Bible in 3 Bitterness in 2 Samuel

This blog series is a comparison of my first time reading my bible to my recent reading as I prepare to serve the Lord on the foreign field in 3 months. My  plan is to finish the bible before my wife and I land in the Country of  Bolivia. I pray as that you would pray for us as we raise support to head to the field and that we continue to grow in the Lord.

 I never understood the lesson that came from the end of 2 Samuel until now.  I believed it was just a crazy history lesson about what happened to the house of David. Oh how wrong I was, I soon understood it better once I read it more. Then an opportunity came when my wife and I went to a church in South Carolina to be of service to them. I was given the chance to prove my weapons and teach 3 different sermons. The first lesson It taught that day was on bitterness during small groups/Sunday School. This lesson was given to me by one of my churches associate Pastors, the book he gave to teach out of was 2 Samuel and what I learn when I worked on this lesson was amazing. Not in the a joyful way. But in a sadness and pity.

The level of of anger that was brooding under the surface in the heart of Absalom. He wanted his father to take action for what happened to his sister and David did nothing. Absalom wanted his father to face his after he killed his brother, but David refused. The bitterness in his heart, But what did that bitterness got them. Death and defeat. That was waiting for them in the end.

The end of this spoke more truth than any of my earlier sermons. The best counter for bitterness is Jesus. The love he has shown us is the counter to the evil and hate in our hearts. You love people the way he loves you. Speak kindness and do good to everyone. Even your enemy.

I pray that I will be able to show the truth in this book to everyone I come in contact with. I ask that you pray with as my wife and I head out into the world both here and in Bolivia and Ecuador. That we may show them the love of God and not the bitterness of this world.