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Decades ago, my dear grandmother made a joke. She said, “I don’t know why people can’t see their own faults.” She paused and then added, “I know I could certainly see mine—if I had any.”  

In today’s passage, Jesus highlights this very problem. He asks:  

“Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)  

Jesus knew that we are quick to spot the faults in others but blind to our own. A speck is a tiny thing, barely noticeable. A beam? That’s a heavy plank, something that should be impossible to ignore. Yet, somehow, we become experts in identifying other people’s flaws while overlooking our own glaring shortcomings.

Jesus isn’t condemning discernment—He’s challenging hypocrisy. He calls us to be self-aware, to examine our hearts before pointing fingers. Why? Because when we deal with our own faults first, we develop humility.  

Jesus does not want us to be blind to the faults of others, but He does want us to clean up our own first. As one woman told me, “Sweep off your own porch before you sweep your neighbor’s.” Why is this true? Because when we examine our own lives first, we are better equipped to help others with love rather than condemnation.  

So today, let’s ask God to help us remove the beams from our own eyes so we can see clearly, love sincerely, and help others with humility.  

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

Jesus never called us to live an ordinary life. He didn’t gather His disciples and say, “Just blend in. Love the ones who are easy, be kind to those who are kind to you, and call it a day.” 

No! He raised the bar!

Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46).  

It’s easy to love those who treat us well. We are drawn toward people who share our interests, make us laugh, and show us kindness. But what about the difficult ones—the ones who ignore us, frustrate us, or even hurt us? Jesus says love them too. Why? Because that’s how God loves us.  

Imagine if God only loved the lovable. Where would that leave us on our worst days? When we fail, when we sin, when we fall short—God’s love remains. He loves us not because we deserve it, but because that’s who He is. He calls us to love others in the same way.  

Loving beyond convenience, beyond comfort, beyond what comes naturally—that’s where Christian love is lived out. That’s where and when we reflect Christ. The world expects conditional love, but we serve a God who offers unconditional love.  

Ask yourself: Who in my life is hard to love? Then, love them anyway. Not because they’ve earned it, but because Jesus loved you first.  

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

While on earth, Jesus asked over 300 questions—each one with purpose, each one designed to reach the heart. Beginning today, I want to explore a few of them, starting with a question that every soul must answer.

Our question today comes from Matthew 16. Jesus is walking with His disciples when He turns and asks, “But what about you? … Who do you say I am?” (verse 16).

Of all the questions Jesus asked, this one stands above the rest. It’s not just a question—it’s “THE” question. The one every person must answer. Many in the crowd had opinions about Jesus. Some thought He was a prophet, others a great teacher. But Jesus wasn’t only interested in what the world thought. He turned to His disciples and made it personal: “Who do you say I am?”

That same question echoes through time, reaching every heart. It’s not a test of knowledge; it’s a test of faith. If Jesus is only a wise teacher, we may admire Him. If He’s a prophet, we may respect Him. But if He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, then that changes everything.

In the next verse, Peter got it right. Without hesitation, he answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

This question isn’t one we answer once and then move on. It’s a question we answer daily—with our choices, our trust, our hope. Because what we believe about Jesus shapes everything about us.

And so, He asks again, “Who do you say I am?”

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

Our devotional thought comes from Genesis 3:1.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?’”

Some lies don’t sound like lies at all. They sound like harmless questions. That’s exactly how the enemy worked in the garden—he didn’t start with an outright lie, but with a whisper of doubt. “Did God really say?” That question didn’t just challenge Eve’s memory; it challenged God’s character, His goodness, and His truthfulness.

Satan didn’t shove Eve into sin—he simply nudged her toward uncertainty. And he still does the same today. Have you ever faced a moment where you second-guessed God? Maybe He’s called you to trust Him in a tough season, but you find yourself asking, “Did God really mean that for me?”

Doubt isn’t always loud. It sneaks in through worries, disappointments, and subtle messages. But here’s the difference between Eve and Jesus. When the enemy whispered to Eve, she entertained the thought. She weighed her options. But when the enemy whispered to Jesus in the wilderness, He didn’t waver—He answered with Scripture and truth.

That’s our model. When doubt knocks, don’t open the door. Answer it with Scripture. God’s Word is solid, unchanging, and true.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our devotional thought comes from Hosea 7:14:

“They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail on their beds; they slash themselves, appealing to their gods for grain and new wine, but they turn away from me.”

Taking our cares to God should result in peace. Faith in prayer to God should produce a trusting spirit. That’s the heartbeat here. These folks wailed, slashed, and chased fleeting idols—grain to fill their bellies, wine to numb their ache. Fear drove them, not faith. They scrambled for control, missing the gentle voice saying, “I’m here and I’m enough.” God didn’t want their noise; He wanted their hearts. Real faith doesn’t thrash about in panic—it rests. It trusts. It looks up, not around.

Ever feel that tug? Life throws a curve, and suddenly we’re wailing on our own beds, grasping at straws. But faith says, “Stop. Breathe. He’s here.” Hosea’s people fretted, but we don’t have to. Trust is the antidote to fear—a quiet anchor in a loud world. Lean into Him today. He’s not a god of grain and wine; He’s the God of grace and peace.

I leave you with a short poem that reflects this thought:

As children bring their broken toys, with tears, for me to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God because He was my friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help… with ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried, “How can You be so slow?”
“My child,” He said. “What could I do? You never did let go.”

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

Our devotional thought comes from Habakuk 3:17-18. 

