A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
A youth ministry initiative by RBC Ministries
where you can find devotionals and resources for youth.
December 23, 2009
David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning (v.30).
READ: 2 Samuel 15:13-30
It’s likely that several people you know have been laid off this year. Recently I learned that another good friend had lost his job. This would be bad news for anyone, but it was especially brutal for my friend because his wife’s position had been eliminated just a month before!
King David knew what it felt like to lose his position, and it resulted in true grief and sorrow (2 Samuel 15:30)—multiplied by the fact that it was his own son Absalom who had snatched his throne (v.13). We can all identify with David in his feelings of defeat and sadness. The loss of a job produces that kind of unfortunate fruit. The king even wondered if his days of reigning over God’s people was history, as he said, “If [God] is through with me, then let Him do what seems best to Him” (v.26).
David wrote Psalm 3 when he was fleeing from Absalom. If you or someone you know has lost a job, here are three positive things David found through experiencing loss that could be helpful to you as well:
Humility—A job can become a source of our identity and even a source of pride. Loss brings us to a point of humility before God and others. We recognize that it is God alone “who holds my head high” (v.3).
Dependence—Loss drives us to a place of desperation. We truly need God and His provision. We “[cry] out to the Lord” and He answers us (v.4).
Confidence—Not in ourselves, but in God. We learn a deeper level of trust in the One who is “watching over” us (v.5) and gives us “victory” (v.8), both today and forever!
You don’t have to lose everything when your job is lost. Trust in God and His provision for today. —Tom Felten
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Filed under Devotional, Our Daily Journey and tagged with Christian Living, daily devotional, difficult relationships, Faith, finances, God's Provision, Hope, humility, Peace, physical needs, self-image, Submission, Suffering, Trials, Trust.
Thank you! though I was worried about my future internship, but my faith re-spoke to me after I read it that The one who created heavens and earth knows the best. As king David said ” let Him do what He knows is best”(2 Samuel 15:26), let’s put our worries on the Hands that created us for those hands never fail us, leave us nor forsake us.
I was remembered of a story about the footprints on a picture. There were a boy and a man (depicted as Jesus). As they walked through the beach, there were 4 footprints on the sand but when the boy walked through the rocky sand, there were only 2 footprints since the boy was lifted on the back of that man. The core meaning of this story is when we face adversity in our life, Jesus is there and He never lets us struggle alone as He loves us and He lets the adversity to make us stronger as we feel more humility, dependence, and confidence before Him.
Humility—A job can become a source of our identity and even a source of pride. Loss brings us to a point of humility before God and others. We recognize that it is God alone “who holds my head high” (v.3).
Dependence—Loss drives us to a place of desperation. We truly need God and His provision. We “[cry] out to the Lord” and He answers us (v.4).
Confidence—Not in ourselves, but in God. We learn a deeper level of trust in the One who is “watching over” us (v.5) and gives us “victory” (v.8), both today and forever!
thanks for the devotion material. yes, we must place GOD in the first place! and everything that we own was from GOD not from ourselves ! when we lost not mean that we have lost everything, we might be learned something from the incident! maybe it was a lesson GOD wanna us to learn ! stand firm , hold HIM tight. HE is all we need !
Am encouraged that at the end of the day its whose i am that matters and not who i am.
for every disappointment their is an upliftment bcos all things work together for good not to those that love God but for those that love GOD.IT is well…..