Author: londavis@hotmail.com

Our verse for today is James 1:2

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds”

These words from James seems counterintuitive – how can we find joy in the midst of difficulties and pain? Yet God’s Word challenges us to embrace this Kingdom perspective. 

As we read on, James explains that our trials have an intended purpose – “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (v.3). Hardships, though unpleasant, are allowed by our loving Father to strengthen our trust in Him. Like a refiner’s fire, they burn away impurities in our faith, purifying us to reflect Christ more clearly. 

God uses trials to mold our character, helping us develop godly virtues such as perseverance, or as one man called it, “Stick-to-it-tiveness.” As we learn to cling to the Lord in the midst of struggle, we find our roots growing deeper in Him. Difficulties teach us to rely not on our own strength, which often fails us, but on God’s limitless power and grace to sustain us. 

Though trials can be painful in the moment, God promises to be with us in the pain (Deut 31:6). He enables us to endure and emerge refined, with greater maturity and faith. Our suffering produces in us an eternal weight of glory, as Scripture says (2 Cor 4:17). God ultimately uses pain for our good, making us more like Jesus and sharing in His holiness (Rom 8:28-29).

So next time you face trials, remember God’s great purpose in them. Thank Him for the trials He allows, asking for grace to trust Him more. Draw near to Him in difficulty, confident that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). Joy comes when we embrace His refining process.

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is Proverbs 20:7
“The righteous lead blameless lives;
blessed are their children after them.”

The construct of this verse is not by accident. It begins with a simple statement about how people who do the right things, lead blessed lives, but quickly adds how this affects their children – they are blessed because they follow them.
It is sad that people mindlessly say, “It is my life!” The truth is that it has never been my life and mine alone. Each of us have someone who watches us to see what we do. They do not watch to judge us, but rather to emulate us, to do things like we do.
One older Jewish lady made the point that people who have only done things 15 times, ought to listen to people who have done things 150 times. In fact, they do! They always have.
When Moses led Israel, Israel was blessed. There came a time when Moses was no longer available to lead. Who did the people turn to? Of course the obvious choice is to turn to the young man who followed Moses for 40 years. The man who spent his life following in his footsteps. That younger man was Joshua.
When Moses climbed to the mountain to see God, it was Joshua who followed Moses up that mountain. He did not go all the way to the top but accompanied Moses longer than anyone else.
When Moses met with God in the tent, all the people stood at their tents. Joshua did not. He stood at the door of the tent where Moses met with God.
Unfortunately, it works the other way too. We would do well to remember the words of the unknown poet who said:

A careful man I want to be —
a little fellow follows me.
I do not dare to go astray,
for fear he’ll go the self-same way.
I cannot once escape his eyes.
Whatever he sees me do he tries.
Like me he says he’s going to be —
that little chap who follows me…

Today, someone follows your example. That is why we need to be careful. We do not know who is watching and following.
Lonnie Davis

Our text today is Ecclesiastes 3:1

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

Some years ago, my wife, my daughter, my two little grandkids and I took a short road trip. A short little 275 mile road trip. When I take one of those by myself it is short. When you take them with a wife, a daughter and two young grandkids, it is not so short. I had forgotten what it is like to travel with kids. On our trip there we stopped six times. The first time was for me to get money. The other five times were for kids.

 The next morning I took the kids down for the free continental breakfast. I got food for each kid and then went to cook a waffle. I took it to the table. I went back to cook a second waffle. I got my food and sat down. I had to get up to get syrup. Finally I sat down to eat. I didn’t know about bathroom breaks during breakfast – another interruption. Finally their mom arrived and I could eat.

 What does that have to do with the title “Passages?”

 Gail Sheehy wrote a book called “Passages.” In her work she says that life has many passages. As we grow we change. Life in our twenties is different than life in our thirties. Life in our fifties finds that we have gone through many passages. Life is different.

Here we remember again our text: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1)

 Life changes. It is okay. It is great. Joy does not come because we are in a great place. Joy comes by enjoying the place wherever we are.

 Coming back it was just Liz and me. Going down we had six stops and lots of laughter. Coming back there were no stops and no laughter. I missed the stops.

 Enjoy wherever you are in life. It is all you have. It is the passage you are in. Savor it.

~Lonnie Davis

Our Bible verse for today is Matthew 10:29

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.”

