Month: September 2025

Our reading today is Psalm 37:4.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Though we read this verse recently, I can’t shake it from my mind. Maybe because I see it lived out in the simple, ordinary moments of family life. All of my kids love their kids, but as an older man, I see it even more clearly now. My son often calls me on his way home from work. But when he pulls into his driveway, he always says, “Dad, I need to let you go. I need both hands free.” Why? Because the moment he opens the door, his two-year-old girl runs to him with outstretched arms. She delights in her daddy. And he delights in her.

She doesn’t greet him with, “Daddy, did you bring me something?” It’s just, “Daddy.” A visible “you’re here.” That’s what delight looks like. Not asking. Not striving. Just enjoying being together.

When we find our joy just by being in God’s presence, that is when we delight in the Lord.

Psalm 37 isn’t about a formula for getting what we want. It’s about learning to want Him more than anything else and learning to enjoy being with Him.

Now look at that verse again, “Take delight in the Lord…”

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalm 37:4.

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Picture a child in her father’s arms, giggling at his silly faces, content simply to be held. She’s not bargaining or begging—she’s delighting. This is God’s invitation to you.

Too often we approach heaven’s throne like a cosmic vending machine, inserting our prayers and expecting our desired outcomes. But God says, “Delight first.” Not demand first. Not a list of grievances or a catalog of needs. Delight.

What does it mean to delight in God? It means to find your joy in His character, to be fascinated by His faithfulness, to be stunned by His kindness. When delight becomes your starting point, something wonderful happens. Your heart begins to beat with His rhythm.

The promise isn’t that God becomes your genie—it’s that He becomes your gardener. As you delight in Him, He plants new desires in the soil of your soul. Gradually, surprisingly, what you want begins to match what He wants. Your prayers change. Your longings shift. And suddenly you discover that the desires of your heart are also the desires of His.

Stop demanding. Start delighting. Watch what grows.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading is Psalms 46:10

“Be still and know that I am God..”

The world spins fast. Deadlines loom, phones buzz, and hearts race. We hustle, we strive, and we worry. And then—like a whisper in the whirlwind—God speaks: “Be still.”

Not “sit down.” Not “do nothing.” But let go. Release the clenched fists of control. Loosen the grip on anxiety. Stillness, in God’s vocabulary, is surrender. It’s the soul exhaling.

Why? Because He is God. Not you. Not me. Not the crisis or the calendar. He is the One who parts seas, calms storms, and holds galaxies in place. And He holds you, too.

To be still is to trust. To know He’s sovereign when life feels scattered. It’s choosing peace over panic, worship over worry. It’s the quiet confidence that the One who reigns also redeems.

So today, unclench. Unwind. Let go of the stress that’s been riding shotgun in your spirit. And in that sacred stillness, know—deep down, bone-deep—that He is God. And He is good.

“Be still, and know…” It’s not a suggestion. It’s a lifeline.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalm 91:11.

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

This verse opens a window into one of the most fascinating truths of Scripture. God is not only watching over us Himself; He also appoints His angels to guard us. The psalmist says that God will command His angels. That word, “command,” is strong. It reminds us that the angels don’t act on their own; they respond to God’s orders. They move at His word, not ours.

“Do we really have guardian angels?” This verse seems to say yes. Hebrews 1:14 confirms it: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” Angels are sent for a purpose—to serve, to guard, and to help God’s children. 

What comfort this brings! We are not left to walk through life alone. The unseen realm is alive with God’s messengers, guarding us in ways we may never know. Certainly, we cannot point to the exact when or the exact where that angels guarded for us. But it is comforting to know that God has sent them to protect us.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalm 91:2

“I will say to the LORD, ‘You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

Don’t rush past that opening phrase: “I will say to the Lord.” It’s more than poetic—it’s intentional. The psalmist isn’t just thinking about God; he’s speaking to Him. Declaring truth. Naming who God is, even before the storm hits.

What we say to God—and about Him in our hearts—shapes how we see Him. If we speak of Him as distant or indifferent, we’ll never run to Him when life unravels. But if we call Him refuge, fortress, trustworthy, then we’re building a habit of hope.

Life has a way of shrinking our view of God. Disappointments whisper lies: He’s not listening. He doesn’t care. But the psalmist shows us a better way. Speak truth. Speak it aloud. Speak it often.

Because those who speak lowly of God will never seek Him as shelter. But those who declare His strength will find it. The words we say to the Lord become the doorway to peace.

