“Home sweet home.” Who hasn’t heard this phrase that describes so well the comfort, the warmth, the protection and the well-being of home? Engaged couples always dream of their own place. They ponder such things as decorations, furniture, color schemes and where everything should go. They’ll probably have their future home inspected. This will put their minds at ease as to the solidity of the homes structure, with perhaps special attention given to the condition of the roof. Who would want to live in a house with a leaking roof?

Throughout his life, David was known as a man of action. In fact, he caused trouble when he remained idle, such as when he used his power to take advantage of Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Sam 11). He also fomented dissension when he neglected to tend to family relationships, especially his failure to deal with the rape of Tamar (2 Sam 13:1-19).

In retrospect it’s plain to see how David’s inactivity created the circumstances that made his final years on the throne so unsatisfying.

It was good news for Israel’s army to hear that the leader of the insurrection had been captured and killed. But King David was deeply conflicted because the rebel was one of his sons. So while he valued the stability of the kingdom and his throne, it was scarcely worth the price. What he really wanted was to be reconciled with his son.

David found out what happened through the tales of two messengers.

Two brothers coached the opposing teams in the 2013 NFL Super Bowl. Which team, I wondered, would the parents be pulling for?

If their hope for the success of each of their sons was equal, the final score really didn’t matter. Any result registered a winner. By the same token, they couldn’t avoid a loss. Did they have favourites? Were they parents first?

Have you ever seen someone try to put spilled milk back into a glass? It’s a messy and largely unproductive task.

Something like that happens after a political disruption, especially when there’s a rebellion where blood is spilt. Even if the ruling party “wins,” things don’t just go back to the way they were. The new order will inevitably be different from what was status quo before.

In the aftermath of the failed coup d’état, King David had to figure out which people were truly his friends and how to respond to subjects who treated him poorly. He had to discern who was lying, and who was truly loyal.

His first encounter was with a citizen who had cursed David on his earlier flight from Jerusalem.

Yesterday, I just couldn’t help it.

I got a work related email that offered me an opportunity I’ve been longing for and which has the potential to take me to the next level in what I do. I flew out of my desk chair and shouted at the top of my lungs, “YES LORD, YES LORD, YES, YES, YES!”