Have you ever seen anyone pick up a found coin—a quarter, a dime, or a nickel? My guess is that you have, but what about a penny? Few people collect pennies. It is noteworthy that Jesus uses the humble penny to show you God’s attention for you. That which man overlooks, God notices. In fact, he even notices more than the penny. In Jesus’ time, you could buy two birds for a penny. Yet, not one of those birds, sparrows, dies without God noticing it.

Jesus is not merely telling us that God knows about a single bird, but that God always, always knows and notices you. That is an important lesson for each of us to remember because it is so easy to forget. It is even easier to feel unnoticed by anyone.

I remember hearing one thirty-something lady remark about how she sometimes feels invisible to other people. I also remember thinking that was an unusual way of putting it. Upon further reflection, I realize there is a kernel of truth in that expression. There are times when all of us feel invisible.

Matthew 10:29 serves as a profound reminder that though the world may not notice you, God always notices and remembers you. God always cares about you and for you.

So that you do not miss the point of this verse, Jesus added these words, “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

To further deepen this point, he points out that God does not just know about you; he even knows exactly the number of hairs on your head (Verse 31).

To God, you are important. A world leader or the neighbor next door may not think about you, but the one true God does.

That makes you significant!

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

That doesn’t seem possible. Should I give thanks even when my car breaks down on a busy freeway? What about when the doctor tells me I am very sick? Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks.” Yes even when the news isn’t good.

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter was on a vacation in Puerto Rico. On a beautiful beach, a vicious wave knocked her down. At first she feared she broke her wrist. It has been many days and there is still pain. No bones were broken, but there seems to be nerve damage in her left wrist. As we discussed it, she said, “I’m just thankful it wasn’t my right wrist.” 

Now let’s go back to “In everything give thanks.” That is exactly what she was doing, finding something to be thankful about. We discussed it more and realized that some folks don’t damage the nerve in the wrist. They damage the nerves in their back. 

She then said that she was thankful that she can still do her job while healing. In the hard times in your life, you can always find a reason to be thankful. I know I have failed on that point, but I need to remind myself to do better. 

One of my favorite stories about finding thanks in all circumstances was written by a minister of a bygone era.

While out at night he was robbed of his wallet. Knowing he need to be thankful in all things, what could he possibly be thankful for.

In his daily journal he wrote about the thief who robbed him, 

“Let me be thankful, first because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.”

So for today, be thankful when it is easier to complain.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Matthew 7:16

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

There are times when it is easy to follow this verse, but other times when this is just forgotten.

I once read the story of a preacher who overslept on a Sunday morning. He hurried out of bed, threw his clothes on, and grabbed a cup of coffee. When he grabbed for his coffee, he realized that he forgot to plug his coffeemaker in and now there was no coffee. Already behind, he decided he would have to stop for coffee on the way – if there was time. He ran to his car, jumped in and started to back out of his driveway. Thump, thump went his tire. He threw off his jacket and changed the tire on his already late Sunday morning. When this was fixed, he had to wash up and leave. No time for a coffee stop. As he left he overlooked a stop sign and ran it. Of course there was a cop who pulled him over. “License and registration,” the cop said. 

The preacher growled as he reached for his license. The policeman responded, “Yes, I know how you feel. I used to have days like that before I became a Christian.” “Ouch!” 

As a Christian myself, I am not so naive as to believe that days like that don’t happen to me. All of you have had days like that. All of you will have them again. But here is a great truth, it is not whether you have a tough day, but how you respond in it that shows your Christian spirit. That is the point of our Bible verse today. 

Anybody can act happy and kind when things are going great. The one that God is most pleased with is the one who can show himself or herself to be of a good spirit even when he or she has a flat and runs a stop sign.

Today, “Let you light shine” – even when nothing good seems to happening.

Lonnie Davis

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Our text for today is Hebrews 12:1

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

This verse contains a great life lesson for us. It tells us we all need some “Therefore People.” They are the people we look to show us that we too can overcome.

Let me illustrate this with the stories of Roger Bannister and Edmund Hillary.

Stories are told that people tried for over a thousand years run a mile in less than four minutes. Experts said it was impossible.  Finally in 1954 Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3:56. As of June 2022, the “four-minute barrier” has been broken by 1,755 athletes. 

In 1953, Edmund Hillary climbed to the top of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on earth. Before him no one was ever able to climb it. After he reached the top, In the same decade, there were four more climbs that reached the top. Since then more than 1,200 people have climbed to the top of Mt. Everest.

Roger Bannister and Edmund Hillary both became “Therefore People.” They were those who inspired others to do what seemed to be impossible.

