I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Samuel 18-19.

    David’s reaction to Absalom’s death was selfish. Until he was confronted by Joab all he thought about was his own grief. He gave no consideration to the feelings or thoughts of those who had risked their lives in order to save him from Absalom. Even worse, he gave no thought to those who were grieving for others lost in the war. David was not alone in being selfish in his grief. We all tend to think that OUR grief outweighs all other considerations. We all tend to forget that others may be suffering from a loss as great as our own, or greater. Sometimes we need someone to remind us that we need to be aware of the needs of others, even in the depths of justifiable grief. In addition, we need to remember, as Joab reminded David, that if we allow ourselves to be completely consumed by grief we are likely to experience even more grief as a result.