[After David got up from his grief for the child, he worshipped God,] Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the LORD”), as the LORD had commanded. Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. Joab sent messengers to tell David, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.” So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.
2 Samuel 12:24–29, NLT
In the meantime, Bathsheba wrote Prophet Nathan
Dear Prophet Nathan,
I write to you as I see glimpses of the first rays of a new dawn after the darkest and deepest valleys of sorrow I had journeyed through. The naming of our son Solomon as Jedidiah, as relayed by my husband David, has stirred in me a multitude of emotions and reflections.
In the shadow of our recent loss, my soul has been a battleground of grief and faith. Witnessing David’s profound anguish and his subsequent worship of the Lord in the midst of our shared suffering has been a revelation. True faith is not just in rejoicing during times of blessing but also in bowing in reverence when the path is strewn with thorns.
The loss of our firstborn was a wound so deep that words fail to capture its agony. Yet, in that very abyss, I found an unexpected solace in the Lord’s presence. It was as if each tear shed was a silent prayer, heard and understood by Him [1]. David’s consolation, though coming from a place of shared guilt and grief, became a balm [2], reminding me that we are not forsaken [3], even when the consequences of our actions loom large over us.
Now, with the naming of Solomon as Jedidiah, “beloved of the Lord,” I feel a profound sense of awe and humility. It is as if the Lord is directly speaking into our lives, affirming His love and presence, and overlooking our past mistakes. This divine act of naming is not just a symbol of favor but a reminder of the Lord’s unfailing love and grace. It assures me that even in our brokenness, we are precious in His eyes. Even in our darkest moments, God’s love and plans for us are unfaltering.
As David leaves to join Joab in battle, picking up the mantle he had forsaken, I find myself clinging to this newfound understanding of God’s character. Thank you, Nathan, for being the Lord’s messenger in our lives. Your words have been both a sword and a balm, cutting through the pretense and healing the wounds [4]. As I look towards the future, I would like to ask that you continue to guide us and the young Jedidiah in the Lord’s goodness and His unfathomable plans [5].
With gratitude and renewed faith,
Bathsheba
Share with your friends “What role does shared suffering play in our relationships with others and with God?”
[1] Psalm 56:8 says, “You [God] keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book”
[2] 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
[3] This promise is from Deuteronomy 31:6
[4] Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s word cut like a sword, and Psalm 107:20 says that God’s word heals
[5] In 1 Kings 1:10-45, Nathan is depicted as supporting Solomon’s claim to the throne. When Adonijah, another son of David, attempted to seize the throne, Nathan played a crucial role in ensuring that Solomon, as chosen by God and David, was anointed as the rightful king.
When we share our sufferings, it can either strengthen the relationship or drive us apart. This is true for our relationship with people and our relationship with God. In our suffering, we can choose to receive comfort and have the opportunity to comfort others. This will help us build a stronger connection. When we mourn and feel sad we can be open to others caring for us. When we turn to God and lay before Him our sorrows He can comfort us and heal us. In doing so, we can learn to trust Him more and put our hope in Him and not on the situation.
Why did it seem easier for people to conceive during that era? 😄 Through today’s reading, I can clearly see God’s boundless love. He granted David a child, who turned out to be Solomon, a future king renowned as the wisest person on Earth. Suffering has a way of bringing us nearer to God and provides us with the empathy to understand and support others who may face similar situations or pains that we’ve endured before.
Shared suffering, you only share sufferings when you become vulnerable. This is a concept pretty foreign to men today. It can be looked at as a sign of weakness and society says men are supposed to be these macho men. But, in reality, we must be humbled, to be humbled is to know your weakness. As iron sharpens iron, we must find other brothers that we can share our sufferings with so that they can support us and essentially help hold us up during these tough times. Along with that, God too will bless these relationships because he calls for us to build these relationships. In these times is when the relationships will be strengthened, you will grow closer and just that much tighter together. The same is said when you share your sufferings to the Lord. When you express these things and lift it up to him. You are allowing him to work in you and your life. This too will grow you closer to the Lord and solidify evermore so your relationship with him. Sufferings are a time to learn and potentially find growth. New purpose or modified purpose can be explored through sufferings because of our great and wonderful God.
(from Vincent)
We actually have a term for shared suffering at our work/hospital called “trauma bonding.” When we experience/see something heinous and work together to surpass it, an unexplainable bond occurs. We become comfortable with each other and understand that people in the field can only comprehend the stress. I have, through this, attempted to exemplify faith. When coworkers often see something horrific, they will half-jokingly say “haha I need a beer.” When I see they have a cross or I know they are Christian, I will ask to pray with them. They usually say okay. There was also one time when me and a coworker (Muslim) almost DIED at work. He and I both prayed after miraculously no one was hurt! Shared suffering united us oftentimes. God is Good.
I think shared suffering can help a relationship grow either with God or other people. I think with people it will show that all the battles we go through there are others that are going through it as well. This will make the suffering we are going through seem like it’s a team effort and that once you are growing the other person will be growing. I think with God though it will show the dependence you need with Him. I think God is there with you during the suffering and even though you may not feel it God is tugging at you and there with you in the suffering. He will bring you out of it hopefully at the end of the struggle though you see that it Is God and he is the one who delivered you from it
Suffering allows us to get closer to others and with God. It allows us to be vulnerable and share what’s in our hearts. During our hard times, the people around us are pillars of strength to love on us, care for us, and comfort us. It gives us a reason to lean on Christ & others around us. It shows us how deeply we are in need of Christ during our suffering. It reminds us that God is in control of our lives and He is the one who understands us more than we know ourselves.
I was overwhelmingly depressed at one point in my life. My depression lasted for years. It built slowly over time so that I just became familiar with it and thought it was normal.
Each moment another stone is added. As I get used to that weight, more weight is added. It got to the point where the weight of depression pressed down on me so much I couldn’t get out of bed.
I prayed aimlessly…to whom I didn’t know. I felt hopeless and lost and at time I felt I would have done anything to just be done with it. But even that effort was beyond me.
I didn’t share this suffering with anyone and tried to deal with it on my own. I couldn’t have gotten out of it without the Lord help. I think my experience proved that God is seeking everyone of His creatures – believer or not, He works to restore ALL.
I feel certain that God works as hard if not harder to save the lost souls who needed Him more than the believers (Luke 15:1-7).
Sharing our suffering allow others to help carry that load and maybe someone who had experienced it before can remove a stone and lighten our burden (Galatians 6:2).
Maybe another, who God had help, will show us that some of the stones we carry are light as a feather with a different perspective.
God created a family of fellow believers who are all taught that it is each of our responsibilities to comfort and help unburden each others.
In to such a willing family of fellow sufferers we would be comfortable to let go of some of those troubles we clutched to so tightly. God created spiritual support groups!
I believe sharing suffering is important in our lives. It helps us understand everyone else’s circumstances and strengthens connections within the community. With God, He knows everything even if we haven’t said it, but He encourages us to share and talk to Him.