Choosing Grace in the Wake of Loss
2 Samuel 1–2 | Psalm 60 | Romans 12:14
When someone hurts us deeply, our first instinct is rarely mercy. If anything, the thought of their downfall can feel like justice served. But grief has a strange way of softening the edges when we least expect it.
The years 2023-2025 have been such a long season for me, especially when someone else’s choices have cause me so much real, emotional pain. I had convinced myself that if their life ever fell apart, I wouldn’t shed a tear. But when I actually saw their way of life - the brokenness in the choices that they make daily, I didn’t feel the victory I thought I would -only sorrow. In that moment, I realized that this is what grace looks like.
In 2 Samuel 1, David receives news of Saul’s death - not just Saul, but Jonathan, his closest friend. Instead of celebrating the end of a man who had hunted him, David mourns. His lament is raw, heartfelt, and full of honor for both men.
By 2 Samuel 2, David is anointed king over Judah, but even in his rise to power, he moves with patience and respect, seeking the Lord’s direction instead of grasping for control.
This reflects the heart posture Paul writes about in Romans 12:14:
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
And David’s grief is underscored by the tone of Psalm 60: a cry for God’s help in the midst of struggle, trusting that victory belongs to Him, not to our revenge.
David’s response to Saul’s death challenges the way we think about our enemies. He didn’t rewrite the story to erase Saul’s wrongs, but he chose to honor the man God had once anointed and to leave justice in God’s hands.
Am I willing to grieve even the loss of someone who has hurt me, trusting God with the full story?
Ask God to make your heart more like His: quick to forgive, slow to gloat, and ready to bless those who have wronged you. Let His Spirit rewrite your instincts so that mercy wins over malice.
Lord,
You see every hurt, every wound, and every wrong done to me.
Teach me to release the need for revenge.
Give me a heart that can weep over loss, even when it comes to those who have hurt me.
Help me trust You with justice, and to walk in grace as You have shown me.
Amen.
