Category: Solomon

Our reading is Proverbs 24:16

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”

Everybody falls. It’s what you do after you fall that makes the difference in life. 

In December of 1914, a massive explosion and fire swept through Thomas Edison’s plant in New Jersey. The blaze destroyed several buildings, wiped out years of work, and caused millions of dollars in damage. Edison was sixty seven years old. 

I think that qualifies as a stumble. Most men would have been crushed. His son, Charles Edison, later told the story himself. He said that as the fire spread, he went looking for his father, afraid of what he might find. He found Edison calmly watching the flames. When Charles approached him, Edison said, “Go get your mother and all her friends. They’ll never see a fire like this again.”

What did Edison do next? The next morning he gathered his workers and said simply, “We will begin rebuilding tomorrow.”

Peter denied Jesus three times, but later preached the first Gospel sermon.
David murdered, but repented and started over.
Jonah ran from God, but turned and obeyed.

Good folks fail, but get up and try, try again.

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

Our reading today is Ecclesiastes 3:1 

“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Life moves in seasons. Some days are bright with laughter, others are heavy with sorrow. Yet every season is held in the hands of God. Waiting teaches us patience. Loss reminds us of the treasure of gain. Hardship, though painful, is never permanent.

Even good words can come at the wrong time. Romans 8:28 is true, but spoken at the graveside of a child, it may wound instead of heal. Wisdom is knowing the season you are in—and choosing words and thoughts that fit that moment.

Life is not all sunshine, nor all shadow. It is both. Gain and loss. Birth and death. Planting and uprooting. Balance is part of God’s design. And through it all, His timing is flawless. When our calendars feel chaotic, His purposes remain steady. Nothing is random; every season carries meaning.  

So if you find yourself in a winter of waiting, hold on, spring will come. If you are in a summer of joy, give thanks. Whatever the season, remember God is in here. His timing may be mysterious, but it is always for our best. The God who knows when every sparrow falls to the earth, knows you too.  

Our reading for today is Proverbs 4:23.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

We only guard what matters most: A soldier guards a treasure. A parent guards a child. A jeweler guards a diamond. Because our heart is precious, this verse tells us to guard our heart. Not the muscle that beats in our chest, but the inner place where thoughts are born, emotions are felt, and decisions are made. The heart is the sacred center of who you are.  

What enters your heart shapes your words, your choices, and your destiny. A heart filled with bitterness will spill resentment. A heart filled with hope will overflow with joy. The course of your life bends in the direction of your heart’s condition.  

So, guard it. Guard it against lies that whisper you are worthless. Guard it against temptations that promise pleasure but deliver pain. Guard it against fear that shrinks faith. Guard it by filling it with truth. By anchoring it in God’s promises. By letting His Spirit be the sentinel at the door.  

Your heart is the treasure chest of your life, worth more than gold, richer than jewels. From it flows not only the steps you take today, but the destiny you will walk into tomorrow.

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

Our reading today is Proverbs 3:6

   “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Life is a winding road. Some days it feels like a scenic drive, other days like a maze of detours and dead ends. But tucked into Proverbs 3:6 is a promise that steadies our hearts: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

To acknowledge God is more than a tip of the hat to heaven. It’s an invitation. Come into the driver’s seat, Lord. Take the wheel. It’s saying, “I trust You more than I trust my gut.” It means pausing before the big decision. Whispering a prayer in the middle of the meeting. Leaning on His wisdom when yours runs bone dry.

When we acknowledge Him, we’re doing more than admitting He exists. We’re admitting He’s in charge. We’re confessing that He sees the whole map while we squint at the next turn. And here’s where it gets good: when we do that, He straightens the road.

Not always by bulldozing the obstacles. Sometimes by walking us through them. He takes the crooked paths—the confusion, the chaos—and bends them toward clarity. Toward purpose. Toward home.

So today, acknowledge Him. In the small stuff and the big stuff. In your calendar and your concerns. His hand is steady. His vision is clear. His promise is sure.

The road may twist. But with Him? It leads you home.

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

Our reading today is Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

We lean every day. We lean on chairs, on walls, on routines. We lean on our own wisdom, too—our instincts, our judgment, our experience. But Solomon reminds us: be careful where you lean. A chair can wobble. A wall can crumble. And our understanding? It can tilt, topple, and fail too.  

“To trust with all your heart” means more than a polite nod toward God’s will. It means placing the full weight of your life on His shoulders. Not half-hearted trust. Not a cautious lean. All your heart. All your hope. All your future.  

Picture a child leaping into his father’s arms. He doesn’t calculate the distance or measure the strength of his grip. He simply trusts. That’s the invitation of Proverbs 3:5. To leap into the arms of a Father who cannot fail.  

Our own understanding tempts us to tilt toward self-reliance. But God says, “Don’t lean there. Lean on Me.” His wisdom is steady. His love is unshakable. His plan is greater than ours.  

So today, choose your lean. Shift the weight of your worries, your decisions, your dreams. Place them on Him. Trust Him more than you trust yourself. It will change your life for the better.

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

Our reading is Proverbs 17:14.

“The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.”

