23“Saul and Jonathan—in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.”
David is grieving over the death of his best friend and his best friend’s father. It is interesting that David leaves out the fact that his father had tried to kill him repeatedly. David has been on the run for several years because of his father. But now in death David chooses to remember certain things and forget other things. That is a normal part of the grieving process. We often filter what we choose to remember about those we lose. So often, we need to let go of the bad stuff. It doesn’t help us live when we hold on to all that bad stuff. We can learn the lessons from the past, but we don’t have to carry the past with us as we move forward. David knew that carrying Saul’s hatred would ruin his future, so he let it go. But just because David wants to let it go does not mean that everyone let it go. There continued to be hatred between members of these two clans for years. Many people lost their lives because they were unwilling to let go of the past. Are there things you are carrying that you need to release? If so, I want to encourage you to begin that process today. Learn the lessons from the past, but then let go of the bitterness and the hatred. You will live a better life when you let it go.
The Arnold Journey 