Look at our text again an you will note that it starts with “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” This is a reference to the people listed in Hebrews 11 – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah and others. Hebrews 12:1 is using these people to say to us, “See, that did and so can you.” 

The poet said, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one anyday. I’d rather one would walk with me than merely point the way.” 

We need someone who has walked the path before us to show us that it can be done. We all need “Therefore People.”

Who are your special “Therefore People?”

Lonnie Davis.

Our text for today is John 14:27:

”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

In a world of push and shove and compete and compete, this verse seems almost impossible. How does one find peace today? How do we fight stress in a stressful world?

Do you even know what stress is? Not like, “Have you ever been stressed?” but more like, “Do you know what’s happening when you’re stressed?” God designed each of us with this incredible response system hardwired into our bodies. 

I once read the story of an electrician who responded to a call at a sketchy house. There was a big man there, but he had to go look at the electrical panel way back in a closet. He turned his back on the man to check out the problem and just as he did, an old ironing board fell against his back. He turned quickly and stabbed the ironing board with his screwdriver. The man said, to him, “Kinda stressed out aren’t you?” 

Our stress system kind of keeps us feeling safe, and the times we experience stress are times when this system temporarily activates. Your heart rate increases, and your breathing pattern might change because your body is looking for help in managing the stress. You might even stab someone with a screwdriver.

During Jesus’ ministry, he met a woman who was also searching for ways to manage her stress. She had a condition where she was bleeding constantly (Matthew 9:22). She was experiencing physical, mental, and emotional stress, but then she touched Jesus or even just his clothes, and she was healed.

In our stress, we too can reach out to Jesus and have  something better — or at least something different. We can learn much from this woman’s story about how to look to God when we need hope. 

From time to time, each of us feel stressed out or anxious. When we do, we’ll need a plan. Thankfully, there are stories like this to remind us when you’re not okay, Jesus offers hope.

Our Text for today is Luke 4:16

“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”

What Would Jesus Do? Well, according to this verse, it was his habit to go to the synagogue. When Jesus went home at the start of his ministry, he went to “church” as was his custom or habit. Of course the Scripture says, “synagogue” but that is what we would call today “church.”

Whether we know it or not, our lives are based around our habits. What we eat, how we react to stress, whether or not we snooze the alarm – these are all dictated by the habits we have allowed into our lives. 

Charles Duhigg wrote a best selling book called, “The Power of Habit.” In it he said that approximately 45% of everything we do in a day, every day, is done by habit. If you have good habits, then this is encouraging. But if your habits aren’t what you want them to be, then that means half of the decisions you had the opportunity to make you had already chosen by your habit.

Despite all the mistakes King David made, he kept coming back to God’s Word, readjusting his life according to what God’s word said. Paul grew up a passionate Pharisee who lived and breathed the Scriptures. 

If anyone could have taken a pass at a daily Bible habit, it was Jesus. Yet time and time again we see Jesus going off alone to pray in quiet. In Matthew 4, when Jesus faced his temptations in the wilderness, Jesus used his knowledge of God’s word to defeat Satan.

He understood, better than any of us, how deeply our humanity needs to be fueled by encounters with the divine.

If you want to have a great Bible study in your life, make it a habit to study the Bible regularly. When you do, the great part will come on its own.

Lonnie Davis

Did you ever trust in a car that left you stranded on the side of the road? How about trusting a friend who disappointed you. Today’s article reminds us about what or who we can trust. It is called Trusting Iron Chariots

As Israel entered the Promised Land, the first city, Jericho fell in spectacular fashion. The cities of Ai, Jerusalem, and Hebron were soon to follow. It was not easy but with God on their side, the Israelites conquered the enemy. 

Joshua noted, “One of you routs a thousand because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.” (Joshua 23:10)

With God’s miracles and the leadership of Joshua, nothing could go wrong. At least that is how Israel felt, but Judges 1:18-19 tells us,

 “The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron–each city with its territory. The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.”

 Notice the end of that verse, “They were unable to drive the people from the plains because they had iron chariots.” 

Think of “Iron Chariots” as tanks of that time. They were indeed formidable weapons, but it was not really the iron chariots that stopped Israel. The iron chariots made the task harder, but neither iron chariots nor tanks can thwart God.

Years earlier the Israelite soldiers had seen the mighty Egyptian army, along with her “iron chariots” perish in the Red Sea. Now Israel found it easier to leave the plains people alone than to battle against iron chariots. Israel opted for ease rather than obedience.  

