Up the Sunbeam

-- They were practically superheroes! At the very least, they were the equivalent of today's Secret Service, Special Forces and 5-Star Generals rolled into one. David's Mighty Men , 37 warriors named and honored for all time as Hall-of-Famers in the history of Israel. Many of them joined David after God had named him Israel's next king, but while he was still on the run, trying to stay alive in the face of then-King Saul's attempts to kill him. They risked everything to support and protect the man whom God had chosen to be their next king. David had been in caves and foxholes with these guys, had lived on the razor's edge of life and death with them, had been protected and defended by them, knew their names and their stories and where they were from. His relationship with them was forged in the fires of combat and they must have been closer to David than his own brothers. Fast-forward a quarter of a century . . . David has been on the throne for some 20 years...

-- In Part 1 I posed some questions about brokenness .  I related the fact that I have some concerns about the concept of brokenness, which has recently become extremely popular in some Christian circles.  Let me say here that it is not at all my intention to step on any toes or to be critical in any way of what others have said or written on the subject.  I started this series because I was troubled by some of the trends I've been seeing and I wanted to study it out myself before following or rejecting those trends.  My only purpose is to seek a clearer understanding of what the Bible really says and to get a better handle on what brokenness is and isn't.  I pray that we can, together, follow the example set by the Bereans who "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 NIV One of the verses most used as the basis for ideas about brokenness is this: "The sacrifices of God are a   br...