Little Victories Grow

Our reading for today is Matthew 19:26.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Some words sound too big to be true—until you remember who said them. Jesus wasn’t speaking theory. He was speaking with certainty.

Young David knew this certainty. He walked onto a battlefield where Israel trembled before a giant. The boy heard the roar of Goliath, but he also remembered the whisper of God. King Saul told him he was too small, too young, too inexperienced. But David wasn’t listening to Saul’s opinion—he was remembering God’s record.

“When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb,” David told the king, “I went after it… struck it… and killed it.” He didn’t brag on his skill. He was bragging on his God. If God had been with him against a bear, why not a giant?

That’s how faith works. One victory at a time. Before you face a giant, face the bear. Before the bear, face the wolf. Before the wolf, face the mouse. Small victories prepare you for large battles.

So don’t despise the little tests. Win them with God, and you’ll be ready when the giant steps out. When you’re ready, you’ll find that God has been ready all along.

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

15 Years!

What if God whispered to you, “It’s time”? No more tomorrows. No more healing. Just the final chapter. That’s the message King Hezekiah received as he lay on his sickbed. But Hezekiah did something beautiful—he wept. He prayed. And God, rich in mercy, responded.

2 Kings 20:5-6 says, 

“I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you… I will add fifteen years to your life.”

Just fifteen years. Not eternity. Not a fountain of youth. But what a gift.

When you’re young, that verse feels ordinary. But as the years gather, it becomes wonderful. What would you do with fifteen more years?

First, I’d give thanks. Gratitude is the melody of grace. To be handed time—precious, numbered time—is to be handed a canvas. Paint it with praise.

Second, I’d think about legacy. What will I leave behind? Solomon left wisdom. Paul left letters. Jesus left love. Legacy isn’t granite etched with “Gone but not forgotten.” It’s the echo of your life in someone else’s soul.

And finally, I’d savor the days. Each sunrise is a divine whisper: “This one’s for you.” Don’t rush past it. Don’t waste it. Enjoy it.

God may not give you fifteen years. He may give you fifteen minutes. But whatever He gives, use it well. Eternity awaits—but today is His gift.

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

It’s About You

Today’s reading is Matthew 6:9.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…’”

Before we ask. Before we praise. Before we whisper a single word—Jesus invites us to begin with one truth: God is our Father.

Not a distant deity. Not a cold judge. A Father. And like any good father, He is worthy of honor.

Years ago, I met a woman whose story still echoes in my heart. She grew up in a home where love was unevenly poured. Her mother favored her sisters and left her in the shadows. Yet when her mother grew old and frail, it was this daughter—the overlooked one—who opened her door and her heart.

A friend asked, “Why? After all she did to you?”

Her answer? “Because it’s not about her. It’s about me.”

Honor isn’t earned. It’s chosen. We don’t honor because someone deserves it. We honor because of who we are.

And when it comes to our Heavenly Father, He is always worthy. But even if He weren’t, we would still honor Him because it’s not about Him. It’s about us. About the kind of children we choose to be.

So when you pray, begin with honor. Begin with “Our Father.” Let those words shape your heart. Because honoring Him isn’t just a reflection of who He is—it’s a reflection of who you are.

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

How to Forgive

Today’s reading is Matthew 18:21-22.

“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Peter thought he was being generous. Seven times? That’s mercy with muscle. But Jesus didn’t blink. “Try seventy-seven.” That’s not math. That’s grace.

Forgiveness isn’t easy. It’s not natural. It’s not quick. If you’ve ever been wounded, you know that some hurts don’t vanish. They linger like shadows at sunset. So how do we forgive that much?

First: Realize that forgiveness takes time.

There’s no verse that erases memory. Wounds heal, but slowly. Scars don’t disappear; they just fade with time.

Second: Know that you don’t forget; you choose not to remember.

Even God, in His omniscience, doesn’t forget like we do when we misplace our keys. He chooses not to recall. He said, “I will remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34). That’s divine restraint.

I once helped a family move. I took a picture off the wall and found a hole behind it. The wife whispered, “That’s where my husband knocked me into the wall. I just put a picture over it.”

Forgiveness is like that. You don’t pretend the hole isn’t there. You just choose not to stare at it anymore.

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

Judge Not!

Our verse for today is Matthew 7:1.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

The one Bible verse that every unrepentant heart knows is, “Judge not that you be not judged.” 

They usually know only the first two words, “Judge not.” 

If you disapprove of their being drunk and they know you are a Christian, the scripture they quote is, “Judge not.” 

Does the Bible really teach us not to judge? Of course not, but a person with only a shallow understanding of the Bible latches on to a little learning and makes something out of it that was never intended. 

Here’s the rest of the rest of the teaching. If you see a person drunk, it is not judgmental to call them drunk. If you see them drunk every day for a month, you are not judging them by saying they have a drinking problem. 

The same Jesus who said, “Judge not,” also said, “You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:16). It is not judging to see all the fruit ruined and say that the fruit is bad. It is judging to see one rotten apple and say that all the fruit is bad.

So, “Judge not!” But do inspect the fruit and make a good decision. If you don’t, then life will be filled with very hard spots.

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

The Man at the Well

Mary stirred at seven. In the first ten minutes, the sun rose, the coffee brewed, and the world spun on. She got up and started her day, but in those quiet ten minutes, somewhere else a man lost his grip on hope and pulled the trigger. Ten minutes later, a woman swallowed every pill she owned, longing for silence. By the end of that hour, six souls had slipped away—each one a story, each one a heartbreak.

Every ten minutes in America, someone chooses to end their life. Not because they want death, but because they can’t find a reason to keep living. Hopeless. Unloved. Alone.

Jesus met someone like that once. A woman with five failed marriages and a heart full of shame. She came to the well at noon, when the sun was high and the crowd was gone. She didn’t want whispers. She wanted water.

Instead, she found Jesus.

He didn’t shame her. He didn’t scold her. He offered her living water. Grace. Purpose. A reason to live.

Her story is in John 4. And it’s not just her story—it’s ours because we all come to wells. We all thirst. And Jesus waits.

To some, he’s just a man at the well. To others, he’s the Savior who changes everything.

The choice is ours. And eternity leans in, listening.

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

Mustard Seed Faith

Our reading for today is Luke 17:5-6.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 

And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

“Increase our faith!” the disciples pleaded. What a refreshing prayer. Here were the chosen twelve, the inner circle, the ones who walked dusty roads with the Son of God—and they knew something was missing.

Their honesty gives us hope. Faith isn’t a one-time pill that arrives complete and perfect. It’s more like a seed that sprouts, stretches, and strengthens over time. The disciples understood this. They recognized their faith needs room to grow.

How comforting to know that even apostles struggled with faith. Peter sank in the waves. Thomas demanded proof. The eleven hid behind locked doors. Their struggles don’t disqualify them—they humanize them.

But notice where they turned. They didn’t enroll in a self-help seminar or practice positive thinking. They went straight to Jesus. “Increase our faith,” they asked the only One who could. Faith isn’t something we manufacture; it’s something we grow toward..

Today, when your faith feels small, remember the apostles’ prayer. Turn to the same Source they did. He who began a good work in you will complete it. Your faith can grow.

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

Mountaintops and Valleys

Our reading for today is Mark 9:1-15.

One moment, they’re on the mountaintop, witnessing Jesus in blazing glory, conversing with Moses and Elijah. The air is thin, holy, electric with God’s presence. Peter wants to build tents and stay forever. Who wouldn’t?

But Jesus leads them down. Down from the clouds into the chaos. Down from the divine dialogue into earthly discord. At the mountain’s base, a desperate father waits with his tormented son. The remaining disciples stand helpless, their faith insufficient for the task.

Sound familiar? Sunday’s worship service fills your heart with heaven’s song, but Monday’s meetings drain your soul. A powerful prayer retreat lifts your spirit, and then you return home to sick children and unpaid bills. The mountain was real. The valley is also.

Here’s what the disciples learned that day: God doesn’t give us mountaintop moments to make us comfortable; He gives them to prepare us for valley work. The glory we glimpse above equips us for the battles below. The transfigured Christ who blazes with heaven’s light is the same Christ who heals broken hearts.

Don’t despise the valley, friend. That’s where people hurt. That’s where faith gets tested and muscles grow stronger. That’s where transfigured lives make the biggest difference.

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

The Marshmallow Test

Our reading today is Matthew 16:26

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

Picture a small child sitting alone in a room. He is staring at a single marshmallow. The researcher’s instructions echo in small ears: “Wait fifteen minutes, and you’ll get two.” Simple choice. Immediate pleasure or delayed reward.

That 1970s Stanford experiment revealed something profound about human nature. Some children grabbed the marshmallow immediately. Others waited, squirmed, covered their eyes, but held out for the greater prize. The results followed them for decades.

Jesus presents us with the ultimate marshmallow test. The world spreads its buffet before us—success, wealth, recognition, comfort. All yours, right now. Just reach out and take it. But heaven whispers, “Wait. There’s something infinitely better coming.”

The tragedy isn’t in enjoying good things. God created pleasure, beauty, and abundance. The tragedy is trading the eternal and the priceless for the temporary. What earthly treasure could possibly equal the value of your soul?

Every day we face this choice. Will we grab what glitters now, or trust God’s promise of something far greater? The Son of Man will return, and His accounting will be perfect.

The marshmallow test continues. The question remains: Can you wait for heaven’s reward?

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

Only Jesus Remains

Matthew 17:1-9 paints a breathtaking scene that we call the Transfiguration. 

That is a big word, but it is a time when Peter, James, and John climb a mountain with Jesus and see Him as they’ve never seen Him before. His face shines like the sun, His clothes blaze with light, and suddenly Moses and Elijah appear, talking with Him. Heaven has touched earth.

Peter, overwhelmed, tries to capture the moment—“Let’s build three shelters!” But before he can finish, a bright cloud overshadows them and a voice speaks: “This is My beloved Son… listen to Him!” Then, as quickly as it began, the vision fades. Moses is gone. Elijah is gone. The cloud lifts. And the disciples, lifting their trembling faces, see “no one but Jesus.”

That is a story for all of us! Glorious moments rise and fade. People come and go. Even mountain-top experiences with God aren’t meant to last forever. But when the light dims and the crowds disperse, Jesus remains.

In the end, He is enough. When life changes, when dreams shift, when the mountaintop becomes a valley, lift your eyes! You will find what they found: Jesus, and Jesus alone.

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