Tag: Letting God Is Often Forced - 2 Samuel 1-4

2 Samuel 3:12-16 (ESV Strong's)

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face.” Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned.

Tag:  Letting Go Is Often Forced

One of the hardest qualities of life to develop is the ability to let go of something.   When we worship something strongly, it is even harder to let it go.   We can worship a lot of things but other people may be the strongest.  We tend to worship our children, our spouses, and families.   We often hear God, Family, Self.  But, that can be a trite phrase.  When pressure pushes against our lives, it often exposes what we worship.  We might worship work.  We might worship finances.  We might worship acceptance.  In the above story we have the picture of what it is like to worship something and not let it go ... from several angles.  As we read the story we can see that David could not let go of the fact that his first wife left him (one he secured from King Saul by killing a hundred of his enemy).   Abner could not let go of wanting to be powerful.    And, we see that a husband, Paltiel, son of Laish, could not let go of his wife (who he received when Saul took her from David and gave to him).    David, Abner and Paltiel all had control issues.  None of them could let go of what they worshiped.   David used his new power as the new king to get Michal back.   Abner used Michal as a pawn in his game to get power back.   Poor Paltiel lost it all and was forced to return home, no longer able to worship his wife.   Letting go may be the hardest act of emotion or the most challenging aspect of living we go through as human beings.   Just when David was finally reaching out to God again, he makes the above move because he can’t let go.   Micah would never really be his wife.  She would mock him, soon, in the future (2 Samuel 6:16).  But, David would still have her, even if he never really had a relationship with her.   Abner would get power back, although he would in the very next verses of this chapter (2 Samuel 3:26-30).   And, Paltiel?  We never hear about him again.  Letting go is tough.  Getting back might be tougher.   Only God can help us to let go of something we falsely worship so that God can replace it with something that will never leave us: Himself.