Israel saw the iron chariots and decided not to put their full weight on God. Israel should have known that Iron chariots cannot stop God or God’s people. Nothing can stop God’s people as long as they are doing God’s will. Only the desire for ease can do that.

What does God want you to do? Do it.

With God as your partner, neither iron chariots nor tanks can stop you.

 Lonnie Davis

H

In Exodus 33, Moses asked God to let him actually see Him. Here was God’s Answer:

And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Before that, Moses stood before the Pharaoh and told him to let God’s people leave Egypt. Why? Because God told him too. Moses led the people through the parted Red Sea. Why? Because that is what God said to do. Moses feats were amazing, but until Exodus 33, he had never seen God. He heard God’s word and that was enough.

“If I were Moses,” someone might think, “I would do what he did.” Moses had flaws. He killed an Egyptian. In his fear he ran from Egypt and the people of God. He made excuses why he could not lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. 

However, in the end, hearing only the voice of God, knowing his words, he did what God told him to do. He started his obedience to the word long before he ever saw God. He knew only God’s word.

We can be like Moses. He listened when God spoke from a burning bush. We can listen when God speaks through his written word. If we do, then someday we will all see God.

Job foretold that wonderful day in Job 19:26-27. He said, 

“After my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

And then he ended with these words, “How my heart yearns within me!”

Me too.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Palms 23:1

“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.”

I love the story of the little first grade girl who was asked to recite the 23^rd Psalm. She stood and faced the class before reciting, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” She paused before continuing and then added, “and that’s all I know.” The punch line is, of course, that is enough if we really believe it.”

After 60 years of knowing this Psalm, I am surprised to learn that I am still learning to look at it in different ways. It seems that this Psalm is about how we are sheep and how we act like sheep. This certainly is true, but the real point of this Psalm is that God is our shepherd.

No sheep ever worried at night about how tomorrow would turn out. No sheep ever fretted because it didn’t know if he might be hurt tomorrow. No sheep every went to sleep angry with other sheep. Since we are sheep and God is our shepherd, we ought to turn those concerns over to our shepherd. 

Of course, we should plan and do all we can, but when we have reached our limits, we know that our Shepherd will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Consider comparing   Matthew 28 and John 11. In John 11, Jesus comes to the tomb with Mary and Martha. At Lazarus’ tomb, he tells the people to “Roll away the stone.” In Matthew 28, the women come to the tomb of Jesus and find that God has already rolled away the stone. In Matthew 28, the people could move the stone. In John 11, the women could not move the stone. What the people could do, God required it from them. What they could not do, God did it for them.

That is the point of Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” As our shepherd, God will help you do what you cannot do for yourself.” You are never powerless, because your Shepherd is never powerless.

Lonnie Davis

I wish you an “F”

Our text for today is Luke 15:17-20. It is the story of the Prodigal Son, serving as a pig-pen attendant and deciding to go home.

“But when he came to himself he said…I will arise and go to my father…and he arose and went.”

I love these words because they tell us a person can make life better. A person who has made poor choices can turn those choices around. He decided to go home and then he did it.

A fellow once asked, “If 10 men were sitting on a porch and three of them said, ‘I am going to go to town.’ How many men are left on the porch?” The answer is 10. Just because they say they are going to go to town, doesn’t mean they are going to do it.

In Jesus’ story, the Prodigal arose and went. He followed through on making a good decision.

Why do I wish you an “F” in you life? Actually, I wish you five F’s Because an “F” represents a good decision. One wiseman said that there are five F’s that each person must seek.

1. F for Faith. Hebrews said, “With out faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6).

2. F for Family. Get this one right or in the end, nothing will have been right.

3. F for Finances. There are rules for dealing with finance. Learn them and use them wisely. If you don’t then you will have be financially stressed. Your life will be filled with anxiety.

4. F for Friends. 

5. F for Fitness.

To build successful lives, we do not choose which of these to build into their lives. We have to have all five F’s. I do not wish you just an F for your life. I wish you five F’s. 

Faith – Family – Finances – Friends – Fitness.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

When we read this, it seems hard to believe. It is saying that no matter what you have to do today be thankful. What if I have to have surgery? What if I have to beg for a job? Even then you should be thankful.

One wise person noted that there are three levels of gratefulness. What you can be grateful for depends on how spiritually mature you are.

1. You can be grateful for the things you have IN a storm. I am thankful I have a roof over my head. This level of thankfulness is for things and stuff. 

