Author: londavis@hotmail.com

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.

The wise man wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Eccl 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

The Most Important Step: “NEXT”

Years ago my wife, Liz went on a mission trip with the teens. In the course of time, a problem arose. Liz and the other adults discussed the problem. After a considerable time of discussion, Liz said, “Okay, we have identified the devil. Now what are we going to do about it?”

She was not calling the young person “the devil.” She was referring to the cause of the problem. She was recognizing an often-forgotten principle on how to deal with problems. Here is that principle: First you identify the problem, then you take the next step. Identifying the problem is merely the first step.  Think about it, discuss it, but do not get stuck in the discussion process. Take the “NEXT” step. The “NEXT” step is asking yourself what do we do next and then do it.

Too many times good people get caught up in the discussion part of a problem. They talk about it, think about it, and fret over it, but never do anything about it.

1 Samuel 17 tells us the famous story of David and Goliath. David and Goliath is a story of victory. The story of Saul and Goliath is the story of “stuck.” King Saul discussed the giant for 40 days, but he never really did anything about the problem. He did offer a reward to anyone who would solve the Goliath problem, but he did not do anything himself. (1 Samuel 17)

Saul got stuck instead of taking the next step. He identified the devil, but then he waited for the problem to go away. He got stuck in the process of worry and fret.

When you face your own Goliaths, identify them, but take the “NEXT” step. Do something about it. Formulate a plan and then work the plan. Those who do not plan and follow through are planning to fail.

~Lonnie Davis

Stinking Thinking

He was not just a senior citizen; he was a grouchy senior citizen. He was known for his negative views about nearly everything in life.  One day, as he dozed off in his big chair the children in the house, decided to risk a little prank on him. While he slept they put Limburger cheese on his mustache. When he awoke he took a big whiff of the smelly cheese, looked around, and shouted, “This room stinks!” He walked into another room, took another big whiff and said, “This room stinks too.” He meandered through the house and found the same odor in every room. Finally, he went outside, took another sniff and shouted, “The whole world stinks!”

In my life I have met several of the “The-whole-world-stinks” people. Everything that happens in their life causes them to see the negative side of things. To them, the whole world stinks. One common trait of all of them is that they are not happy. From time to time they find a moment of happiness, but it is soon driven out by the negative bend they have toward life.

In urging us not to be like that, Paul told the Corinthians, “Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5). In Phil. 4:8, Paul shows us how to do this.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.””

You can “take every thought captive” by focusing your thinking on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,”” then you have the result promised in Phil. 4:9, “The God of peace will be with you.”

Those who follow this simple principle will be letting “this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5) and find their lives filled with joy.  They will also find that others enjoy being around them more.

~Lonnie Davis

Young David arrived at the battle where his older brothers were fighting. He saw the giant Goliath who had been threatening Israel. All the soldiers and even the great warrior King Saul were afraid. Though just a boy, David declared that he would fight the giant. King Saul sent for David and must have been shocked to see how young he was. David was a boy and too young to be drafted for the army of Israel.

 Saul dismissed the idea of a youth fighting Goliath. “Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” (1 Samuel 17:33)

 It is hard to dismiss a believer and so this boy David answered him, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” (34-35)

 David believed that he could kill the giant because with God’s help he had already killed a bear and a lion. There is a great principle here – one victory leads to another. 

Before you can kill a giant, it helps to kill a bear. Before you kill a bear, kill a wolf. Before you kill a wolf, kill a mouse. If you cannot kill a mouse, you are not ready to fight a giant. Victories grow little by little.

 Learn to win the little victories and then when you are confronted by a big battle, you will be ready. When you get ready, God will be waiting for you.

 ~Lonnie Davis

Personal Responsibility

I was driving down the street and came up behind a dump-truck. On the back of the truck was a sign that read, “Warning. Stay at least 300 feet behind this truck. Not responsible for debris from road.” The more I thought about this warning, the more I understood its true purpose. It was not serious about telling people to stay 300 feet away. We were in town and no one stays a football field away from the vehicle in front of them. The purpose of the sign was to say, “Not my fault!” The purpose was to dodge blame and shift it to someone else. A couple of days after that I heard a radio advertisement for “Payday loans.” Payday loans are very expensive. One can pay $100 a month in interest for a $400 loan. At the end of the advertisement, in very quick words, the announcer said, “Use payday loans responsibly.” With those four words, the lender was no longer at any fault. He warned the listener. If someone abuses the payday loan, it is his or her fault.

