Saturday, November 5, 2016

Calculating the Cost of Not Finishing What You Start...

And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men besides Asahel. But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner's men. And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron. 
         There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. (2 Samuel 2:29-3:1 ESV)
Yesterday we looked at three men who did not finish what they started: Abner, who started the war, without wisely counting the cost; Asahel, who persistently pushed to capture Abner, but ended up losing his own life; Joab, who had Abner and his army all but captured, but relented when unsure he was doing the right thing.  The next effect was a long gradual process that drug things out toward an inevitable conclusion: David would be king, despite Abner's resistance, and with or without Asahel's self-centered heroics.  What better reminder that the best plan is to seek God's plan, and to jump on board and hold on for the full ride.  How often do we get on and off the merry-go-round, going around in circles, when we should be getting on the train and going to the next destination? How much of our lives do we waste doubting God's plan and coming up with our own? Get in; let go; enjoy the ride.

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