Comforting with Kindness
2 Samuel 10:1-2
One of the greatest comforts in tough times is knowing someone cares.
A family of four moved across country one summer and settled in a smaller town in which everyone was very close-knit. Feeling like outsiders, the family went about moving in without much outside help until one day their neighbor's small daughter came over and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Mary. What are you guys doing?" The family's young daughter of about the same age came over and began talking with Mary. The two became friends and as a result, the family was introduced to the community. They became part of the "family" of neighbors and enjoyed the friendship of many others on their block.
One day the sad news came that Mary had been hit by a car while playing in the street. After doctors did all they could to fix her injuries, she passed away. The neighborhood was in a state of shock. Their perfect community was rocked by the news. Everyone knew and loved Mary. While families scrambled for ways to sympathize with Mary's family, one single act comforted Mary's mother most. The little girl Mary had first befriended walked over to Mary's house, knocked on her door, and when she was ushered in, she walked over to where Mary's mother was sitting on the couch, climbed into her lap, and laid her head on the mother's chest while the little girl cried.
So many people in our world are faced with times of intense grief and emotion. Yet as the little girl above showed, grief is best met with simple comfort, an outpouring of love and care.
Early in his reign, David was faced with a similar situation. The king of the Ammonites had died, and David sought to comfort the people. This wasn't simply an instance of a neighboring king passing on. Remember that the king of Ammon had befriended David and given him respite while he was fleeing from Saul. He had shown kindness to David and David sought to repay his gesture, "Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father."
The Ammonites were on Jerusalem's eastern border where Jordan is now. The Ammonites had formed an alliance with several other smaller nations including Israel. King David had also formed a strong and professional army including some mercenaries from surrounding countries. The bond between David's kingdom and that of Ammon was strong.
Do you know someone who's grieving right now? Grief can come in many forms-loss of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of a home, loss of a friend. Grief and emotions can hit hard in such times. As Christians, God desires us to reach others through compassion, but perhaps no time is more important than during times of grief.
If you know someone who's experiencing grief, take time to minister to them through kindness. Ask God to give you a way to comfort them. Send them a card, give them some flowers, bake them a meal, offer to watch their children, send them a comforting Bible verse, pray with them, or simply spend time listening to them and grieving with them. Through God's help, seek to be a comfort to someone struggling right now.
Daily Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 1-3 | Mark 10:32-52
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