“The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron.” — 2 Samuel 15:23

David passed that gloomy brook when flying with his mourning companyfrom his traitor son. The man after God’s own heart was not exempt fromtrouble, nay, his life was full of it. He was both the Lord’s Anointed, andthe Lord’s Afflicted. Why then should we expect to escape? At sorrow’sgates the noblest of our race have waited with ashes on their heads,wherefore then should we complain as though some strange thing hadhappened unto us?

The KING of kings himself was not favoured with a more cheerful or royal road. He passed over the filthy ditch of Kidron, through which the filth of Jerusalem flowed. God had one Son without sin, but not a single child without the rod. It is a great joy to believe that…

Jesus has been tempted inall points like as we are. What is our Kidron this morning? Is it a faithlessfriend, a sad bereavement, a slanderous reproach, a dark foreboding? TheKing has passed over all these. Is it bodily pain, poverty, persecution, orcontempt? Over each of these Kidrons the King has gone before us. “In allour afflictions He was afflicted.” The idea of strangeness in our trials mustbe banished at once and for ever, for He who is the Head of all saints,knows by experience the grief which we think so peculiar. All the citizensof Zion must be free of the Honourable Company of Mourners, of whichthe Prince Immanuel is Head and Captain.

Notwithstanding the abasement of David, he yet returned in triumph to hiscity, and David’s Lord arose victorious from the grave; let us then be ofgood courage, for we also shall win the day. We shall yet with joy drawwater out of the wells of salvation, though now for a season we have topass by the noxious streams of sin and sorrow. Courage, soldiers of theCross, the King himself triumphed after going over Kidron, and so shallyou.

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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen