2 Samuel 14:14b

God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.

2 Samuel 14:14b

David had struggles for years with in his relationship with his unfaithful son, Absalom, who had both sinned against him and plotted to take his throne. As a result, David had banished him from the kingdom. In an effort to see restoration take place, a woman is sent to David with a story that would hopefully compel his heart. In telling it to him, we are given this awesome verse above about the heart of our God.  

God does not delight in judgment but in mercy and grace. He rejoiced over the death of the saints, not the wicked. In fact, He has devised a means, through His Son, so that those banished from Him through sin, will not be completely expelled but given a way back into His presence for evermore. May we, like our Father, seek ways to restore the wayward, the fallen, and the banished. We are most like our God when we forgive and walk in His love.

Glad to be welcomed into His presence,

Pastor Jack Abeelen