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 is a picture of this truth. It began as a small flame in a barn behind the O’Leary home. No one knows exactly how it started, but one thing is certain: a single spark set off a chain of destruction that burned for two days, destroyed more than 17,000 buildings, and left 100,000 people without homes. What began as a flicker became an inferno.

That’s how conflict begins. A harsh word, a misunderstanding, a wounded feeling, small sparks that seem harmless at first. If we feed them with pride, anger, or stubbornness, they can quickly spread beyond control. Just as a small crack in a dam can lead to a flood, a minor disagreement can spiral into major argument. The verse reminds us that quarrels often begin with small offenses, but humility and grace can keep them from growing.

Wisdom is knowing when to walk away. That doesn’t mean cowardice; it means wisdom. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is drop the matter before it becomes a firestorm. Peace requires restraint. It takes humility to say, “This isn’t worth losing my joy or my relationship.”

This is a truth for everyday life. Stop the leak while it’s small. Quench the spark before it spreads. A quiet heart keeps both peace and perspective.

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

Proverbs 17:22 says, 

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” 

What a simple, yet profound truth: attitude affects health. Our emotions don’t just live in our heads; they flow through our bodies. A joyful heart lifts us, strengthens us, and even helps us heal.

In Acts 5:41, after being beaten for preaching Christ, the apostles left rejoicing. Imagine that, rejoicing after suffering! Their circumstances didn’t invite happiness, but their faith stirred joy. They saw beyond the pain and into the purpose. That’s the difference between joy and pleasure. Pleasure depends on what happens around us. Joy depends on what’s happening within us. Listen to that one more time. Pleasure depends on what happens around us. Joy depends on what’s happening within us.

But when the heart is broken, when hope fades and despair takes over, even the bones feel it. We grow weary. The strength to smile, to move, to believe seems to dry up. Yet God offers renewal. He invites us to trade heaviness for praise, sorrow for joy.

So today, guard your heart. Feed it with gratitude, nourish it with trust, and let it be filled with the joy that comes from knowing that God is good, even when life is hard. Joy is more than a feeling. It’s medicine for the soul.

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

Our Scripture for today is Proverbs 19:21.

“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”

In 1880, experts gathered to make a 100-year plan for New York City. They scratched their beards and scribbled calculations about the future. They saw the crowds, counted the growth, and reached a confident conclusion that by 1980, they would need six million horses to move everyone around.

Six million horses!

They had the data. They had the trends. What they didn’t have was knowledge of the automobile, the subway expansion, or a thousand other plans God had in motion.

Here’s a truth tucked inside their miscalculation: man doesn’t know enough to know what’s best. But God does.

You’ve made plans, haven’t you? Good plans. Prayed-over plans. Maybe they crumbled in your hands like dry leaves. And yet, looking back, can you see it? The way God made something better from the tangled threads?

We plan because we’re human. God prevails because He’s God. He sees around corners we don’t even know exist. He holds tomorrow in His hands.

So make your plans. Do your best. But hold them loosely. Because the God who surprised those 1880 planners with automobiles has a few surprises for you too, far better than six million horses could ever deliver.

His purpose will prevail. That’s good news for your worried heart.

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

Today’s Reading is Proverbs 15:28.

“The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.”

Ever notice how a chef tastes the soup before serving it? A pinch of salt here, a dash of pepper there. He wouldn’t dream of sending out a dish he hasn’t sampled first.

What if we treated our words the same way?

The wise person, Solomon tells us, weighs their answers. They pause. They consider. They taste their words before serving them up. But the foolish? They let words gush out like water from a broken pipe—unfiltered, unexamined, often unwelcome.

Here’s the thing: words, once spoken, can’t be taken back. They land on hearts like stones—some that build, others that bruise. You’ve felt both, haven’t you? The warmth of an encouraging word. The sting of a careless one.

Before you speak today, take a moment. Let your heart weigh your words. Ask yourself: Will this heal or hurt? Build up or tear down? Is it true, necessary, kind?

Your words have power. They can breathe life or drain it. They can mend a broken spirit or shatter it further.

So taste them first.

Let your heart be the kitchen where wisdom seasons every sentence. People are listening. What comes out of your mouth matters more than you know.

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

Proverbs 15:23 says, 

“A man has joy in an apt answer, And how delightful is a timely word!” 

There is something almost musical about the right words spoken at the right moment. They land softly, settle deeply, and stay with us long after the conversation ends.

Most of us have tried to come up with clever replies. I used to use a humorous line whenever someone asked if I was good at something. If they said, “Do you like to shoot pool?” I would grin and say, “I haven’t played since I lost the Texas State Championship two years ago.” It didn’t matter what the activity was. That was my go-to answer. It got a laugh. Clever words might entertain, but timely words can heal.

In John 8, Jesus gave a perfect word. A woman caught in adultery was thrown down before Him. The crowd demanded judgment. Jesus simply said, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” With one sentence, pride was silenced. Stones fell from angry hands. One by one, they walked away.

Then Jesus spoke again, but not to the crowd. His second word was just for her. “Go. From now on sin no more.” No lecture. No shame. Just a gentle invitation to begin again.

Maybe you need that word today. You cannot rewrite yesterday, but with Jesus you can start a new chapter. Go, and sin no more.

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