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What does a star in a book margin mean?

Well, I don’t know about you, but for me it means, “here is a special note.”

Later, I  can scan the book and read the starred passages and remember the good parts. 

I didn’t invent this system. It was started by God. He put stars in the night sky to teach us of his power.

As Psalms 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.”

When you look up into the night sky and learn more about God’s work, you have to be impressed with his power. 

We are a part of the Milky Way galaxy which contains billions and billions of stars. Our sun is just one of those stars. Our universe is so big that if you got in a spaceship and traveled at 186,000 miles per SECOND, it would take 93 million years to cross it. And we don’t even know if that is the limit of its size. God is truly all-powerful.

When we look up and consider God’s creation. We would do well to remember Romans 1:20

“For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity.” 

A star is a book is a simple device of man, but God’s stars teach us about Him.

Look up and learn.

Lonnie Davis.

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