2 Samuel
When we live lives of forgiveness, we allow people to see God dwelling within us. The world doesn’t forgive. The world competes. The world plots revenge. The world distrusts. The world shows up its enemies and puts them down. God forgives. God turns anger into love. David is appalled
2 Samuel
If we have been forgiven much, we should forgive much. I deserve condemnation. My sinfulness deserves to live eternally separated from God. Blessedly, that is not my fate. Despite my sinfulness, God embraces me, calls me home, and forgives my wrongdoing. God welcomes me into eternal life with Him not
2 Samuel
Just as God forgives us, He expects us to forgive others. Jesus gives us a parable in the New Testament about a person who is forgiven by their lord, but who turns around and refuses to forgive someone who owes him a debt. Jesus uses the story as a negative
2 Samuel
It is easy to forget the Lord’s ways when we are focused on the world. We deal with the world often, and it is easy to get sucked into thinking like the world. The world often wants actions it can justify by its own standards, so we work to
2 Samuel
When we fail to rely upon God for His provision, we always take the matter of our needs into our own hands. We think we know best. We think we understand ourselves. We think our dreams will fulfill our desires. The relationship sours between Abner and Ish-bosheth. The real
2 Samuel
Devotional: Sin knocks at the door when we think we can do better than the Lord can do for us. Sin wants what is not good for us to have. Sin corrupts us because it pulls us away from God and His provision. With the threat from Abner resolved, David
2 Samuel
God is our greatest source of strength in times of trouble. When we are weak, He is strong. When we feel alone, He is still by our side. There is no battle He cannot win. Abner is pursued by Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. These three individuals were David’s nephews,
2 Samuel
We can always be assured of victory in the end when we fight on God’s side. This doesn’t mean the world will not have its day. The Bible affirms the possibility of human rebellion periodically taking form. In the final days, human rebellion against God will make life
2 Samuel
I believe life is best served in humble submission to God. Who among us can know the future? We know what we want, but our desires are often fleeting. We frequently feel less contentment with our heart’s desire after we acquire it than during the pursuit of our heart’
2 Samuel
While conflict is sometimes inevitable, solving our problems peacefully is always the safer course of action. Not everyone wants to resolve a situation peacefully, but everyone deserves the opportunity to do so. We have police, prisons, and military strength because there are people in our world who force violence. Society
2 Samuel
There is no better place from which to lead than from your knees before God. We can only guess at what the future will hold, God knows. We can only hope our plans will bear fruit; God’s plans always bear fruit. Leadership is done best when it ultimately originates
2 Samuel
God wants us to not only work on ourselves but also help shape the community around us. From a salvation perspective, our own relationship with God is of ultimate importance. However, once our relationship with God is secure, we are called to help the world around us find and value