Candie Dominguez was born in San Antonio in 1979. Her father was addicted to heroin. Her mother moved the children from house to house to escape his abuse. But mom had problems of her own and could not care for the kids. Eventually the children were split up. Candie’s life became so dominated by physicalContinue reading “The Paths of the Destroyer. Psalm 17:4.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
THE MAJESTY AND GLORY OF A NAME: DISCOVERING MY FATHER IN AN ITALIAN CATHEDRAL.
(After posting some 1,200 Bible studies and/or devotionals, this is the first that is simply a personal narrative. A true story/ memoir. Yes, it makes a nice story about David’s Psalm 8. But it’s a story. Posted here for fun.) I was a father myself when Mama hit me with serious questions about my father,Continue reading “THE MAJESTY AND GLORY OF A NAME: DISCOVERING MY FATHER IN AN ITALIAN CATHEDRAL.”
David Wrote 72 Psalms: Claim God’s Promises. Psalms 4 – 16.
David is named as the author of seventy-two psalms, or nearly half of the book of Psalms. That is an impressive collection for a man as busy as he: shepherd, warrior, fugitive, king. And the idea that one of the manliest men in Israel was also a shepherd, composer, poet, and harpist is hard toContinue reading “David Wrote 72 Psalms: Claim God’s Promises. Psalms 4 – 16.”
SHOCK AND AWE: the Lord in Heaven Laughs. Psalm 2.
When Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, the world was outraged. On January 17, 1991, a coalition of 42 nations invaded Iraq in order to beat the Iraqis back into Baghdad. The people in Arabian lands have come a long way from the days of camels and tents. But Saddam wasContinue reading “SHOCK AND AWE: the Lord in Heaven Laughs. Psalm 2.”
The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.
When my father, Ernest, was about five, some older cousins came to visit. They were unruly, wildly undisciplined. One day the boys ran out of the house, little Ernest bringing up the rear. Just as he leapt from the porch, an older cousin pushed a wheelbarrow in front of him, knowing he would be unableContinue reading “The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.”
NO SMALL PARTS: David Served God’s Purpose in His Generation. 1 Chronicles chapters 23 – 27.
God had a purpose for the life of David—I’m sure we can all agree on that. But what about you and me? Does God have a purpose for folks living seemingly ordinary lives in which nothing much ever happens? After all, David was a king—he made the headlines every day. Most of us will neverContinue reading “NO SMALL PARTS: David Served God’s Purpose in His Generation. 1 Chronicles chapters 23 – 27.”
David’s Second Great Sin. 1 Chronicles 21:13.
Everyone remembers the story of young King David’s tragic failure with Bathsheba: giant killer grows fat and arrogant and stumbles headlong into adultery and murder. But do you know David’s second great failure, his “second-worst sin” the one committed by old King David? The census. Old King David told Joab to use his troops toContinue reading “David’s Second Great Sin. 1 Chronicles 21:13.”
WHAT IS MY ROLE?: God Uses Different People. 2 Samuel 20:16-21.
Picture generated by A.I. Imagine: you live in the town of Abel, a small city in Israel. One day the walls of Abel are surrounded on all sides by the army of Israel, the soldiers carrying bows and arrows, spears and shields, and more shovels than you have ever seen. The battle-scarred soldiers quickly beginContinue reading “WHAT IS MY ROLE?: God Uses Different People. 2 Samuel 20:16-21.”
You Reap WHERE You Sow: David’s Sin Turned His Home into a Battleground. 2 Samuel 19:2.
Picture generated by A.I. Relationships around a throne are treacherous because of deceit, violence, and murder. Diplomats and courtiers may taste the delicacies of kings and queens, but the metallic smell of blood is never far away. Everyone is watching everyone else, looking for weaknesses, creating alliances, destroying the careers and lives of enemies andContinue reading “You Reap WHERE You Sow: David’s Sin Turned His Home into a Battleground. 2 Samuel 19:2.”
Prophets and Parables: the Indirect Approach. 2 Samuel 14:1-13.
Following King David’s great sin, the prophet Nathan came to him with a story about a rich man with flocks of sheep who took from a poor family its lone, pet sheep and ate it. David was outraged and Nathan famously said to him: “Thou art the man” 2 Samuel 12:7. Why did Nathan createContinue reading “Prophets and Parables: the Indirect Approach. 2 Samuel 14:1-13.”
Household Words: 