Denying responsibility and shifting blame is as old as mankind. In the original sin, Eve blamed Satan. Adam blamed Eve. Adam even blamed God. Their child, Cain, killed his brother, Abel. It was easier for Cain to see Abel as the source of his problems than to face up to his own flaw.

A child who fails a test will come home from school and claim he failed the test because “my teacher hates me.” By not seeing the need for personal responsibility will lead a student to fail more tests. If you think you cannot get ahead in life because your boss is evil or your coworkers are holding you back, you are missing the point. Until you accept personal responsibility for your own life, you will be doomed to mediocrity or failure.

Personal responsibility is the first step to overcoming. The man or woman who blames others for his or her own problems will stay stuck in the problem. The man or woman who blames himself or herself has begun the journey to victory. The one who blames no one, but takes action is on the right road.

~Lonnie Davis

Years ago, a prank tv show picked out three people as they were paying their bills at a grocery store in New York City. As the middle lady paid her bill, bells went off and balloons dropped from the ceiling. She was told she was the one-millionth customer. Of course, the other two were the numbers 999,999 and 1,000,001. Only the millionth customer was real, the others were plants. First, they announced the prize for customer 999,999 – a trip to Europe. The 1,000,001 customer got her prize next – a trip around the world. 

The millionth customer was overjoyed. If that is what the near winners got, she could only imagine her wonderful prize. Her prize? A walking tour of New York City! 

She was furious. She protested that since she was the millionth customer, she ought to have the biggest prize and did not want the walking tour.

Of course, we know that she had done nothing to earn her gift. The “walking tour” was still more than she earned, but instead of being happy with what she was given, she compared her gift to what the others had received.

Her problem is as old as mankind. 

Cain killed Able because Able was praised for his gift, while Cain was not (Gen 4:3-8). 

King Saul tried to kill young David because the people sang “Saul has slain his thousands.” And then sang David has slain his ten thousand (1 Samuel 18:7).

Do you know the secret of happiness? It is simple – learn to be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5). Unhappy people focus on the things they do not have.

When we fail to look at all that God has given us and focus on all that we do not have, we will be miserable. We are all rich when compared to someone. We are all poor when compared to someone else.

If you want to be happy, then do not spend your life thinking about what others have that you do not. Do not spend your life feeling like the millionth customer that ought to be given something. 

There is no happiness in that.

Lonnie Davis

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” – Hebrews 13:5

While visiting a house of grief,  I walked into the house and there was an elderly lady sitting next to the window. I sat beside her and she told me her story. She had eight children and the funeral that day was for one of her sons. She added, “I have 33 grandchildren.” She paused and then continued, “I also have 33 great-grandchildren.” Seventy-four children! That is a busy life.

 I teased her a bit and asked, “Do you know all their names?” She smiled and then answered, “Not only do I know their names, I know all of their birthdays.” She smiled again, “And I never forget a single one.”

 She remembered all of her children and her children’s children. She reminds me of Isaiah 49:

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.”

(Verses, 1, 6, 15)

God never forgets you. He remembers you like a mother remembers the baby she is nursing right now! He remembers you like someone who has a name carved into the palm of their hand. The phrase, “God remembers you” is found 73 times in the Bible. You are never alone. 

When the days are hard and stress is beating you down, when you feel forgotten, God remembers you. God remembers you always!

 Lonnie Davis

When I used to preach in Virginia, the drive from my house to the church building was beautiful. It was about 5 miles through a state park. In the winter, the snow would hang onto the tree limbs that outlined the road. In the fall, the changing of colors was stunning.

However, for a while, something ruined it. Someone accidentally ran over a skunk. I know it was an accident because no one would ever do such a crazy thing on purpose.

For a few days, when I drove down that beautiful road there would be a section of the drive that stunk. In a couple of weeks, it got a little better, but it still smelled. I have seen policemen pull over and remove the bodies of dead animals from the highways, but no one removed the dead skunk. 

It reminded me of several undeniable truths.

1. A mess is a mess, even when it is an accident.

Many people excuse every terrible thing they have done with “I didn’t mean to.” Children think that an apology is all it takes to make everything okay. I appreciate a real apology, but a stink is still a stink. 

2. Sometimes things happen in life that you can’t fix.

No one wanted to clean up the mess, so we just have to wait till it goes away on its own. David asked for forgiveness for his sin. God forgave him, but the sword never departed from his house. Jacob wrestled with an angel till the angel touched him on the hip and for the rest of his life, he limped. Even with forgiveness, there are often consequences.

