Wednesday, April 10
Read 2 Samuel 13
Think About It:
- The story tells us that Amnon fell in love with Tamar, but obviously this was a story of lust, not love. First Corinthians 13 defines love for us: patient, kind, not selfish. Lust is the opposite: harsh, requiring immediate satisfaction, not considering others, selfishly demanding its own way. When Amnon continued to entertain these lustful thoughts in his mind, they led to his sin, raping his half-sister, Tamar. We know the enemy’s strategy is to plant lies in our minds as seeds and if we do not eliminate those from our mind, the fruit will be destructive (Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy). How have you been affected by lies in your mind? How do you get rid of these thoughts quickly? Reading and meditating on God’s Word keeps the Truth in the forefront of our minds and helps us to recognize the lies of the enemy, quickly eliminate them, and avoid deception.
- We know David was an excellent king and strong military leader, but we see throughout his life how weak he appeared to be as a father and husband. Because of these weaknesses, his family suffered and there was turmoil in his family. However, his mistakes led him closer to God. The bible calls David “a man after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14 & Acts 13:22). All of us will make mistakes, but we need to run toward God, not away from Him, and let our hearts draw closer to God as we repent of our mistakes and seek to understand how to be more like Jesus through every obstacle we face.
Family Time:
- What did Amnon the son of David do to Tamar the sister of Absalom? (10-14)
- After the sin what did Amnon do to Tamar? (15-17)
- What did Absalom have his servants do to Amnon? (28-29)
- To where did Absalom flee? (37-38)
