Daniel 1:1–2:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:1–3:5; Job 40:3–12

When Daniel is invited to dine at the king’s table—a great honor reserved for the favored (Dan 1:1–4)—he turns down the offer. Instead of eating food and wine fit for a king, Daniel and the other Israelites settle on a diet of vegetables and water (Dan 1:12).

Daniel’s decision seems to contradict human nature. When a good situation comes along (like being invited to eat at the royal table), we often jump at the chance. Yet in doing so, we may fail to consider the ramifications. Daniel knows that eating at the king’s table means compromising Yahweh’s commands against eating certain foods. So when he’s offered a great opportunity, he is bold enough to say no and to offer an alternative (Dan 1:10–14). Daniel knows that God will provide for those who love Him. He also knows that being in God’s will is more important than anything else, even if it means facing opposition.

Paul’s statement in 1 Thess 2:2 demonstrates that he understood this as well: “But after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi … we had the courage in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition.” Opposition did not deter Paul from doing what was right in God’s eyes, just as it didn’t prevent Daniel from keeping God’s commands.

When we’re faced with the promises of this world, how do we react? Do we boldly pursue money, fame, or power? Or do we deny these things for the sake of following God’s will? The purpose to which we’ve been called is too important to be set aside for things that will fade over time. We must be willing to face opposition boldly instead of pursuing what the world has to offer. Even when we have to depend on a miracle—as Daniel depended on God to keep him healthy when others were eating better food—we must make God’s will the priority. No matter how difficult it becomes, we have to seek God’s will. When we consider that our relationship with God is eternal, what matters is not the opinion of one king, but the opinion of the King of the universe.

What opportunities do you have that are not God’s will?

JOHN D. BARRY

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 47:1–48:35; 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10; Job 39:24–40:2 Desperate circumstances often dictate our prayers. We pray for others when they’re in need, or we thank God for others when they fill our needs. But how often do we thank God for the faith of those around us? When Paul writes to the believers in Thessalonica, he opens by saying, “We give thanks to God always concerning all of you, making mention constantly in our prayers” (1 Thess 1:2). Paul and his disciples thank God for their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father” (1 Thess 1:3). Those who appear to be moving along well by our standards may be struggling in their faith. Other believers, just like us, go through ebbs and flows in their journey. It shouldn’t take a catastrophe for us to recognize their need for prayer. We can learn something from Paul, a church planter and disciple maker who was no doubt keenly aware of the growth and struggles of the believers he mentored. For those of us who are less observant, these struggles may simmer underneath our radar. We should stop and take notice of the faith journeys of the people around us—people in our churches, our schools, and our workplaces. For whom can you thank God today? Who needs your observant prayers today? John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 39:25–40:49; Revelation 19:11–20:6; Job 38:25–33

“It has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen” (Rev 19:8), announces a voice from heaven in John’s revelation. The voice describes the bride who waits in anticipation—representing the believers who wait in expectation of being reunited with Christ.

The text contrasts the fine linen of the bride with the purple and scarlet cloth of the harlot, Babylon, who represents all that oppose God’s reign (Rev 18:16). The harlot receives criticism for her infidelity: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.… For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich from the power of her sensuality” (Rev 18:2–3).

But the cry goes out in and among Babylon: “Come out from her, my people” (Rev 18:4). The bride, who is preparing herself for the wedding celebration of the Lamb (Rev 19:7), responds to the call to remain pure—to avoid the temptations of the age. She is given the opportunity to dress herself in bright, clean fine linen, representing “the righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev 19:8). These deeds do not earn the bride her righteous standing before the Lamb, but they speak of a life that is transformed.

In Revelation, John uses this imagery to entreat the early believers to live righteously while awaiting the hope promised them. Christ has won the victory for us—the final conquering of sin and evil is imminent. We are empowered to live for Him now, to prepare ourselves for the day when we will have our reward: His presence.

How does your expectation of Christ’s coming help you live for Him now?

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 36:1–37:28; Revelation 18:1–24; Job 38:1–11

God calls us to live lives that are distinguished by His light, clearly separate from our old way of being. He wants to make us a new creation by separating the light from the darkness within our own hearts.

In Revelation, John describes God calling His people out of Babylon: “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out from her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins, and so that you will not receive her plagues, because her sins have reached up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes’ ” (Rev 18:4–5).

Sometimes we can be separated from our former ways of living in the literal sense, but the light has not yet pierced our hearts. We still live in “Babylon” because it exists right where we are. While we have inflated our position, we’ve failed to let God’s light pierce our lives. We’ve failed to live lives that respond to His work.

