Author: Scott

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Judges 11:1 When I was a kid, I imagined, hoped, and prayed that God would make me an amazing athlete. I promised God that if he did so, I’d give him all the credit so that everyone watching would…
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“Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” And the people of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from…
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Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? . . . Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Judges 10:11-13 A year or two ago, my wife and I committed to a new way of…
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And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” Judges 10:10 A while back, my wife and I were discussing the life problems of an acquaintance whose terrible choices had been dragged into the light. Enduring painful…
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After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo . . . Judges 10:1 I assume that it’s every parent’s job to embarrass their children occasionally. My mother was a teacher, and my father was a pastor, so I couldn’t get away with much at either school or church.…
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Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. Judges 9:56 As tragic as a drug overdose death is, a literal, physical life is hardly the only thing killed by an addiction. Several times lately, while sharing stories with those who’re addicted, I’ve heard them speak…
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Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” Judges 9:54 In my addiction, I desperately desired to control the narrative of my life. I wanted to keep my dark secret a secret, while promoting…
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And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech . . . Judges 9:23 The chaos of my addiction made for a miserable life. Yes, the high of the drug provided immediate gratification, but the high wore off and then the misery…
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Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity . . . with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. Judges 9:16-19 Prior to my knee replacement, multiple injuries and multiple surgeries meant chronic pain. When I had my first steroid injection, the…
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And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. Judges 9:5 In my addiction, one of the lies I told myself was that my drug use couldn’t hurt anyone as long as I kept it a secret. I really thought that I…
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