February 17, 2019: 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19; 2 Samuel 11, 12.
I asked God for money to replace the shower.
He replied, “I sent it. You gave it to Dish.”
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We are going over our expenses with a fine-toothed comb. We want to increase our retirement savings to 15%. That money has to come from somewhere!
When we signed up with Dish, we had three teenagers and 4 TVs. We ordered a “Hopper” and “Joey” for the girls and the same for the boys. The men’s “Hopper” is full of sports. The ladies “Hopper” has dramas and movies. When our kids started working full-time, they paid one-fifth of the bill.
As they moved out, we sent the “Joeys” back and got rid of TVs. We were down to 2 “Hoppers” and 2 TVs. It was nice knowing we could afford both “Hoppers.” But do we want that more than we want to remodel the bathroom? Do we want to be comfortable now or comfortable in retirement?
I added up what we spent on Dish over the last 10 years – $13,000. That would have given us a nice second bathroom!
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1 Chronicles 19:6-7, “When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned, they stank to high heaven, (7) they hired, at a cost of a thousand talents of silver (thirty-seven and a half tons!), chariots and horsemen…” The Message
The Ammonites sent 37½ tons of silver to the Arameans to hire them to fight. That was not a good investment. When the Arameans found themselves facing the best soldiers, they ran away!
1 Chronicles 19:14, “But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat.” The Message
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What was King David doing during this war? Taking it easy. He took a nap and then went for a walk admiring his kingdom.
2 Samuel 11:2, “One late afternoon, David got up from taking his nap and was strolling on the roof of the palace. From his vantage point on the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was stunningly beautiful.” The Message
Uriah stayed diligent. He had – as David Ramsey puts it – “gazelle intensity!”
2 Samuel 11:11, “Uriah replied to David, ‘The Chest is out there with the fighting men of Israel and Judah – in tents. My master Joab and his servants are roughing it out in the fields. So, how can I go home and eat and drink and enjoy my wife? On your life, I’ll not do it!’ ” The Message
Uriah’s priorities were in order: God first, his work second, and pleasure last. David let his priorities slip until “pleasure” had first place. His actions slipped to a place he never would have gone.
- He committed adultery with Bathsheba.
- He ordered the murder of Uriah.
- He had the gall to send Uriah’s death sentence with him to Joab!
2 Samuel 11:14, “In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.” The Message
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In our discussion of canceling Dish, David said one thing that stuck with me. “It will all be on again.” We really don’t miss out – we postpone.
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. What is your focus today?”
“Hugs – Daily Inspirations for Women,” February 16
Keeping Dish instead of getting a new shower would definitely be settling for less!
“Satan tried to get Jesus to settle for less, and he’ll try the same with you.”
“The Word for You Today,” February 16, 2019
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This Year's Bible Reading Guide 
Your spending and saving issues and your Biblical perspective is helping as we look at “downsizing” and moving. Perfect timing!
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It’s better to do it yourself than to leave it as a burden for your children! Remember, one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.
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