The enemy is constantly plotting to get us off track so we need help along the way to stay on the path. This New Year, we can trust God because He has a plan for us that gets us out of our circumstances with our true friend Jesus.

Noted in the previous passage was that David had been a bad influence on others as a father and leader. We know about the adulterous relationship of David with Bathsheba. Then to cover up this wrong doing, he had her husband set up to be killed while off at war. For punishment, God had promised calamity upon his household

Reading in 2 Samuel 13, we see that judgment is fulfilled as calamity is brought to David’s household. It all starts when the son of David named Amnon was in love with his half-sister named Tamar. He consoles with a friend or adviser.

It can be good to seek advice from friends but we need to continue to ask questions and seek answers; especially from our true friend Jesus who provides the Holy Spirit to counsel each of us in making decisions and taking the right path.

Unfortunately as noted in today’s passage, Amnon gets some wrong advice from Jonadab. They develop a scheme to get Tamar alone into Amnon’s bedroom. Amnon puts himself into a similar situation as David did with Bathsheba years ago.  Now David’s own son named Amnon sets up a scenario for himself that results in sinful acts that begin to domino out of control.

We continue reading that Amnon’s scheme to get Tamar alone in his bedroom didn’t go as planned. Tamar rejected the advances Amnon makes on her and Amnon ends up raping Tamar. This event is just one of many that fulfills the promised calamity upon David’s household.

Tamar was disgraced and her brother named Absalom found out what had happened. Absalom hated Ammon for what he did and eventually David found out too. A couple of years went by but Absalom continued to carry his anger inside. Finally, he devises a scheme to get Amnon alone by hiding his true intentions. While meeting in the countryside with the sheepshearers on what seemed to be business, Absalom orders his men to kill Amnon.

With You Lord, there is no division, conflict, and calamity. With Jesus our True friend, there is confidence because all we have to do is follow and the amazing will be done. We seek Your advice today as we face the things of this world that want us to get off track. Help us stay on track by following Your Way. The Way that leads to peace and paradise. Amen.