Joe Barnett

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.                 —Psalm 139:3 The hurricane-tracking graphic commonly seen on TV is cone-shaped. The point of the cone—the hurricane’s present location—is out in the ocean. From that small point the cone’s sides taper […]

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.                         —Psalm 139:2 There’s an all-seeing eye watching you! Remember that song? It was intended to keep you on the straight-and-narrow. God was watching everything you did, hearing everything

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.                            —Psalm 136:1 The bookends of Israel’s forty-year desert trek were unrequested blessings. The first was when they left Egypt and God gave them a dry-ground crossing of the Red Sea. The second was

I wait for the Lord … and in his word I put my hope.                                            —Psalm 130:5 “Are we there yet?” “How long ’til Christmas?” Childhood impatience often spills over into adult life. The gap

He who watches over you will not slumber.                                      —Psalm 121:3 What keeps you awake? A fractious marriage? A rebellious child? A financial squeeze? A health issue dogging you or someone you love? You want security, stability, trouble-free

My help comes from the Lord.                 —Psalm 121:2 When anxiety pays an unwelcome visit, it’s good to have a few calming Bible verses at your fingertips. Here’s a short collection. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1). Cast your cares on

Hear my voice in accordance with your love.                                —Psalm 119:149 “How was your day?” he asked. So she told him—told him about the dead battery, the toilet that backed up, their daughter’s broken glasses. Mr. fix-it told her how to

I have put my hope in your word.                   —Psalm 119:114 Your favorite meteorologist doesn’t control the weather; only reports it and gives warning when it turns nasty. Hearing his advice won’t stop storms, but heeding it may save your life. Likewise, hearing God’s counsel won’t stop

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!                 —Psalm 119:103 Spiritual life is both birthed and sustained by God’s Word: “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.              —Psalm 119:97 She was enormously wealthy, with a collection of rare antiques worth millions. Asked which of her possessions she valued most, she said, “I have a letter from my daddy that he wrote to me