Category: Faith in the Struggle

The Pecking Order

And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 2 Samuel 9:3 I was probably oversensitive, but as a kid, I felt…
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Cruel World

So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 2 Samuel 8:15 When I first tried out for Pee Wee baseball, I found myself intimidated by all the other kids. I just didn’t understand baseball and it seemed like everyone else did. There was, however, one kid who…
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I Will Turn this Car Around Right Now

And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. These also King David dedicated to the LORD, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued . . . 2 Samuel 8:10-11 When I was a kid, my family set off one summer on a…
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Humility is Hard

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” 2 Samuel 7:18 When I meet patients struggling with addiction, it’s often easy to predict who’s going to do well and who’s going to do…
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Parenting and Discipline

I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him . . . 2 Samuel 7:14-15 In medicine, I’m not…
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Birthdays and Growing Up

The king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 2 Samuel 7:2 My son just happened to be born on my wife’s 30th birthday, causing my wife to call him the best birthday present ever. That first year of…
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Rest Or Restlessness

Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies . . . 2 Samuel 7:1 I’ve got a CrossFit competition coming up in October of this year, three months now. If you asked me what would make me look back on my time between…
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Finding My Self-Worth

And David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD—and I will celebrate before the LORD.” 2 Samuel 6:21 Thinking about today’s passage, I found myself reminiscing about one of my first…
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The Superman Problem

And David was angry because the LORD had broken out against Uzzah. 2 Samuel 6:8 When I first began going to recovery meetings, I was surprised to meet people there who had 10 or 20 years sober. I desperately wanted that but it seemed so impossible. I had days of sobriety, and I was struggling.…
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I Do Not Dance

As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. 2 Samuel 6:16 Growing up in a conservative Christian environment, we didn’t dance. We didn’t endorse…
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