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Let’s See How You Like It

And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 2 Samuel 4:8 When my kids were 3 and 4 years old, they wanted to have a…
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I Want No Part of That

So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. 2 Samuel 3:37 I’ve met several patients who, upon learning that my faith is important to me, have assumed that I’m their enemy. Because of their lifestyle or…
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When Amends Fail

And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 2 Samuel 3:27 Step nine of AA’s twelve steps states that we must make amends…
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It’s All About Me

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 2 Samuel 3:12 I grew up believing in God. I can’t recall a time before I believed because I…
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Good and Evil, Black and White

There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. 2 Samuel 3:1 I have always loved the movies because in the movies, the world is often divided into good and evil. Those on the side of good always act nobly and those on the side of evil never doing…
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Slow God

Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David. 2 Samuel 2:10 Way back in treatment, in 2014, I began getting up early every day to pray for those people in my life whom I knew to be…
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I Make Bad Decisions

After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 Samuel 2:1 I have a self-destructive appetite and when I follow it, I make myself…
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Con Man

And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, he fell to the ground and paid homage. 2 Samuel 1:2 While struggling with the shame of my addiction, one well-meaning counselor introduced me to the disease model.…
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When I Know Just Enough to Get Myself in Trouble

So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. And I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord. 2 Samuel 1:10 With a sizable Hispanic…
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Destined to Fail?

Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. 1 Samuel 31:6 During repeated attempts at sobriety, followed by repeated relapses, it was easy to think that I was destined to fail. God made me this way. I can’t help it. I’m just a loser addict…
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