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Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7 After watching the most recent superhero movie, my son was irritated that the story made us sympathize with the villain. The identity of the villain was never in question to us – he was the one attempting to kill half the world – but from…
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Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die. 2 Samuel 11:15 For the addict, intoxication is only part of the problem. The drug use is certainly caustic behavior, but for it to continue, the addict usually must lie, cheat and steal.…
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David . . . saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 2 Samuel 11:2 Years ago, I met a retired physician near the end of his life, which was hastened in no small part, by his drug addiction. He did not want to address the issue directly, but still, he…
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David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. 2 Samuel 6:14 I do not dance. It makes me uncomfortable, not physically uncomfortable, but self-conscious – everyone is looking and pointing – uncomfortable. I just cannot get past the insecurity of feeling like I’m making a spectacle of…
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Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul . . . 2 Samuel 4:8 My son and I are planning on running a long race this fall, which requires us to start preparing now. I long to know the fulfilment that will come from training for the next five months. I just don’t…
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When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. I Samuel 28:5 As much as I would like to have it all together, I still struggle with this one. In my drug addiction, I was constantly afraid of what tomorrow would bring. Withdrawal, discovery, and consequences were always…
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Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you. I Samuel 24:4 I won’t go into the details, but once, someone whom I felt had previously offended me, came to me, requiring my assistance. I gave it, but inside, I gloated a…
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God has given him into my hand . . .I Samuel 23:7 When I want something badly enough, but my conscience says no, I must either choose not to do the thing or I must manipulate it, selling it to my conscience. In the case of my drug use, it was not that hard. I…
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. . . All of you have conspired against me? I Samuel 22:8 When I dumped social media, like many things, I did it impulsively, without warning anyone. When readers did not see the blog on Facebook, some assumed I had quit writing and others assumed I had relapsed. One friend took it personally though. Unbeknownst…
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Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. I Samuel 18:25 The other day, in the kitchen, my wife did something that bothered me a little. At the time, I was confident that my irritation was justified, so I turned on the cold shoulder. After a few minutes, she asked, “Is…
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