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He asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life . . .“ 1 Kings 19:4 I have recently been wrestling with a recurrent theme from the Old Testament. Many times, God told the Israelites that if they obeyed Him, they would be rewarded with success (Deuteronomy 12:28).…
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Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself . . .” 1 Kings 18:27 Today’s passage tells one of my favorite childhood Old Testament stories. In it, Elijah, a prophet of God, challenged the prophets of the false god, Baal, whom the Israelites…
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How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him . . . 1 Kings 18:21 A couple summers ago, my son and I hiked into the mountains, carrying our tent, food, and clothing on our backs. It was supposed to be all fun, but honestly, the hike in,…
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Is it you, you troubler of Israel? 1 Kings 18:17 It is often part of my job as a physician to inform patients with an injury, such as an ankle fracture, that the treatment will require several weeks in a cast. Occasionally, the patient will direct anger and frustration over this inconvenience at me. I understand…
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But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him . ..  1 Kings 12:8 My first Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, several years ago, was a veteran of recovery with years of sobriety and experience. Did he know more than me about recovery? Yes. Should I have listened to him? Again, yes. Did I continue…
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Now King Solomon loved many foreign women . . . 1 Kings 11:1 Seared into my memory, are the thoughts I had when I relapsed in 2014. I knew it was morally wrong. I had been there before, and I knew the disastrous consequences. I knew what I stood to lose, but as I surrendered…
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He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.  1 Kings 3:26 When I encounter personal misery, I am easily annoyed by anyone who does not share in my discomfort. If I am struggling with my weight, I don’t want to hear how someone just lost 15 pounds. There is even a part of me…
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The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 1 Kings 3:5 As children, we used to play, What if I got one wish? I would wish for a bazillion dollars, infinite wishes or maybe infinite donuts. All of my wishes were obviously focused on my…
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Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments . . .1 Kings 2:2 I have flawed ways in which I see the world. One of the faulty things I do is to insist that everything is black or white.…
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Let a young woman be sought for the king . . . Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm. 1 Kings 1:2 While out to dinner recently, I provoked a family discussion on our individual personality types. There are many models, but one that fits me pretty well refers…
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