2 Samuel 12:22–23: “And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’”

June 21st, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

King David sinned. And rather than turn to the Lord and repent at his first sin, he tried to cover his tracks, which caused him to sin more and more. By the end, he had gotten a married woman, Bathsheba, pregnant; tried to trick her husband into thinking he was the father; and when that failed, had her husband killed in battle. As a result, God told David that the child he had with Bathsheba would not live. David spent 7 days praying, fasting, mourning, and humbling himself before the Lord in the hopes that God might deliver his son from death. But God still said, “No.” And the child died.

We notice how David quietly accepted this discipline from the Lord. He got up, shaved, anointed himself, dressed, worshiped God, and then ate. He had repented and was again a man under submission, just as he had been in the days of Saul. He explained his seemingly disinterested behavior to his servants: “Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” By faith in God’s character, he relinquished his child to God and began to look to the future. David knew that he would be reunited with his infant son, and that they would ultimately spend eternity together with the Lord. We do believe babies go to heaven, not because they deserve it, but because of God’s grace.

David’s attitude reminds us of the true story of Horatio Spafford, the writer of the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” This hymn was written after 3 traumatic events in Spafford’s life: the death of his only son in 1871; followed shortly by the Great Chicago Fire, which ruined him financially; and then in 1873 the death of his 4 daughters. Spafford had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville du Havre, but had to send them on ahead without him because he was delayed on business. While crossing the Atlantic, their ship collided with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and sank rapidly. All 4 of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife, Anna, survived and sent him a telegram that read: “Saved alone.” Shortly afterwards, Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife; and as the ship passed near where his daughters had drowned, he felt a comfort that could only be from God. He was inspired to write these words:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

“LORD, please bless our lives today so that we may be a blessing to others.”

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1 Samuel 12 KJV

¹ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. ² And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. ³ Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.   ⁴ And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. ⁵ And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. ⁶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.  ⁷ Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.   ⁸ When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. ⁹ And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. ¹⁰ And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. ¹¹ And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. ¹² And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. ¹³ Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. ¹⁴ If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:   ¹⁵ But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers. ¹⁶ Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. ¹⁸ So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. ¹⁹ And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. ²⁰ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; ²¹ And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things , which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. ²² For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. ²³ Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:  ²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.  ²⁵ But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.