Tag: CONNECT THE TESTAMENTS

  • SHOWING KINDNESS TO A STRANGER

    Connect The Testaments2 Samuel 9:1–10:19; 1 Peter 5:1–14; Psalm 138:1–8 When I was a teenager, I became serious about showing unsolicited kindness while working through a 30-day intensive devotional. The devotional required me to record an act of kindness each day. My efforts included things as mundane as taking out the trash before being asked…

  • TRUTH AND HONESTY CAN BE PAINFUL

    Connect The Testaments2 Samuel 7:1–8:18; 1 Peter 4:12–19; Psalm 137:1–9 A commitment to honesty and truth often puts us in unexpected spiritual situations—something David experiences in 2 Sam 7. David thinks he will build God a great house—a temple—but instead God plans to build a house for him—a legacy. Because David seeks God, God does…

  • SERVING THE GLORY OF GOD

    Connect The Testaments2 Samuel 5:1–6:23; 1 Peter 4:1–11; Psalm 136:1–26 When we avoid community, we may develop an inflated opinion of our own character. It’s easy to think we’re kind people when we’re not held accountable to others. It’s easy to think we’re always right when no one disagrees with us. Conversely, it’s in our…

  • VENGEANCE VERSUS BLESSING

    Connect The Testaments2 Samuel 3:1–4:12; 1 Peter 3:8–22; Psalm 135:1–21 Comparing the passages of 2 Sam 3:1–4:12 and 1 Pet 3:8–22 teaches us that all Scripture can be used for instruction: Some passages provide wisdom on how to become more like Christ, while others are best regarded as “things not to do.” Peter’s first letter…

  • EMOTION VERSUS LOGIC

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 30:1–31:13; 1 Peter 2:18–25; Psalm 131:1–132:18 Reacting is easy. What’s difficult is overcoming emotions in a time of adversity. Although emotions are not bad, they can lead us astray. At the same time, when we stray too far in the other direction and rely entirely on reason, we risk using logic…

  • REFRAME IT

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 26:1–27:12; 1 Peter 2:1–12; Psalm 128:1–129:8 “ ‘Too often they have attacked me from my youth.’ Let Israel say, ‘Too often they have attacked me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me’ ” (Psa 129:1–2). As these verses show, sometimes problems can be solved by simply reframing the issue at…

  • UNITY IN ADVERSITY

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 22:1–23:29; 1 Peter 1:13–19; Psalm 123:1–124:8 Distress can unite people. In difficult moments, in shared pain, we discover our true friends. When David fled from King Saul, his divided family was suddenly supportive of him, as was every man in the region who was distressed or indebted (1 Sam 22:1–2; compare…

  • ETERNAL HOPE

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 20:1-21:15; 1 Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 121:1-122:9 We don’t often realize where we put our hope. We can seek sustenance, energy, or relief in the most transient, innocuous things—from our morning coffee to a vacation we’ve been anticipating for months. These things are not bad in themselves, but if they constantly serve…

  • OPPRESSORS, VICTIMS, AND A JUST GOD

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 17:1-58; James 5:1-12; Psalm 119:153-176 Contemporary culture is often pegged as self-indulgent: We live in a have-it-now world, and we don’t always think about the repercussions of our actions. But when we read James’ letter to the early church, we find that self-indulgence isn’t a modern phenomenon. In his letter James…

  • MOVING FORWARD

    Connect The Testaments1 Samuel 16:1-23; James 4:1-17; Psalm 119:137-152 Moving on after a person, a hope, or a dream has died can be one of the most difficult challenges of life. It certainly was for Samuel. The prophet Samuel believed that God had chosen Saul as king, but Saul failed God and His people (1…