Joe Barnett

Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.    —Hebrews 13:5 When I was a child, the week before Christmas seemed like two months. Now the space between one Christmas and the next one seems like two months. It’s unnerving when we suddenly realize that we’ve sailed—or slept—past midlife. We become reflective: regretting […]

Do not be agitated— it can only bring harm.     —Psalm 37:8 Psalm 37 opens with these words: “Do not fret because of evildoers.” Various translations have it: “Do not be agitated;” “Do not be upset;” “Don’t be annoyed.” Eugene Peterson paraphrased verse 8 this way: “Bridle your anger, trash your wrath, cool your

I will not be afraid, because you are with me.     —Psalm 23:4 Put these fear-fighting verses in your pocket . . . “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you” (Is 41:10). My

Do you believe that I am able to do this?              —Matthew 9:28 If your life is a mess, it isn’t because you haven’t read the right book, attended the right seminar, or listened to the right preacher. It’s because you haven’t tapped into the right power. The words “him

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for.     —Hebrews 11:1 A line is drawn in the sand; it’s called “Faith.” You can’t straddle it; you have to plant your feet on one side or the other. Inflexible faith is not easily achieved; in life’s stormy seasons it’s challenged. You’ve turned a

Be strong and courageous.        —Joshua 1:6 When Joshua was named the successor to Moses as Israel’s leader, he received four words of advice from three sources. The four words were: “Be strong and courageous.” The three sources were: Moses (Dt 31:7); God (Josh. 1:6, 7, 9); the people he would be leading

Be careful not to forget the Lord your God.   —Deuteronomy 8:11 Alzheimer’s! We all know someone who has it. We’ve seen its devastation. It has us on edge: when we have a memory lapse, it triggers a haunting feeling that we may be heading into the twilight zone of the dreaded “A.” Mindless forgetfulness

All things work together for the good of those who love God.      —Romans 8:28 Joseph got a bunch of bad breaks: sold into slavery by jealous brothers; sent to the slammer by the false accusation of a lying woman. Years later, hindsight revealed that God had crafted rewarding results from excruciating experiences. When

In God I trust; I will not be afraid.   —Psalm 56:11 “The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield’” (Gn 15:1). It’s a hostile world; fear is chronic. Not only to Abram, but also to Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, Mary, Paul, and

Forget not all his benefits.           —Psalm 103:2 Turn pouting into praise by focusing on what you have, instead of fixating on what you don’t have. Psalm 103 hands you twenty-two verses of what’s already in your bucket. Verse two says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all