3. The smell will eventually go away.

Right now it may seem like you will never get past your problem. Don’t be impatient, this too will pass. I love the fellow who was asked what his favorite Bible verse was and he quoted “it came to pass.” Whatever your hard spot is, it will pass. It always does. The phrase “it came to pass” is found 453 times in the KJV. This skunk too will pass.

Lonnie Davis

We all love happy endings.

Poets know this and so end their fairy tales with “and they lived happily ever after.” The great old cowboy movies often ended with the cowboy victoriously riding off into the purple sunset. Feel-good movies all have happy endings. We hear those happy endings, see those purple sunsets, and long for that in our life. The real secret of happiness is not in those purple sunsets, but in the chance to start over – to begin again.

• The prodigal son far from home, broke, and hungry, did the one thing he could. He went home. He started over. He began again.

• Hezekiah on his deathbed repents of his failures and starts over. God lets him begin again.

• Joseph sold into slavery, cast into prison, and forgotten by his friends, began again. It took two years, but instead of losing faith, he waited with patience. When his door to home was closed, he knew that some greater door would open (Gen 50:20).

In “The Land of Beginning Again,” L.F. Tarkington wrote,

I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all of our mistakes, and all of our heartaches,
And all of our poor, selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.

At some time or another in our life, we all long for that land of beginning again “where all our mistakes” can “be dropped like a shabby old coat.”

In the end of this life, what we are promised is a new start. John, gazing into heaven, wrote, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1). Even eternity will be a chance to start over.

I love happy endings but a chance to start over is even better. Even death itself is just another start over.

Lonnie Davis

I got on the plane.
It was a Terrible seat! Sandwich seat! and No legroom!
 
The lady next to me was already opening her smelly food. “Sorry about the food,” she said. “It’s okay,” I responded. In a few minutes a man came up and said, “You are sitting in my seat.”
 
I checked my ticket. No, I was sitting in the right seat. I looked at his ticket. Sure enough, it was his seat too. I gave him the seat and told him I would find a different one. The flight attendant sprang into action. He walked me to the back of the plane.
 
I saw an empty seat on the exit row (I call them “economy first class”) “I can just sit here,” I told him. He would not let me. He took me off the plane, telling me I would have to wait to see what was available. I went all the way to the gate and watched them assign seats to others. Outside the snow was falling hard (eventually 12 inches). I was afraid I might be trapped at the airport. Finally, they gave me a ticket. I walked to my new seat. It was the exit row and the aisle seat. Wonderful! We pushed away from the gate at 1:30 and took off at 3:45 (de-icing). 
 
Sometimes life does not go as you planned. When you have little hiccups along the way it is easy to be frustrated and angry. It is better to decide that God’s hand is in the details. When Israel left Egypt and headed to the Promised Land, the Bible tells us: 
 
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.” – Exodus 13: 17 – 18, 
 
There was a quicker route, but God knew they needed to take the long way.  He gave them what was best and not what they might have wanted. God still works that way, even when the snow is falling and you are getting on a plane.
 
As we were sitting on the tarmac, the captain walked back and talked to our row and apologized for the long delay. I spoke up and said, “We’re okay. We are sitting here reading books and relaxing. We do not have to fret with small children. We’ll be okay.” He smiled and went to talk with others. As long as we keep God in our plans, God will work things out for the good. (Romans 8:28).
 
Lonnie Davis
 

Haircuts and Life

Haircuts are no big deal to me. I prefer to get them wherever I happen to be. I have two rules that keep me okay with this: (1) Don’t cut it too short. If I follow this rule a bad cut grows out quickly. (2) Blow the cut hairs out of my hair. If this rule is done then I do not have to go wash my hair immediately.

At haircut time I went to the closest place. The lady cutting my hair followed rule one okay. As she was winding up, I had to remind her about rule two. She picked up her hair dryer and started using it on my hair. Half through she got distracted and left the scalding wind blowing in one spot against the grain. It got hotter and hotter. Just before I could yelp, she moved it away.

Finally, she tried to comb my hair. I had one patch of hair that stuck straight up no matter what she did. You can guess that the unruly spot was exactly where she kept the hot wind blowing. Finally, she said, “Your hair has a mind of its own.” I did not respond.

I thanked her, paid the bill, and left a tip. I knew that eventually, my hair would be okay. Later I thought about that patch of unruly hair. The stress of the heat and force of the wind left it abnormal. I thought about how the heat and the winds of life do the same thing to us.

A storm of life beats on us and we get bent out of shape. The storm passes, but we stay damaged. Why not follow the rule of haircuts and apply them to life?

Lonnie Davis

It is not the years of your life, but the life in your years that matters. 