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Joy is a choice. That’s the declaration of Habakkuk. He looks around and sees nothing but scarcity—barren fields, empty stalls, fruitless trees. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. And yet, he says, “I will rejoice in the LORD; I will be joyful in God my Savior.” 

That’s not denial. That’s not wishful thinking. That’s faith in its purest form. Habakkuk is showing us that joy is not about what we have, but about Who we trust. The world says joy comes from abundance, from success, from everything going the way we planned. But God’s people know a deeper truth—joy isn’t about what’s in our hands; it’s about what’s in our hearts.  

Choosing joy doesn’t mean we ignore our problems. It means we refuse to let them define us. It means that even when life disappoints, we can still trust in God’s goodness. When the job is lost, the diagnosis is grim, or the future is uncertain, we can stand with Habakkuk and say, “Yet I will rejoice.” 

This kind of joy confounds the world. It’s the kind of joy Paul had when he sang in a prison cell, the kind of joy that carried Job through his loss, the kind of joy that Christ Himself endured the cross for. It’s a joy that chooses God over circumstances.  

So today, no matter what you face, make the decision: I will rejoice.  

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

Our devotional thought comes from Jude 1:21:  

“Keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.”  

Waiting isn’t easy. We live in a world of instant gratification—fast food, quick downloads, same-day shipping. But God’s promises unfold in His timing, not ours. Jude reminds us that as we wait for the fulfillment of God’s promise, we must stay anchored in His love.  

Think of a child waiting for their parent to return. They don’t doubt—they trust. They may stand by the window, watching expectantly, knowing their parent will come. That’s the kind of waiting we are called to—expectant, confident, secure. We don’t sit in fear, wondering if Jesus will keep His promise. We wait in love, knowing that He will.  

Waiting becomes hardest when the world around us is uncertain. Delays can create doubt. Hardships can stir fear. But when we remind ourselves of God’s past faithfulness, we grow stronger in the waiting. We pray, we trust, and we keep walking forward. His mercy is not a maybe—it’s a certainty.  

While we wait, let’s do so with hope. Let’s not drift away, but stay close, standing firm in the love of the One who never fails. Eternal life isn’t just a distant dream—it’s a promise from a God who always keeps His word. So let’s wait well. As one proverb says, “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting”

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

Our devotional thought comes from John 11:25.

Jesus stood at the edge of a tomb and spoke words that shattered the silence of death: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”

Death is the one enemy humanity has never conquered. It steals, it separates, and it reminds us of our frailty. But Jesus didn’t just promise life after death—He declared Himself to be life itself. Faith in Him does more than comfort us in the face of loss; it guarantees that death is not the end of our story.

When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to Martha, whose brother Lazarus had been dead for four days. Grief filled the air. But Jesus was not troubled. He knew something Martha didn’t—death had met its match.

Moments later, at His command, Lazarus walked out of the grave, his burial clothes still wrapped around him. A preview of what was to come.

This is the hope of every believer. Physical death may come, but it has no final claim on us. Jesus broke its grip when He rose from the grave, proving that the grave is not a prison but a passage. For those in Christ, the end of this life is the beginning of a greater one.

So, do not fear. Death is real, but Jesus overcame death.

Trust in Him, and you will live forever.

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

Our devotional thought for today is from Genesis 2:18.
“It is not good for man to be alone.”

Before sin entered the world, before the first mistake, before the first failure—there was loneliness. And God said, “Not good.”

Loneliness is a thief, isn’t it? It sneaks in and steals the warmth from our hearts, the joy from our days. You can hear it in the sigh of a widow sitting by the window. You can see it in the distant gaze of a teenager scrolling through endless screens. You can feel it in the quiet of an empty house, in the silence that follows a phone call that never came.

But long before you ever felt it, God saw it. He knew the ache of isolation wasn’t good. That’s because we were made for more than solo flights. We were designed for handshakes and hugs, for late-night talks and shared laughter. Solomon put it this way: “Two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

The early church understood. They didn’t just worship together. They broke bread, prayed, and carried each other’s burdens (Acts 2:42-47). They didn’t treat community like an optional extra—it was the heartbeat of their faith.

Maybe you’ve been walking alone. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself that nobody notices, that nobody cares. But that’s not true. God notices. He cares. He made you for community.

Take a step today. Call an old friend. Join a Bible study. Open your door. Open your heart. Because life is richer, faith is stronger, and burdens are lighter when we walk together.

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

The verse for today is from James 5:16.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

James wasn’t one for wasted words. He was a straight shooter, a tell-it-like-it-is kind of writer. And when he spoke about prayer, he meant business. Prayer, to James, wasn’t a nice sentiment or a hopeful wish—it was power.

Think about it. The God of the universe, the One who spoke the stars into place, invites us to talk to Him. Not as beggars, but as beloved children. Not with uncertainty, but with the assurance that our words matter. James says that prayer isn’t just a ritual—it’s effective. It changes things. It moves the hand of God in ways we can’t always see, but in ways that matter.

Elijah, James reminds us in the verses just before this one, was just a man like us (James 5:17). Yet, when he prayed, the heavens shut, and the rain stopped. When he prayed again, the rain returned. Was it Elijah’s power? No, it was God’s. But Elijah prayed with faith, and faith fuels prayer.

So, what’s on your heart today? A burden too big to carry? A need too great to solve? Take it to the One who listens. And don’t just say a prayer—believe in its power. James tells us that when a righteous person prays, something happens. Things shift. Hearts change. Doors open.

Pray boldly. Pray expectantly. Because prayer isn’t just words—it’s the power of heaven unleashed.

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