16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Today, would be my baby daughter's 35th birthday. She was born on a Monday-- early evening, and in the early morning hours of the following Thursday, as I held her in my arms, she slipped away.
It was the most difficult and painful thing I had ever experienced up to that point in my life. I knew nothing about the Lord and really had nothing to hold on to, nowhere to find comfort. I knew there was a God in heaven and knew about his son Jesus who was crucified and was my savior, but he wasn't Lord of my life.
Since those days, God has intervened in my life and I do have a relationship with the Lord Jesus, with the Father, and I know what 1 Thessalonians 4 says:
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Oh how I thank God for those words!
When God ministered the verses in 1 Samuel 12 to me, about David and his son, especially, "I shall go to him..." it healed up a hurt in my heart that I didn't know was still there.
So today I can think on these things, and remember my baby girl and there is peace in my heart and there is joy, knowing I will see her again, and really believe that. And not just her, but others "which sleep in Jesus".
So I encourage you, if you have a broken heart, if there is sorrow, if you have ANY need in your life, Jesus is the answer. He died, was buried and raised again, on the third day for you and me. He not only took our sin on himself on the cross for us, he took our sorrow, our pain, our poverty...whatever our need, the Father provided through the death, burial and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus.
If you don't know Jesus, if you aren't born again, you can be, right now today! You can have assurance that you too, will see those that have gone to be with Jesus.
Romans 10:14
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Won't you call on the name of Jesus today? I promise you won't be sorry you did.
God bless,
Kathy
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