18 SEPTEMBER

HE DIED TWICE

“When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost heart, and all Israel was troubled.” (2 Samuel 4:1, NKJV)

Saul’s son, Ishbosheth put his confidence in and derived his courage from a man, Abner, the commander–in–chief of the army, under King Saul. Abner had made Ishbosheth king of the northern kingdom of Israel after Saul died. Ishbosheth had also feared him.

When Ishbosheth heard that Abner was dead, he became sad, depressed and lost all hope. He was physically alive but as good as dead in his soul and spirit. The Israelites became troubled as their leader failed to stand up to defend them.

Ishbosheth felt he had nothing to look forward to. Even though, legally, he had a right to become king in place of his father, he became despondent and did not believe that he could succeed. He was deeply asleep at noon when two of the captains of the troops came into his bedroom and stabbed him to death. He died the second time finally. If only he had put his trust in God and not in man, he would have received direction and wisdom and lived to fulfil his destiny.

Fear has torment but trust in God enables us to overcome fear and have the courage to overcome whatever challenges come our way. No wonder Shakespeare said, in Julius Caesar, “A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.”

Fortunately for us believers, we have the confidence that death is just a passage to eternal life.

ACTION: Who do you trust for your support, sustenance, strength, security and stability–God or man?

PRAYER: Help me to be wise, Oh God, in putting my trust in you, and not in man.