The story of Carrie C. White illustrates this. Carrie was a Florida resident who died in 1991 at the ripe old age of 116. Just think of all you could do with a life span of 116 years. Looking further into her story reveals that she was a resident of a Palatka, Florida nursing home at the time of her death. At 116 it is not surprising that she lived in a nursing home. The sad thing is that she entered the nursing home 82 years before she died! I don’t think I will mind living in a nursing home from ages 110 to 116, but I do not want to live in a nursing home for the last 82 years of my life.

Once a group of young people was discussing old age when the age of 95 came up. One of them asked, “Who in the world would want to live to 95?” Someone else answered, “Well, I guess anyone who is 94.” After thinking about Carrie White, we can’t help but add, “Yes, but only if it really is living.” Just breathing is not living. Living means doing something with life.

A first-grade teacher was going through the grief of losing her mother. Children pick up on things and one of the students noticed that the teacher was not doing well. She came up to the teacher and asked what was wrong. When the teacher shared the loss with the child, the little girl answered, “Well, I hope you live until you die.” Maybe the little girl did not fully understand it, but she said something profound. Too many people do not live until they die.

10,000 years from now, we will all be living somewhere. 100,000 years from now all of this will be a distant memory for us, but we will not be just a memory. A million years from now. We will all be alive. Nothing should happen here to make us lose the will to live the plan that God has for us.

It is not the number of years you live while here that matter. It is the kind of life you live. A million years from now the life you live then will be a reflection of the life you live now. Life here is just a preparation for the life that is to come.

Lonnie Davis

Mia Stole my Grapes

More than 70 years ago, Mia stole my grapes. 

It happened this way. When I was six and my brother was four, our mother gave us some grapes. He ate his, but I saved mine for later. While I was busy with something else Mia, the little girl next door, slipped into our house and stole and ate my grapes. It crushed me. As a child I was upset.

You know what? I’m over it. You are thinking that since it was a lifetime ago I ought to be over it and you are right. One would think that all such old sins and grievances are over, but sometimes they are not. The world is filled with people who nurse old wounds.

How long should it take to get over old offenses? How long does it take to forgive? A day? A week? A year? A lifetime?

Jesus answered the question for us when he said, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25). 

When do we forgive? Jesus said to forgive when you pray. Most people think to ask for forgiveness when they pray, but Jesus said to give forgiveness when you pay. Your willingness to forgive when you pray impacts the forgiveness you will receive when you pray.

Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

When wronged you must not let it define you. To burden yourself with old hurts is to let old hurts define you. It is a handicap in your life. It is a limp when you walk. 

So let’s leave with this question, “Who stole your grapes?”

Lonnie Davis

In Abraham’s day, a woman with no child had no standing and a man without a son had no legacy. Year after year, Abraham’s wife, Sarah prayed for a child. Year after year her heart was broken. She knew her husband wanted a son and wanted to give him a son, but God had not yet blessed her. Finally, she reached the age when having a child was no longer humanly possible. In such times it is easy for dreams to die.

In the midst of such broken dreams, God reached out to Abraham and Sarah. The Scriptures tell us, “By faith Abraham, even though he was past age — and Sarah herself was barren — was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:11).

“Even though he was past age,” is an understatement. When their child was born, Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90. If nothing else, one can read that story and realize that nothing is impossible for God. Your dreams are never too big for God.

I do not want to wander as Abraham did with no place to call my own. I do not want to live in tents and ride on camels, but like Abraham, I do want to be God’s friend and receive blessings that are seemingly beyond human possibility. To do this, I must have Abraham’s secret.

What was Abraham’s secret? Read the passage again and you will see. “He considered him faithful who made the promise.” Abraham believed in God and that God was faithful and would keep His promise.

Only when we believe that God is faithful and will keep his promises will we look past the blessings of the earth and see the blessings of heaven.

All the promises that God has made to you in His Word, He will keep. God is faithful. Believe it!

Lonnie Davis

The Frog Who Went to Be with Jesus

When my granddaughter, Gwen was 5 years old, she loved animals. Somewhere she acquired a tiny frog. I guess she did not know that frogs were a plague, but that would not matter to a four-year-old girl. Even if it is a frog, it was still a pet. Little frogs in the possession of little girls do not have a long life span. Before long the frog died and her dad disposed of it. Her mother explained it to her by saying that the frog went to be with Jesus.  She cried and said, “I want Jesus to give me my frog back.”

We all understand that sentiment, not about a frog, but about someone we love who has gone to be with Jesus. The years of 2021-2022 have brought me too many “gone to be with Jesus” moments. We all have lost someone that makes us feel this way.

