Wayfarer

Abner served Saul and his family faithfully, but his ultimate service was always about himself. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 3. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Today I am again reminded of how messy life can get even in the politics and power struggles of my relatively small circles of life and influence. We all find ourselves embroiled in the game of thrones for our own little systemic kingdoms. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 2. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my life journey, I've been both amazed and incredibly frustrated by God's timing. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 1. The text version was originally published in April 2014 and can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In yesterday's post, I mentioned the reality that everything I possess gets left behind when this life journey is over. That's not the only thing I leave behind, however. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 31. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Jesus is the Alpha point from which all good things flow and all the good things that have flowed into my life. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 30. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

It seemed that God was doing just the opposite of what we were asking. It was enough to make us scratch our heads and ask "What on earth are you doing God?" Have you ever had one of those moments? A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 29. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I don't want to be a Saul. I want to be a David. The determining factor is what I choose to do with my own decisions, actions, and words today. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 28. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In today's chapter, David finally realizes that no matter what promise Saul makes, and no matter what oath he swears, Saul will never stop trying to kill him. David determines that his best option is to live among his nation's enemy, the Philistines. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 27. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Great stories need great villains. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 26. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In the quiet this morning, I find myself whispering a prayer of gratitude for my own spiritual journey, for the people God has placed along the way to teach me invaluable "waypoint" lessons, and for the gifts of wisdom He delivered out of them. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 25. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

David wasn't concerned with what everyone in this world would think. David was concerned with what the God of heaven would think. David is revealing "a different way to be human." A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 23. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Some people are thrust into leadership unprepared, like Saul. Some people become leaders through experience and trial, like David. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 22. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

One of the things I love about Jesus was the fact that He was constantly ignoring the religious thing to do in order to carry out the right thing to do. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 21. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

I've discovered that entrusting my children to God doesn't end with them choosing a college or a major. It's a life-long process. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 20. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

One of the observations I've made along my spiritual journey is that it's quite common for people, myself included, to assume that life should be easy. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 19. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In all of the Great Story, Saul may arguably be the most tragic figure. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 18. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

David reminds us that sometimes you have to challenge the widely held assumptions. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 17. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Even the ancients knew that music was good for the soul. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 16. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Am I living simply to plunder this world? A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 15. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Have you ever been in a situation in which you suddenly realize that the person in charge has no business being the person in charge? I call it the "uh-oh" moment, as in "Uh-oh, if this is the person in charge, then all of us are in deep Shinola." A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 14. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Tense situations in times of weakness or weariness often reveal a leader's true mettle. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 13. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

One of the things I've learned in my career is that companies typically don't make dramatic changes in corporate culture unless the person at the top of the org chart is driving it. If the CEO doesn't change, the organization isn't going to change either. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 12. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

The trials and struggles of transition can either send us into the pit of paralysis and despair, or they can produce in us important character qualities of perseverance, maturity, faith, trust, and active growth. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 11. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . 

Sometimes I am cast in a role when I had my eyes and heart set on another character I wanted to play. Looking back, not once did I get to the close of the show and regret playing the part I was given. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 10. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

With our posts, tweets, and photos we project ourselves to the world. Our followers see and hear only what we choose to show them. So what am I choosing for others to see, and why? A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Samuel 9. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .