Day: September 20, 2026

Philippians 3:13-14  

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal.”

Picture a runner racing toward the finish line. Suddenly, his foot catches and he crashes onto the track. His hands are scraped, his knees hurt, and the other runners rush past him. The race is not over, but he has a choice. He can stay down, or he can get back up and run.

Paul freely admitted that he had not arrived spiritually. What stands out is that he refused to stop. He kept moving toward the goal.

Spiritual maturity is not reaching the place where we never fail. It is reaching the place where failure no longer makes us quit.

Don’t measure your Christian life by how far you still have to go. Ask instead: “Which direction am I going?”

You may have stumbled. Get back up. Face forward. The race is not decided by where you fell, but by whether you rise and keep going.

Prayer: Father, when I stumble, help me rise again, look ahead, and faithfully continue walking. 

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

Matthew 5:23-24.

“If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Sometimes an old memory comes to us. We remember someone we hurt, words we should not have spoken, or something we left unresolved. 

Even when we worship, Jesus tells us not to ignore that memory.

Look at verse 24. Jesus says, “First go.” Even in times when we come before God, don’t put it off fixing those old wounds until a more convenient time. Delays allow hurt to deepen and pride to harden. Take care of it now.

Notice also that Jesus does not tell us to wait for the other person. Take the first step. A simple apology may not repair everything immediately, but it opens the door. God is honored when we humble ourselves and do our part to try to make things right.

Prayer: Lord, help me act quickly and seek to make things right with those I have hurt.

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