Category: JOHN D. BARRY

  • GOD’S UNSEEN WORK

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 5:1-7:17; James 1:19-27; Psalm 119:33-48 We often fail to discern when and how it happens: God will work something out in our lives that seems virtually impossible. We get an unexpected insight into the workings of God in 1 Sam 5. After defeating Israel in battle, the Philistines stole the ark…

  • GOD MAKES GOOD OUT OF TROUBLE

    Connect The Testament1 Samuel 1:1-2:21; James 1:1-8; Psalm 119:1-16 God often shows His goodness to us through trials, making good out of human error. We see this principle in the lives of Elkanah and Hannah. Elkanah was prone to make mistakes. His first mistake was to marry two wives (1 Sam 1:1–4); his second blunder…

  • BEHIND THE SCENES

    Connect The TestamentsEsther 3:1-7:10; 3 John 1:1-4; Psalm 117:1-118:16 Sometimes life can look so bleak that it seems as if all hope is gone. This was the situation for Esther and Mordecai: “Letters were sent by couriers to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both…

  • THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUTH

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 12:1-13:31; 2 John 1-6; Psalm 115:1-18 John the Evangelist’s letter to the “elect lady” presents a picture of joy and hope, as he “rejoiced greatly to find some of [her] children walking in truth, just as we were commanded by the father” (2 John 4). One word keeps reappearing in John’s letter,…

  • FROM CONCERN TO ACTION

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 9:1-10:27; 1 John 5:13-16; Psalm 111:1-112:10 When I approach God, I often try to persuade Him that I am worthy of something or that He should act on my behalf. But there is no reason God should act on our behalf—none is worthy of His intercession. When we pray, we often need…

  • DISCERNMENT AND PRAYER

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 6:1-7:65; 1 John 5:1-5; Psalm 109:16-31 “For all of them sought to frighten us.… And now, God, strengthen my hands” (Neh 6:9). While God calls us to “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us]” (Matt 5:44), he also calls us to act with discernment and prayer. Loving others doesn’t…

  • POSITION, PRAYER, AND STRATEGY

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 1:1-3:32; 1 John 4:13-15; Psalm 108:1-13 Trying to make a difference in the world can be disheartening; it’s easy to feel like merely a drop in the bucket. When Nehemiah first heard about the suffering of His people, he could have been discouraged. When he learned that the returned exiles were “in…

  • THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

    Connect The TestamentsEzra 7:1-8:36; 1 John 4:1-6; Psalm 107:1-22 The Bible is full of unexpected moments. Some events seem almost coincidental, where people are in the right place at the right time. This is exactly the case with Ezra. In ancient times, it was unusual for a king to honor a foreigner with a decree.…

  • LEARNING FROM ENEMIES

    Connect The TestamentsEzra 3:1-4:24; 1 John 3:11-18; Psalm 106:16-29 If a new venture is really worth pursuing, it will probably be opposed. Some people will refuse to get on board, and others will intentionally get in the way. While these people may be trying protect their own interests, it’s more likely that they don’t like…

  • ENCOURAGEMENT AND POSITIVITY

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 John 2:28-3:4; Psalm 105:23-45 If we were to make encouragement one of our main strategies, we’d see positive results in most situations. If we made providing for others one of our goals, the world would be a kinder place. King Josiah epitomizes both of these attributes in 2 Chr…