Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Samuel 14:14 (New Living Translation)

All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

A woman tells this to King David. She was sent to David with a story, probably fictional, about her family – a dead husband, one son dead at the hands of another son, no one else left alive. She begged for the life of her one living son (the murderer). David grants her the life of her son.

She continues the conversation and reaches the point of the ruse. She asks that David bring his son Absalom back into his home. David had banished Absalom, but missed him dearly.

I know people who have done this – banished an adult child from the family for some misdeed or other. Everyone suffers – the child and especially the grieving parent. Pride prevents the parent from welcoming home the child.

Side note: a parent is unlikely to win a life-long battle with a child. If nothing else, the parent will die of old age before the child.

The woman concludes her discussion with David with the words in verse 14. “Look at God,” she says, “he finds a way to bring us back when we have been separated from him.”

The unspoken words are, “Surely King David, you can find a way to bring your son back from this separation.”

God, help keep me from separating myself from others. When I have stumbled and separated, help me to bring people back into my life and destroy the walls I have created.