Becoming separate involves putting off the old ways of thinking, acting, and being. It involves clinging to Christ, who brings light and renewal to our lives. Christ’s sacrifice has reversed death and punishment so that He can bring us new life.

We are called to be separate not for our own sake and our own reputation, but so we can proclaim Christ’s work in our lives. Ultimately, it’s about pointing others toward Him: “For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. For God who said, ‘Light will shine out of darkness,’ is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:5).

How is your life reflecting the work of Christ?

REBECCA VAN NOORD

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 34:1–35:15; Revelation 17:1–18; Job 37:16–24

Leadership requires accountability, yet many leaders of the past considered themselves above rebuke. Even when their deeds failed to catch up to them in their own lifetimes, history judged them clearly. History often remembers and records people as they really are. And if history doesn’t recall the truth, God does.

Ezekiel was firm in his rebuke of the leaders of his time—Yahweh commanded him to be: “And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock’ ” (Ezek 34:1–3).

During Ezekiel’s lifetime, the leaders of God’s people were not being leaders at all. They were looking out for themselves rather than the good of the people. The same is true of leaders in our own time. If absolute power corrupts absolutely, as John Dalberg-Acton remarked, than surely we are all at risk of losing our way. Rather than responding with dismay, we should determine to take right action and speak the truth.

We must be people who seek God above ourselves. We must be people who put the needs of others before our own. We must want the glory of God among all people, above all things. We are all leading in one way or another, and others are watching us. That gives each of us an opportunity to lead by example. And any leader who is led by something other than God’s will ends up corrupt. Ezekiel’s criticism presents us an opportunity to change—to accept our rebuke and choose to live above reproach. Will we take it?

How should you change your approach to leading others in light of Ezekiel’s rebuke? What needs to change for you to live above reproach?

JOHN D. BARRY

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 28:1–29:21; Revelation 13:11–14:13; Job 36:24–33

The phrase “patient endurance” brings to mind the pasted-on smile of a parent regarding a misbehaving child—a parent clinging to the hope that someday this stage will pass. In Revelation the term is used in a much different way.

“Here is the patient endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus” (Rev 14:12). The statement is set in the context of judgment. Here the phrase requires more than simply sitting still and enduring persecution. It’s intended to encourage first-century believers to actively abandon the sins of the day: idolatry, pride, oppression.

Encouraging patient endurance was a call for early Christians to persevere by pursuing righteousness—to follow Christ faithfully even while enduring a period of suffering (Rev 14:12). Patient endurance is active persistence, loyalty, and discernment. We get this sense as John continues: “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” ’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘in order that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow after them’ ” (Rev 14:13).

Rest comes later. Right now, when we suffer trials, God asks us to live lives that reflect our loyalty to Him. This loyalty and these deeds are motivated by hope that He provides—especially through the death of Christ.

When you think about patiently enduring trials to your faith, you don’t have to regard yourself as a victim. Persist because of the hope you’ve been given and in which God continues to uphold you. Faith doesn’t sit still.

How are you patiently enduring?

REBECCA VAN NOORD

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 26:1–27:36; Revelation 13:1–10; Job 36:13–23

Yahweh is capable of doing anything and everything He pleases. If He were not a good God, this would be deeply frightening, but considering His wonderful character, this is comforting.

In Ezekiel 26:1–6, Yahweh describes the sins of Tyre and His plans against the powerful Phoenician city-state. The people of Tyre are arrogant. They do as they please, usually to the detriment of other people. Yahweh refuses to put up with this any longer. When He finally destroys Tyre, He does it through unexpected means: Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Neo-Babylonian empire from 605–562 BC. Despite Nebuchadnezzar’s cruel and ruthless nature, Yahweh uses him to enact punishment on Tyre (Ezek 26:7).

Stories like this make me wonder how written prophecy would look today. How often would we see God use people without their realizing it? How many evil-hearted people have been used for a larger and better purpose?

We’re never really certain how God is acting. We learn bits of information through prayer and the Bible, but only He knows what outcome He will produce. We know the trajectory—Christ’s full reign on earth and the admonishment of evil (e.g., the destruction of the beast in Rev 13:1–10)—but we don’t know precisely how that will play out.

There is no easy answer to this perplexing question, but what is certain is that Yahweh will ultimately carry out His will in the world. And His will might come in unexpected ways. No one can know the mind of God but God Himself. So when we pray, let’s pray for the miracle, not for the means.

How do you perceive God acting in your life and the lives of others? What miracle should you be praying for?

