Category: Principles

Our reading is Luke 2:4-5

“Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.”

This seemed like bad timing. Caesar passes a law, and Joseph and Mary have to respond with a very difficult trip. Joseph didn’t ask for the decree. Mary didn’t request the journey. Yet Caesar’s order sent them trudging eighty miles over rugged hills and wilderness paths. Picture Joseph’s furrowed brow as he packed provisions. Imagine Mary’s quiet sigh as she adjusted her swollen frame for an eighty mile walk. To them, the timing was hard. A pregnant bride. A weary husband. A road that stretched farther than their strength.  

Isn’t that how life often feels? A summons we didn’t expect. A burden we didn’t choose. A path that looks more like punishment than providence. We wonder, “Is this really good?” 

Joseph and Mary likely wondered the same. Yet what looked like hardship was heaven’s design. The prophecy required Bethlehem. The Savior’s birthplace was set long before Caesar’s decree. What seemed like a bad idea was God’s perfect plan.  

We too don’t know ahead of time whether the road is good or bad. But God sees the Bethlehem beyond the road. He knows the manger is waiting at the end.  

So when your journey feels hard, remember Joseph and Mary. Remember that God’s wisdom outpaces our worry. He still knows what is best. Trust Him.

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

Our text today is Habakkuk 3:17-18.

In this reading, Habakkuk begins with a scene that feels like winter in the soul. No figs on the branches and no grapes on the vine. The olive trees have failed, the fields are empty, and the stalls echo with silence. Nothing looks hopeful. In the middle of all that loss, Habakkuk makes a remarkable choice. He says he will rejoice in the God of his salvation.

Through the years I have heard people say, “Jesus wants me to be happy.” No! He wants you to find joy. Happiness is only a visitor that comes and goes. It often depends on how full the pantry is or how easy the day feels. Joy is different. Joy is not tied to circumstances. It is tied to God. Happiness can be a spark that lasts an hour. Joy becomes a steady flame that warms a lifetime.

Joy is remembering the sweetness of the old days while forgetting your small apartment, your car that barely started, and the restaurants you could not afford. Joy is knowing that God is good even when the cupboard is bare. Joy reminds us that God is enough.

Find joy today. Everything is not perfect, but the One who holds you is perfect. The vines may be empty, but the Lord never is.

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

Our reading today is Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.”

You heard people say, “I can’t help how I feel.”  

We’ve all said it. But Scripture whispers otherwise. Feelings are not dictators; they are followers. And what they follow is the direction of our thoughts.  

I learned this truth during a season of weary mornings. Thirty miles of traffic carried me toward a job I didn’t like. Each mile became a rehearsal of disappointments. By the time I arrived, my spirit was drained. Then one morning, clarity came: I wasn’t discouraged because of what had happened—I was discouraged because of what I was thinking. I was reliving old wounds, giving them fresh power.  

That realization was liberating. The cure wasn’t to erase the past, but to redirect the present. From then on, when negative thoughts surfaced, I chose to change the subject to a blessing remembered, a promise recalled, or an old good time I had enjoyed.  

Paul’s counsel in Philippians 4:8 became my lifeline: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right…think about such things.”

God doesn’t ask us to deny reality. He invites us to dwell on His goodness. Surely there is something lovely in your life: a sunrise, a friend’s kindness, a great family meal. Think on these, and watch how they crowd out despair.  

You are not powerless over your feelings. You are the steward of your thoughts. And when you choose what is excellent and praiseworthy, you choose joy.

Your mind is but a garden; thoughts are the only seeds it knows.
If you sow worry and regret, thorns of sorrow will choke the rows.
But if you sow gratitude and grace, then peace will settle in its place.

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

Our text today is 1 Kings 20:23.

“Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.”

This is truly stupid advice. The king of Aram’s servants thought they had cracked the code. They assumed Israel’s God was limited to mountaintops, confined to high places where victories seemed natural. If you read the rest of the story, you will discover that they were wrong. God is the God of everywhere.

Sometimes we fall into the same trap. We trust Him when life feels like a hilltop, when the sun is shining, prayers are answered, and joy is abundant. But when the life flattens into valleys of sickness, loss, or discouragement, we hesitate. We wonder if God is strong enough for our pain. We stop praying. We stop trusting. And in doing so, we echo the mistake of Syria.

But the God who reigns on the hills reigns on the plains. He is Lord of the hospital room as much as the wedding aisle. He is present in the paycheck and in the pink slip. He is faithful in the sunrise and in the midnight hour. Your circumstances do not shrink His power. Your geography does not limit His presence.  

So whether you stand on a mountain or walk across a barren plain, remember: the same God is with you. And He never loses.

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

Our reading today is: 1 Thessalonians 4:14 

“For 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.”

It seemed to me just another day, but I could not have known how that one day would provide a forever memory. The phone rang, and I didn’t know the person on the other end. He ask an unusual question. How much do you charge for a funeral service? 

I always answer that with, “I don’t charge anything.” I then add “Whatever you want to give me as a gift. It’s always fine.“

So I started my answer: “I don’t charge anything.” Before I could finish the sentence, he interrupted, “Oh, that’s wonderful because they don’t have any money!” He told me it was to be a graveside-only funeral. 

The next morning, I was the first to arrive at the gravesite. I had trouble finding it because it looked liked like a large, wooden shoebox laying on the ground. In fact, it was the coffin of a child, a baby.

In a little while, the mother and father arrived. Only a handful of others came, each weighed down with grief. I opened the Scriptures and spoke briefly of life, death, heaven, and the joy of being with Jesus. Then I prayed—and just like that, the service was over.

I didn’t leave that day feeling unpaid. I left feeling honored, thankful that God let me help hurting strangers. And someday, in eternity’s forever, I’ll meet the soul we buried. That reunion will be my true reward, the final payment for my service.

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

Our reading today is 1 Corinthians 13:12

“Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.”

In Exodus 33 Moses asks to see God. He means he wants to actually see God with his eyes. The Lord says, “Yes.” He told Moses there was a place near Him, a rock where he could stand. He covered Moses with His hand, and allowed him to see only His back as His glory passed by. 

Before that moment Moses had already done incredible things. He walked into Pharaoh’s throne room because God told him to go. He lifted his staff over the Red Sea because God told him to do it. Every brave step he took was anchored in one simple truth. He trusted the word of God long before he ever saw even the edge of His glory.

We can live the same way. God speaks to us through His written word, and when we follow it with a willing heart, we walk the same path Moses walked. One day like Moses, we will see God with our own eyes. As today’s verse says, “One day we will see Him face to face.”

Wow! Face to Face!I can hardly wait!

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