So today, say it. In prayer, in praise, in quiet moments—tell God who He is to you. The soul that speaks trust will find rest in the arms of the One who never fails.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalm 91:1
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

This Psalm says, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High.” Not visits. Not passes by. Dwells.

The storm rolled in like a freight train—lightning flashing, thunder cracking, and the sky split wide with power. I was six, standing on my grandparents’ porch with my little brother at my heels. We were mesmerized by the spectacle, darting out to catch glimpses of the lightning, then scurrying back inside before the thunder roared. We believed we were safe because we were near the house. But close isn’t the same as inside.

The safety isn’t in proximity—it’s in presence. The porch may have felt secure, but only the house could shield us. In the same way, God’s shelter isn’t a concept to admire from afar. It’s a place to inhabit.

To dwell in His shelter is to remain, to abide, to settle in under His covering. It’s choosing trust over curiosity, peace over panic. The shadow of the Almighty isn’t cast over wanderers—it falls on those who stay close. So stay. Stay in His Word, stay in prayer, stay in worship. The storm may rage, but as one sage said, “The safest place in the whole world is in the will of God.”

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalm 1:5-6.

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD guards the path of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

These two verses give us a picture of separation and security. First, the wicked cannot stand before God’s judgment. When the light of His holiness shines, no excuse can hide sin or the sinner. The weight of guilt leaves the wicked unable to remain in His presence.

But the separation does not end there. The wicked also cannot stand in the company of the righteous. Sin resists both heaven, and holiness on earth. It makes fellowship uncomfortable and unwelcome. We’ve all seen it—those who choose darkness feel out of place when surrounded by those who love the Lord.

Then the psalm pivots to a promise that the Lord guards the path of the righteous. God watches over their steps, protects their way, and directs their journey. The same God who judges sin is the One who guards His people.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading is: Psalm 1:4 

“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.”

The righteous are like trees—planted, nourished, fruitful. Verse 3 paints that picture with gentle brushstrokes of grace. Roots deep in God’s Word. Leaves that don’t wither. Lives that matter.

But then comes verse 4. A shift. A gust of wind.

“Not so the wicked…”

No roots. No fruit. No anchor. Just chaff—dry, weightless, tossed by every breeze. The contrast is sharp. One life stands firm—the other drifts.

God doesn’t offer this image to shame us, but to warn us. To remind us that the choices we make shape the soil beneath our feet. The righteous are grounded in truth. The wicked? They chase shadows.

Psalm 1 isn’t just poetry—it’s a path. One road leads to delight in God’s presence. The other to distance from His grace. And the difference isn’t in the wind. It’s in the roots.

So today, ask yourself: Am I planted or scattered? Rooted or restless? God longs to steady your soul, to hold you firm when the winds howl. Let Him.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading today is Psalms 1:2.

“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

This verse begins with the interesting word, “But.” That small word draws a clear line between two ways of life. In the first verse, the writer warns of the slow slide into sin: first walking, then standing, then sitting with the ungodly. It is a downward spiral of influence and compromise. 

Verse 2 leads us to the next step. The righteous man is different. Instead of drifting toward darkness, he chooses a path to righteousness..

His strength comes from the Law of the Lord. Not simply reading it, but meditating on it. Meditation is more than words passing through the eyes. It is pausing, reflecting, and letting truth sink deep into the heart. Reading gives knowledge, but meditating gives wisdom. Reading tells us what God says, but meditating helps us hear God’s voice.

Meditation day and night is not a 5-minute reading, but a continual feeding. God’s Word becomes the background music of the soul, shaping decisions, guiding thoughts, and bringing peace in both daylight and darkness. The righteous man delights in God’s Word. Righteousness begins with a hunger for God and God’s Word.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our reading for today is Psalm 1:1

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.”

Have you ever had to descend down a mountain trail? There’s something quietly terrifying about that first step down. Not because it’s dangerous—it’s just one small step. But because of the next step and the next step.

The psalmist understood this when he painted the picture of gradual spiritual decline. First, we walk in the counsel of the wicked—perhaps just listening. We tell ourselves that we are just passing through, that we’re being open-minded. Then we linger, standing in the way of sinners, our pace slowing as their words begin to resonate. Finally, we settle in, sitting with the scornful, fully at home in their company.

Psalms one is not the story of people who awake one morning and decide to abandon their faith. It is the story of a thousand small compromises, each one seeming harmless, each one making the next decision seem reasonable. 

Sin is patient. It doesn’t demand we jump off the cliff all at once. It simply asks us to take one step closer to the edge, then another, then another. Before we know it, we’re not just visiting darkness—we’re residents.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.