Studied at home until my 3pm CS lecture. At 6pm we had a interdwight basketball game at willard high school. We played 5-on-5 with K1 versus K2. Dustin couldn't play, and we ended up losing both games we played. By the middle of the second game, the court was getting pretty dark and hard to see.

While I was getting ready to leave for basketball, I heard a huge crash and the sound of glass breaking, falling to the ground, and shattering. A few minutes later I learned that Jacob accidentally broke his apartment window. He had been locked out and was trying to push the window open like he had done before, except this time it just broke. He got a slight cut on his arm, but nothing serious. A lot of us came together and helped him get into his apartment and clean up the glass before leaving with him for basketball.

As Tommy and I were walking back to dwight from campus today, I tried secretly taking pictures of the sights and people around me on the streets of southside. Enjoy.

Devotion time questions:

2 Samuel 15

What is so wicked about Absalom ingratiating himself with the people by endorsing their grievances apart from any investigation into legitimacy?

Absalom does all these things not out of love, but out of selfish ambition. He's flattering them for his own purposes.

What about human nature can I learn from Absalom’s success in gaining the hearts of the men of Israel?

People respond to things that increase their pride and sense of being wronged.

Reflect on Absalom’s unrepentant attitude in the previous chapter. How does his conduct here illustrate the danger of moving on without true repentance?

His sinfulness breeds more sin, and pridefulness more pride. This quickly spirals out of control.

What kind of understanding of God and of himself does David demonstrate in his response to Zadok?

David continues to trust in God, even though his power, position, and life are in grave danger. This contrasts Saul, who did everything in his power to keep his kingship, despite the will of God. David acknowledges that if God's will is to remove him, then there isn't anything way he can maintain his position. He earnestly seeks God's will no matter what the outcome might be.

Though situations take a turn for the worst, David does not attempt to take matters into his own hands. Instead, he humbly waits on God to direct him. Why would this be the best course of action to take regardless of the outcome?

I guess I answered this in the previous question. David knows he can't do anything to change the circumstances if God is not with him.

Reflect on the picture of David leaving Jerusalem “weeping as he went” with his head covered and barefoot. How did David come to this point? What were some crucial mistakes that led him to this point?

David sinned against God and dealt with serious events improperly. He withheld discipline from those who should have been disciplined, and acted too leniently as a father.