Waiting for Good News...

 II Samuel 18:24 Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. 25 The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer. 26 The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See, another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” 27 The watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.”

The strife in David's family had resulted in an all-out war.  As the dust settled, David waited for news on two fronts: how the battle had been decided and how his rebel son Absalom had fared. There was good news and bad news. As the account goes on to share, David was victorious, but his son did not make it. David was stricken with grief. As we have seen, the longer things go on without our attention, the harder resolution will become.  God will give us good news mixed with bad, but also the grace to go on.