Growin' Up Gregory

"Every person knows disappointment and loss in life.  At those moments, we can express appreciation to others in spite of our own disappointments.  One of the strongest evidences of the power of Christ in us is when we rise above our own circumstances and reach out to others with kindness and gratitude." - Lifeway In 2 Samuel 19, King David was in a precarious position. His army had won, but his son (and enemy) had been defeated and killed. Instead of celebrating the victory of his soldiers, he went into the palace and mourned the loss of his son. By doing so, he had risked losing the trust and support of the people. 2 Samuel 19:8 tells us, "So the king got up and say in the city gate, and all the people were told: 'Look, the king is sitting in the city gate.' Then they all came into the king's presence. Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent." 1.  We all either have, will, or are, dealing with some sort of loss in life.  It may ...

Most of us probably did this when we younger before reality seemed to set in and life got hard.  But let's step back from today's tough reality and take a few minutes to dream.  Imagine this situation:  You've just been reminded of your many great accomplishments and victories in life, all the obstacles you've overcome and the battles you've won.  You're the CEO of your business or the king of your empire, well respected in all that you do.  You have a home where you and your family can live comfortably.  And you have rest or peace, physically from enemies, as well as mentally and emotionally.  Then to top it all off, you've been assured that your children will have a good life and your legacy will be one of great respect.  Nice day, huh.   Well that's precisely the situation that David found himself in in 2 Samuel 7.  He was the undisputed king of Israel, he had begun building a great palace, planned to build a temple, and was cons...