This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of David: Finding Peace in Jesus (WATCH HERE)
2 Samuel 1:1–4 After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed at Ziklag for two days. 2 Then, on the third day, a man arrived from Saul’s camp. His clothing was torn, and there was dirt on his head. When he approached David, he fell to the ground and bowed down to him.
3 David said to him, “Where are you coming from?”
He answered, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.”
4 David said to him, “What was the outcome? Tell me!”
The man said, “The people fled from the battle. Many of the people were struck down and died. Even Saul and his son Jonathan have died.”
David had just returned from victory. The Amalekites had been defeated. What was stolen had been restored. It seemed like a turning point. But on the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with torn clothes and dust on his head, the ancient signs of grief. Saul was dead. Jonathan was dead. The battle had been lost.
Triumph and tragedy collided in a single moment.
David could have interpreted this news as opportunity. The throne he had been promised was now vacant. The one who had hunted him was gone. Yet David did not rush forward in ambition. He paused in grief. He received the news not as a politician calculating advantage, but as a servant of God whose heart was tender.
Life often turns this way. We move from one season into another without warning. A good report is followed by a hard phone call. A hopeful plan is interrupted by unforeseen loss. We imagine smooth transitions, but often experience sudden disruption. In those moments we are tempted to react quickly, to fix, to control, or to push forward in fear.
David shows us another way.
He allows sorrow its rightful place. He does not deny reality. He does not pretend strength. David penned in Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He saves those whose spirits have been crushed. The nearness of God is not reserved for stable days. It is often most tangible when everything feels unsteady.
A sudden storm can darken a clear sky within minutes. The wind rises. The rain pounds. What determines whether a house stands is not the calm of yesterday but the strength of its foundation. David’s foundation was not his circumstances. It was his trust in the Lord who had called him. That trust did not erase grief, but it steadied him within it. He knew God was at work and was willing to continue to wait on his timing.
When difficult news arrives, resist panic. We are tempted to make immediate or rash decisions. Rather, pause before you plan. Pray before you speak. Let grief have its place without letting fear take control. God is not shaken by what shakes you. His purposes are not undone by sudden loss. The same Lord who carried you through yesterday’s victory will carry you through today’s sorrow. And in Him, you can still find peace in Jesus.
Reflect: How do I typically respond when unexpected hardship interrupts my plans? Where can I invite God into my current uncertainty instead of trying to manage it alone?
Prayer: Lord, when life shifts suddenly and I feel unsteady, anchor my heart in You. Teach me to pause before You rather than panic. Help me trust that Your faithfulness remains steady even in loss. Let me find peace in Jesus today. Amen.