In the early church, these kinds of thoughts were hurting many in Thessalonica. They grieved for those who had died, or as Paul said, have “fallen asleep.” To encourage them he wrote, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thess 4:13-14).

When frogs are gone, they are gone. When Christians “fall asleep” they will wake up. We are not really dead; we have simply gone to be with Jesus. Do not grieve like others who have no hope.

Lonnie Davis

The School in the Forest

 Once there was a man who wanted to help the animals in the forest. He wanted to make things better for them so he decided to start a school in the forest. In his school he had a squirrel, a fish, and a bird. To make their lives better he decided to help each of them become better at what they did not do well. Since the squirrel could climb, but could not swim, he decided to teach the squirrel to swim. The fish could swim, but could not fly so he worked at teaching the fish to fly. The bird could fly, but could not swim so the bird was enrolled in a swimming course.

 Over the next year, the squirrel practiced swimming, the fish worked at flying, and the bird tried hard to swim. At the end of the year, the teacher had a squirrel that was a bad swimmer, a fish that could not fly, and a bird that nearly drowned daily.

 There is a moral to this story. If you are a squirrel, climb. If you are a fish, swim. If you are a bird, fly. Do not try to be something you are not. God gave each of us special talents. Each of us should work to discover our own special talent. Then use it. That is your highest calling.

Lonnie Davis

(Source unknown)

 Once there was a man who wanted to help the animals in the forest. He wanted to make things better for them so he decided to start a school in the forest. In his school he had a squirrel, a fish, and a bird. To make their lives better he decided to help each of them become better at what they did not do well. Since the squirrel could climb, but could not swim, he decided to teach the squirrel to swim. The fish could swim, but could not fly so he worked at teaching the fish to fly. The bird could fly, but could not swim so the bird was enrolled in a swimming course.

 Over the next year, the squirrel practiced swimming, the fish worked at flying, and the bird tried hard to swim. At the end of the year, the teacher had a squirrel that was a bad swimmer, a fish that could not fly, and a bird that nearly drowned daily.

 There is a moral to this story. If you are a squirrel, climb. If you are a fish, swim. If you are a bird, fly. Do not try to be something you are not. God gave each of us special talents. Each of us should work to discover our own special talent. Then use it. That is your highest calling.

Lonnie Davis

Caterpillars Don’t Die

The story is told of a quite happy caterpillar who found that his life was
changing. He noticed that things weren’t like they used to be. Finally one
day he began to crawl out of his skin. He was quite surprised to see that
though he was changing, he was still okay.  Soon he found himself a beautiful butterfly.

He was no longer bound to the trails of the earth below but could fly on the winds above. He was no longer a caterpillar but was now a beautiful butterfly. He soared above, looking down on the old shell that was still down below. He thought how lucky he was to have made such a marvelous change.

As he looked below, he saw some of his old caterpillar friends, crawling
slowly across the old trails that he had crawled. They found his old shell
and began to weep. He tried to shout to them that all was well, that he was
even happier, but he did not seem to be able to reach them. From his lofty
position, he looked down on those he had left behind and watched as they
gathered around his old shell and wept.

He could not tell them that leaving the old shell behind was not the end,
it was just the beginning of the real beauty that God had in store for him.
He knew that someday, they would join him and understand that caterpillars don‘t die, they just become beautiful butterflies.

Anon

The story is told of a sole survivor of a shipwreck who washed up on a small, uninhabited island. Day after day he prayed for God to rescue him. Day after day he scanned the horizon for help. Day after day, he was left alone on the island.

Realizing he needed to make the best of a bad situation, he built a little hut of driftwood to protect himself from the elements. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home and found his little hut in flames. It was not much, but it was all he had. Everything was lost. He was shocked with grief and filled with anger. “God, how could you do this to me!” he cried.

Early the next day he awakened to the sound of a ship approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. “How did you know I was here?” he asked. Their answer shocked him even more than the fire. “We saw your smoke signal,” they said.

Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

For Believers, even the apparent hard spot is nothing more than a prelude to God’s answer to prayer. The Bible is filled with examples:

• If Joseph had not been sold into Egypt, the Israelites would never have been saved from famine.
• If Peter had caught all the fish he could handle before midnight, he would have cleaned his nets early and gone home without seeing Jesus in the morning.
• If Moses had not spent 40 years in the desert, he would never have known how much he needed God.

What has happened in your life that you see as a hard spot? Someday you will be able to look back on it and realize it too turned out to be just a smoke signal before God’s deliverance.

Lonnie Davis