It sounds like a bizarre question but it’s a very real one. Tragically people live their lives harboring resentment towards God. Mad at God for failing to live up to their expectations. Angry at God for allowing something to happen. Disappointed with God for His failure to answer certain prayers. Blaming God for the dark memories of life. Some have an outward smile pasted on their face and say some wonderful things about God but inside there is a clenched fist tucked away in the backroom of their heart. It’s a miserable way to live even one day of our lives, not to mention the possibility of going to the grave that way.

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Some say he was. Others say he wasn’t. Some feel he was living his life out of touch with God, away from the Lord - a backslidden believer. Most strongly feel he didn’t have the root of the matter in him. The tragedy is: the testimony of his life is so confusing we just don’t know. Saul knows and God knows.

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If you mention ‘The Big Three’ to some car dealers, they will probably think you’re referring to Chrysler, Ford and GM. If you are speaking to an American academic, she will probably assume you’re referring to Harvard, Yale and Princeton. If you happen to be listening to a WWII veteran, he will probably assume The Big Three means: Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. If you’re in the presence of science fiction enthusiasts, (perish the thought!) they will automatically assume The Big Three are: Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein.

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“How she brightened the home on Musgrave Blvd. She was the peacemaker in inter-sibling rivalries. The creative person on rainy days. The unbiased perspective when conflict arose. The winner of the Miss Congeniality Award. The loudest applause at her graduation. A loved volunteer at the Women’s Shelter and at the local food bank.  She pushed the markers higher for the rest of us to strive for in the contest of life. Her race has been won.” 

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“You are over reacting. You’ll be able to bounce back. This is just a temporary, passing storm. You’ve hit a rough spot – a bit of turbulence. It always seems worse when you’re in the thick of it.”

“No, this is it. It really is all over. I’m up against the wall and there’s no chance of me pulling through this one. I’ve been in other tight spots; I’ve had many other tough times, but I have given up hope of being delivered this time. It can’t be done. I’m finished. You can accuse me of ‘needless’ worry – I call it ‘justified’ despair. I know it’s the end. I can’t bounce back this time.”

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“Nah, I don’t think so. I would love to but I already told the guys that I’d hang with them tonight. We always get together on Thursday evenings just to shoot the breeze and get caught up on things and then we make plans for the weekend.”

“But it seems you never want to be with us anymore. We miss you at hymn sings and we miss you at Christian Conferences. We just miss you.”

“Yeah, I know. I miss you guys too but life’s so busy and I can only do so much. It’s not intentional. And don’t take it personally. It’s just a phase of life I’m going through. I’m in with a really good bunch of people right now; they’re really alive and with it and there’s never a dull moment. We sort of think alike and we have a blast together. I guess my comfort level with them is higher; I always seem so uptight when I’m around you guys. When I’m with my friends, I can just relax and enjoy. I guess we have more in common and we connect better.”

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Learn to take risks. Be brave! Move out of your comfort zone. Push the boundaries. Get out of your boat! Great slogans and we hear them often but are they always good and for our good? Are there times when such thinking is dangerous and reckless?

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“You’re crazy Jonathon. Since when did a king’s son and his bodyguard ever decide to take on an entire army? Have you seen those Philistines? They’re no wimps! They are brutal brutes – warriors that know how to fight. Those guys live to fight and they’ve been at it for years! You don’t stand a chance. You’re good, but not that good. Kill the thought in your mind right now – you can’t do it! Don’t even try.”

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