Who Should You Influence

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 14:28, ” And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king’s face. “

Background

I am currently reading a book about raising a son to become a man. Although that progression from boyhood to manhood would seem to be a foregone conclusion as the child becomes an adult, nothing could be further from the truth. Merely turning eighteen or twenty-one, or getting a drivers license or graduating from high school or college, while significant in their own ways, they do not automatically turn a boy into a man. And more pointedly, they do not prepare a boy to be a man. Particular instruction and training, intentional in its purpose to equip and mold a son into a man, must be imparted if there is to be a clear understanding by the son of what it means to be a man. I have two sons, the eldest of my six children. And after my desire that they give their heart and soul to Jesus, my longing is for them to grow up and be men. Success and achievement may or may not be theirs, and they are of no concern to me. But I do want them to be men, as God intended men to be. And so,I need a lot of help in instructing them. God has blessed me in certain ways, and I am woefully lacking in others. I can teach various truths and impart words of some wisdom, but much of what I will do to and for them while they live with me, frankly, will have to be undone by the working of God’s Spirit. I fail much more often than I succeed, and that makes me cry out for God’s grace even more.

Application

King David’s son, Absalom, was a difficult prince. He defended the stolen honor of his sister by murdering his brother. In exile for three years, David finally had him return to Jerusalem, but then did not see him for another two years. Eventually Absalom left town again, and this time he led an insurrection that overthrew his father and led to all-out battle. David’s one wish was for he and Absalom to safely return home, but Absalom was killed against David’s instructions. As David wept, he wished to take Absalom’s place. David’s relationship with his son was far from ideal, and his training for manhood is unclear. But one thing is clear, and that is that we all have a relationship with someone that needs more of us. Please, give what is needed of yourself.

Charge

As we seek Him today, decide to pour yourself into someone, whose life lasts much longer than a rechargeable battery.