JOHN D. BARRY

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 24:1–25:17; Revelation 11:15–12:17; Job 36:1–12

We sometimes jump on the bandwagon with politics. Yet if we put our full trust in political candidates, or believe their rise to power is an indication of our future—a common campaign platform—we’re putting our hope in something transitory. No earthly person or kingdom has absolute rule. The book of Revelation portrays this in a surprising way.

In the last book of the Bible, God’s judgment is loosed, and it can be overwhelming to read and interpret. Six trumpets, blown consecutively by angels, unleash God’s judgment. When the seventh trumpet blows, we expect judgment to be set in motion yet again. Instead, a loud voice from heaven announces a different, glorious event: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15).

This seems like a strange turn of events, but it’s the culmination of plans and actions that have been happening all along. The initiation of God’s kingdom is prophesied throughout the Bible, and it is presented in John’s vision to bring hope. All of God’s judgments have a purpose. They terminate an old way of life to usher in a new one—a life guided by the eternal reign of God.

In some ways, the arrival of God’s kingdom is a judgment—it’s a judgment on all other kingdoms. John’s vision would have been a comforting reminder to the early church that the kingdoms of this age are transitory. Their flawed, corrupt rule is not forever. And while the kingdoms of the world come and go, God’s kingdom will never end.

We can be hopeful, then, in hopeless situations. We need not feel morose or hopeless when the factions and kingdoms of the world struggle and disappoint. God’s eternal kingdom—His exclusive, righteous rule—is our hope.

How are you living like a member of God’s kingdom, not the kingdom of this world?

REBECCA VAN NOORD

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 23:1–49; Revelation 11:1–14; Job 35:9–16

When God’s people turn from Him, the biblical story becomes solemn, sad, and explicit.
“Now as for their names, the older was Oholah, and Oholibah was her sister. And they became mine, and they bore sons and daughters, and their names are Samaria for Oholah, and Jerusalem for Oholibah. And Oholah prostituted herself while she was still mine [being Yahweh’s], and she lusted for her lovers, for Assyria who was nearby.… Therefore I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians after whom she lusted” (Ezek 23:4–5, 9).

There is a firm rebuke in Yahweh’s words spoken through Ezekiel—the sin becomes the punishment. But this sad picture also reveals Yahweh’s perspective and the pain that He feels when we walk away from Him.

Ezekiel’s words should prompt us to ask questions. How often have we been blinded by our lust for “greener grasses”? How often have we sacrificed God’s plan and potential for our lives at the altar of selfish desires? How often has “want” controlled us to the point of betraying the God who created us?

Our remorse should guide us into making better choices. We can walk away from the pursuit of our own desires and walk into the life that Yahweh offers us. The “two witnesses” in Rev 11:1–14 make this very decision. Appalled by the horrifying scene of their generation (e.g., Rev 9:13–21), they find hope and power in seeking Yahweh. Rather than allowing the evil of their generation to control or change them, they seek Yahweh. For doing so, they inherit power to do His work (Rev 11:2–6).

Each sad moment in history—indeed every single moment—is an opportunity to do the will of God. Today we have an opportunity to deny the narrative of our generation (and previous ones) in favor of God.

What selfish desires is God overturning in your life?

JOHN D. BARRY

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).

Ezekiel 21:1–22:31; Revelation 10:1–11; Job 35:1–8

The concerns that make up our mini-narratives can sometimes distract us from the great drama in which we have been cast. When a mighty angel appears with a scroll in John’s revelation, the apostle’s part in God’s great redemptive drama suddenly becomes very clear.

He swaps his role of scribe for that of actor, speaking God’s very words:
“And I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, ‘Take and eat it up, and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’ And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it up, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, ‘It is necessary for you to prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings’ ” (Rev 10:9–11).

John’s new task parallels the prophet Ezekiel’s call to speak God’s words. The prophet eats a scroll to internalize and speak the words of Yahweh, which turn sweet in his mouth (Ezek 2:8–36; see Psa 119:103; Jer 15:16). The words of God are also sweet for John, but the bitterness that follows reveals that a two-fold judgment is coming. God’s words are sweet and comforting for the believers, but they also bring judgment. John has seen what lies behind the curtain, and he is charged with making this drama known to all—even to those who stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the Author.

John was charged with bringing the things he had learned to the people and nations of the earth. Today we are all cast in this drama of God’s redemptive work. Our individual narratives should be informed by His greater drama—they should be seamlessly intertwined so that we display His creative and redemptive work. We should, together with John, profess this truth to all those we encounter.

How are you testifying about the God who brings both comfort and judgment?

REBECCA VAN NOORD

John D. Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments: A One-Year Daily Devotional with Bible Reading Plan (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012).