2. You can be grateful for God seeing you THROUGH the storm. God is God who helps you get through the storms of life.

There is nothing wrong with gratefulness in either of these levels. If fact, you should feel gratefulness for what you have IN the storm and that God will get you THROUGH the storm. There is however another level of maturity. It is made clear in James 1:2

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” 

3. Be grateful FOR the storm.

It takes spiritual maturity to be grateful FOR the storm. It takes maturity to think and be grateful for all the things you gain from the storm. You build strength for the next storm. A storm helps you build patience with life. In other words, a storm helps you grow your spirit.

There is nothing harder to live with than an ungrateful person. Let’s make sure we are not asking God to deal with an ungrateful person when he deals with us.

Let’s all strive to grow in our gratefulness until we can learn to be grateful FOR the storms that come our way. They can help make us who God wants us to be.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Romans 14:7
“None of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.”

Among other things, this verse teaches that we must not think only of ourselves in whatever action we take. We do not live or do anything, just for ourselves alone.

Ask the man on the street about Jonah and he will tell you about a man who was swallowed by a whale. Bible students will tell you that it was not a whale, but a great fish. There is a more important lesson to learn from the first chapter.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach (1:2). Verse 3 tells us Jonah’s response, “But Jonah ran away from the Lord.”

As our story continues, Jonah goes to the sea and gets on a ship headed away from where God told Jonah to go.

Believers know that you cannot run from God. Jonah was going to try anyway. No one knows how far they were out into the sea when God sent a storm. The ship was tossed and the sailors thought they were going to sink in the raging water. They cried to their gods and threw their cargo overboard to lighten their load. Nothing helped. They were caught in a storm. There was, however, one on board who was not afraid. Verse 5 tells us, “But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.”
In the first five verses of this great book, we see a great truth. We all get caught in storms and it is not always our fault. These sailors were innocent. The one who was responsible for the storm was sleeping.
Though it is not often observed in this story, herein is a great truth. That storm that Jonah caused was inflicting pain on those around him.
In life, I have caused a few storms. We all have. It is the human experience. Those storms were never suffered by me alone. The pain was also felt by those in the boat with me.
Never say, “It is my life.” There are others in your boat. We must think of them. As our verse said, “None of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.”
Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is Proverbs 22:7

“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

We live in the richest country in the world and at the richest time in history.  Despite this, in 2016, one study showed that 66 million people have zero savings for an emergency. That is nothing, nada, zilch, or zero for an emergency. That means they are one emergency away from being in a panic. Can you guess what percentage of people will face an emergency? If you said 100%, then you are right. Of course, they can probably borrow, but then, “The borrower is slave to the lender.” At least, that is what the Bible says.

After 50 years of preaching and decades of counseling folks who deal with financial struggles, I’ve heard a few rules. Here’s one:

While I was still in college and living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, a salesman drove to my house to sell me some expensive cookware. I couldn’t afford it, so I listened but declined to buy what he was selling. When he was leaving, he looked at me, a young, newly married, broke, college kid, and offered me these “wise” words: “People say that if you can’t afford to pay for what you want, don’t buy it. They are wrong. As long as you can make the monthly payments, then get it.”

He sounded wise to me, but now I know he was either financially stupid or lying. According to today’s Bible verse, he was saying that it is okay to be a slave to the lender. Maybe he just did not know the number one rule of being a good money manager. Here it is:

“If you always spend all you earn, you will always be broke.”

You may know someone who seems to be an exception to this rule, but wait until tomorrow, or the next tomorrow. The emergency is on the way. That’s life.

These are not scare words. They are reality. The Bible tells me so!

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Romans 8:26

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

The standard commentary on this is  that “Even when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers.” I accept this understanding but would like to add an additional thought. 

A small child has no problem knowing what to pray about. If you have ever heard children pray at the dinner table, they will pray for every item on the table. At night they pray for each loved one by name. A simple child’s prayer is surely loved by God. As adults, life is a little more complicated. When one gets older life has more struggles. There are days and times when you want to pray but do not know what to pray for. At times like these, God knows what we need just by hearing our groaning to God.

If that sounds odd to you, I challenge you to think about the knowledge of a mother. A mother with a baby does not need to hear the baby say what it needs. A mother can listen to a baby’s cry and tell whether it is hungry, or hurting. She can even tell when the baby is simply throwing a fit. She knows her baby and can interpret its cry.

This verse is telling us the same thing about God. He knows us and knows our groaning. His spirit intercedes for us to answer the prayer when we didn’t know what to ask or what we needed. 

In John 10:27, Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” That is a profound thought, but isn’t it sweet to know that it works the other way also. My God knows my voice also. Because he does, he answers my prayer. So when you don’t know exactly what to pray, pray anyway. God knows exactly what you need.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is  Matthew 4:1–4.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Did you ever wish you had just the right word to say at just the right time.? Of course, we have all been there. As Solomon said, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” It is a beautiful and valuable thing to have.

In today’s text we will see that Jesus had the right word. He knew just what to say to overcome temptation. He could heal the sick and raise the dead because he was God. Having just that right word of Scripture at just the right time, I think is different. He had just the right word because he had put Scriptures into his heart. 

We often long for more information about Jesus as a child, but we do know that as a Jewish child, he grew up being instructed in the Old Testament. 

This was God’s command for all Godly Jewish parents (See Deuteronomy 6:6-9). I cannot imagine that God would call two parents to raise his child who would ignore this.

More evidence of this is the fact that when he was 12 and lost in Jerusalem, he went to the temple. In fact, when Mary and Joseph hunted him elsewhere, he asked them, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  (Luke 2:49).

Because of this kind of upbringing, when Jesus was confronted with temptation by the Devil, he had the Word of God in his heart to answer the devil’s twisting of the Scripture. He had just the right word at just the right time.

We need to let that be a lesson for us on how to have the right word.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Matthew 6:14

“If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

If you are human, you need to forgive someone at some point. The truth is that you may have needed to do this today. While sometimes this is not too hard to do, other times it seems like we are trying to forgive the unforgivable. Yes, there are things that seem unforgivable to us, but for the Christian, those too must be forgivable. 

I still remember her like it was yesterday. She came to see me with tears in her eyes. She and her husband had an argument and in the middle of the argument, she mentioned an old hurt to him. He snapped back, “You told me you had forgiven me, but you lied! If you really forgave me, you would have forgotten that!” Feeling guilty, she wanted to know how one could forget old hurts. How do you do that?

For the times when you feel the weight of that question, let me give you two answers: 

Answer #1. It Takes Time

There are no Bible passages that can erase memory. Old wounds heal, but healing is a slow process. Most of the time, old wounds do not really disappear. They just fade from view.

Answer #2. You Don’t Really Forget

Even God does not truly forget. I know He said, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)  God did not lose his omniscience. He made a decision not to call the old sin to mind. That is what He meant when he said, I will “remember their sins no more.”

When we forgive and forget that is what we do. We forgive and then choose not to call the old offense to our memory.

As several of us were helping a newly blended family move to a new house, I took a picture off the wall and there was a big hole behind it. At first, the lady was startled and then she confessed, “That is where my husband knocked me into the wall. I just put a picture over it.”

That is the way to forgive and forget. The old wound is there, but we just have to put a new picture over it.  The new picture helps both parties.

~Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is Psalms 116:2

“Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”

In this short verse of only 17 words, we find the truths about a great prayer life.

#1. God Listens Intently:

“Because he turned his ear to me” (Psalms 116:2, NIV). These words paint a vivid picture of a loving and attentive God. Imagine the Creator of the universe leaning in, his ear inclined towards you, listening intently to your every word and the whispers of your heart. God is not just listening; he is leaning into our whispered thoughts. God pays unwavering attention to our prayers. He is not distant or aloof; He is ever-present, ready to hear our cries and petitions.

#2. Prayer as a Lifelong Practice:

The Psalmist promises, “I will call on him as long as I live.” Prayer is not a fleeting moment but a lifelong journey. The psalmist’s commitment to pray throughout his entire life underscores the idea that prayer is an ongoing practice, an unbreakable thread connecting us to our Creator. It’s not a one-time event but a continuous conversation with the Divine. In every season of life, in moments of joy and sorrow, in times of abundance and scarcity, prayer remains our steadfast practice.

#3. Prayer is a Personal Relationship:

The verse places strong emphasis on the personal nature of our relationship with God. Notice the frequent use of “I” and “me.” It reminds us that our faith and prayer come from deeply personal relationships. Our connection with God is unique, and He longs for us to approach Him individually, just as we are. In our deepest struggles and our highest triumphs, God is there, ready to hear our hearts poured out in prayer.

#4. Why We Pray:

As I read and reread this verse, I learn both why we pray and why we fail to pray. We pray because we know He hears us. Doubt in God’s attentiveness will kill our prayer life. Those who believe that God is distant or uninterested may struggle to approach Him in prayer.

In conclusion, may we echo the psalmist’s commitment, calling on Him “as long as we live,” knowing that our prayers are cherished by the One who turns His ear to us.

Lonnie Davis