!
O Absalom, my son, my
son!"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Absalom, third son of David (2 Sam. 3:3), murdered his half-brother
Amnon, David's firstborn, for raping his sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13).
Self-exiled for 3 years and alienated by David for another 2 years
(13:38; 14:28), Absalom became bitter and eventually revolted
against his father (2 Sam. 15), resulting in Absalom's disgraceful
death (2 Sam. 18). His story is told in 2 Samuel 13-18.
__SIM KAY TEE