Many of you carry a heavy burden because of a rebellious child. It is an age-old story told throughout the Bible, starting with Adam and Eve. King David certainly knew the heartbreak of a child who had turned against him (see 2 Samuel 17, 18).


What did David do? He put the focus not on himself, nor on his regrets as a parent or the hurt that came at the hands of his own child. Rather, he focused on the Lord who would carry his heartache for him.


Does your life include the sorrow of a wayward child? Remember that God in His perfect plan turned that despair upside down when He as Father withheld His love for His Son at the cross…all to pay the price for the waywardness of each one of us. Even while we deal with defiant sons or daughters, we are reminded of how we – also willful children – have rejected His love repeatedly. At a time when God could call out to us as David did to Absalom, “My son, my son,” Jesus cried out for us, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It’s all because of the deep love of the Father for us.