Today’s Walk in the Word

Your Ever-Present Father

By Joe Barnett / August 13, 2020 / Comments Off on Your Ever-Present Father

The Lord watches over those who trust in his love.          —Psalm 33:18 Caseworkers reported that Debbie had been molested. She was placed in a rehabilitation facility for abused children while CPS sought answers. Debbie was lonely and angry—she felt abandoned. Parental contact was limited to once-a-month supervised visits. Her father disappeared; […]

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Companion Tattoos

By Joe Barnett / August 12, 2020 / Comments Off on Companion Tattoos

I have tattooed your name upon my palm.                           —Isaiah 49:16 In Hindu traditions, married women display a sindoor (a red dot) at the parting line of their hair to declare their wedded commitment. In our part of the world, the symbol is […]

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Responsibility and Reward

By Joe Barnett / August 11, 2020 / Comments Off on Responsibility and Reward

Each one of you must love his wife . . . and a wife must respect her husband.               —Ephesians 5:33 These two things torpedo happiness: 1) wanting something you can’t have; 2) having something you wanted and no longer wanting it. The coed who came to my office […]

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Who Is the Sinner Here?

By Joe Barnett / August 10, 2020 / Comments Off on Who Is the Sinner Here?

He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.                               —Luke 19:7 When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home, he was “welcomed with great joy” (Lk 19:6). The mood on the street didn’t match the joy in the house. The […]

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Thank God—for Everything

By Joe Barnett / August 7, 2020 / Comments Off on Thank God—for Everything

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything.             —Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks is grace focused, expressing gratitude for blessings received, though undeserved. When we verbalize our gratitude to God, worry diminishes, trouble dwindles, courage develops, and peace dawns. In Ephesians 5, Paul specifies giving thanks as an ingredient […]

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Peruse Your Checkbook

By Joe Barnett / August 6, 2020 / Comments Off on Peruse Your Checkbook

Honor the Lord with your wealth.                        —Proverbs 3:9 Bob and Nell were frivolously spending their rapidly-diminishing retirement savings. Their financial advisor repeatedly counseled them to be more cautious. They kept spending. He suggested that they bring one of their three grown children to their […]

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Thank You for Thinking about Me

By Joe Barnett / August 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Thank You for Thinking about Me

The Lord is thinking about me right now!                                  —Psalm 40:17 At some point, each of us has received a message from someone who hit the pause button in their busy life and reached out to let us know they […]

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Give Someone a Helping Hand

By Joe Barnett / August 4, 2020 / Comments Off on Give Someone a Helping Hand

Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up.      —Acts 3:7 Jack Carter was an expert skier. For a beginner—that was me—falling down is inevitable, getting back up almost impossible. (Great sport if you’re into being cold and hurt.) Jack looked out for me. When I’d fall, he’d be there, extending his […]

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God’s Purpose for You

By Joe Barnett / August 3, 2020 / Comments Off on God’s Purpose for You

You did not choose me, but I chose you.                              —John 15:16 Zechariah and Elizabeth had said their “I-dos” many years ago. But Elizabeth was barren, and in their culture, that was considered a sign of God’s displeasure—so this godly woman was […]

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Use Everything God Gave You

By Joe Barnett / July 31, 2020 / Comments Off on Use Everything God Gave You

Well done, good and faithful servant!                        —Matthew 25:21 She has closets and cabinets full of stuff that has never been used: silverware, china, crystal, linens, candles, perfume. She’s saving them for some special occasion that never seems to arrive. Unused silver tarnishes. Linens turn […]

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