There are stories in the Bible we wish had never happened. Second Samuel 13 is one of them.  Amnon, one of David’s sons, becomes consumed with desire for his half-sister Tamar. He manipulates the circumstances to get her alone, ignores her repeated pleas to stop, overpowers her, and sexually assaults her. Then, having taken what he wanted, he casts her aside.

When the Bible is hard to read: What do we do with the death of David’s son?

On Sunday, we stopped our study of 2 Samuel 12 at verse 15. That was intentional.

What happens next is too difficult and too important to tack onto the end of a sermon with a quick explanation.  After Nathan confronts David over his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, David finally confesses: “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan immediately responds, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” That’s grace.

What does it actually look like to cling to the promises of God?

We all know what it's like to cling to something. A child clings to a parent in a crowded place. A rock climber clings to a handhold hundreds of feet above the ground. In a storm, you instinctively grab whatever feels secure. But what does it mean to cling to God's promises?

Few stories in the Bible are as unsettling as 2 Samuel 6. King David is bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem when the oxen stumble. Uzzah instinctively reaches out to steady the Ark and is struck dead. If you're honest, your first reaction is probably the same as many readers (including mine) throughout history: "That seems harsh."

If I had to describe our cultural moment in one word, it would be disappointment.

We've been disappointed by leaders who failed us. Disappointed by promises that were never kept. Disappointed by politics, institutions, churches, relationships, and even ourselves. We keep hoping that the next leader, the next success, the next season, or the next breakthrough will finally bring the peace and security we're looking for.