Today for our Devotional I have written about the time that Jesus asks his disciples whether they knew who he really is. The Scripture is Matthew 16:13-20:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” Jesus asked.
“Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. [18] And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. [19] I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
[20] Then He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.

This reading is filled with many great teachings, but for today I call to your attention only two.

1. The Great Question
   In verse 15, Jesus asks His disciples a critical question: “Who do you say I am?” This moment is more than just curiosity; it’s a test of conviction in the midst of misunderstanding. Recognizing Jesus’ true identity was not only advantageous to the disciples but also necessary. Their path would be filled with persecution, trials, and even execution. Only a strong, unchanging awareness of Jesus as the Son of God could anchor them and make every sacrifice worthwhile. This insight turns hardships into victories, proving that knowing Jesus is the foundation of strong faith.
2. The Promise of the Coming Church.
   In verse 18, Jesus declares, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
   To understand what Jesus is saying, we must know what the word Hades means. Hades is not what we think of as hell where wicked people go. It is a word that refers to death, the abode of the dead, or the grave. Here, Jesus assures his disciples that even though they will kill him, his kingdom, the church will come to fulfillment. It’s remarkable that the church which was so important to Jesus is not deemed to be irrelevant.

Lonnie Davis

Our Devotional today is about Jesus healing a blind man.
We begin today with a reading of Mark 8:22-26

[22] When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. [23] So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
[24] The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
[25] Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly. [26] Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”

From today’s reading there are three great lessons:

1. Jesus can help us in ways we do not expect.
   He placed his hands on the blind man’s eyes and asked, “Can you see anything?” When the man said that he could not see clearly, Jesus touched him a second time.
   Seeing this I wondered why Jesus needed to touch him twice. Did he fail with his first touch? The answer is no, he didn’t fail. Jesus chose a different way to heal that we might not have expected. Jesus The second touching was a part of the process he chose. With the second touch Jesus was demonstrating that He could heal any way he wanted. We should never box God in. Ask what we want and leave it to God to decide how.
2. Jesus meets us where we are.
   In verses 22 and 23, the blind man came to Jesus, not Jesus going to him. Jesus led the blind man out of the village, showing that He is willing to meet us in our unique circumstances and walk with us through the healing process.
3. Healing can be a gradual process.
   Sometimes we expect God to work according to our schedule and in the ways we expect. The blind man’s sight was not restored instantly; similarly, our spiritual growth and healing may occur in stages as we continue to seek Jesus.

This story is more than just about a blind man who was made to see; it is the story of how Jesus can help us in ways we might never expect.
Lonnie Davis

Our Devotional today is about Jesus healing a blind man.
We begin today with a reading of Mark 8:22-26

[22] When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. [23] So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.
[24] The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”
[25] Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly. [26] Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”

From today’s reading there are three great lessons:

1. Jesus can help us in ways we do not expect.

He placed his hands on the blind man’s eyes and asked, “Can you see anything?” When the man said that he could not see clearly, Jesus touched him a second time.
Seeing this I wondered why Jesus needed to touch him twice. Did he fail with his first touch? The answer is no, he didn’t fail. Jesus chose a different way to heal that we might not have expected. Jesus The second touching was a part of the process he chose. With the second touch Jesus was demonstrating that He could heal any way he wanted. We should never box God in. Ask what we want and leave it to God to decide the how.

2. Jesus meets us where we are.

In verses 22 and 23, the blind man came to Jesus, not Jesus going to him. Jesus led the blind man out of the village, showing that He is willing to meet us in our unique circumstances and walk with us through the healing process.

3. Healing can be a gradual process.

Sometimes, we expect God to work on our time schedule and in the ways we expect. The blind man’s sight was not restored instantly; similarly, our spiritual growth and healing may occur in stages as we continue to seek Jesus.

This story is more than just about a blind man who was made to see; it is the story of how Jesus can help us in ways we might never expect.
Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture reading for today is from the time when Jesus told his disciples to beware of leaven.

We will read, Matthew 16:5-6.
[5] When they crossed to the other side, the disciples forgot to take bread. [6] “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

You may think that you struggle with understanding God’s word, but even the apostles sometimes had this problem. When they heard these words, they completely missed the point. They thought he was warning them about forgetting to bring bread to eat. After some discussion, Jesus said,

[11] How do you not understand that I was not telling you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
[12] Then they understood that He was not telling them to beware of the leaven used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:11-12).

In this teaching:
Jesus is warning us to be careful who our teachers are and what they teach us.
Jesus is warning us to be careful about the people we put around us.
Jesus is warning us that we will be influenced by those around us.

One great Bible command that directly illustrates the teaching is 1 Corinthians 15:33. It says, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good character.”

Why is this so? Because choosing the wrong people to let into your life does three things:

1. It changes who you let influence you. Your close friends’ habits, attitudes, and behaviors will rub off on you, shaping your own habits and mindset.
2. It changes who you go to for support and encouragement. If you are trying to give up smoking, don’t take a road trip with three friends who constantly smoke in the car with you around. You need folks around who will help you.
3. It changes your accountably friends. The point of AA meeting or group counseling is to be accountable to others. We may not realize it but we all do group counseling.

So, beware of the leaven of your closest friends. Bad company corrupts us. Maybe not today, but eventually.

Lonnie Davis

Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:11, 12

Our Scripture reading today is Matthew 16:1-4:

[1] Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
[2] But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’ [3] and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times. [4] A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

Let’s call today’s devotional:
Just One More Sign

“Show us a sign,” they were saying. Jesus had already shown himself to be God’s Son. He had healed the sick, caused the blind to see, and even raised the dead. But they weren’t really looking for a sign or a reason to believe. The verses say they “tested Jesus.” In other words, they were trying to trip him up, trying to catch him in something whereby they could accuse him.

There is an old movie in which the character, after the death of his wife, considers marrying an evil woman. He walks over to the picture of his wife hanging on a wall and asks the picture for a sign. The picture smokes and spins. Finally, the wall behind the picture cracks. He stares at the picture and says, “Just any sign. I’ll be watching,” and walks away. He wasn’t looking for a sign, and neither were these Jewish leaders.

It seems that humans always want one more sign. Even on the cross, those who were there wanted one more sign.
Matthew 27:39 tells us, “Those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!’”

God answers prayers. God has given us signs that he is there (See Romans 1:10–20). But, when we keep looking for a sign, we always wind up looking for “just one more sign.”

He has already given us the sign. He got up from the grave (Matthew 12:38–45). That is enough.

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture reading today is a part of the story of Jesus feeding 4,000 men, women, and children. He did this with only 7 loaves and a few small fish. It is found in Matthew 15. We will read verses 32–34.

[32] Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”
[33] The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”
[34] “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.

I want to share one great thought from this reading: God has given us what we need if we have faith to see it:

In the story of the feeding of the 4,000, we witness a profound demonstration of faith and provision. With just seven loaves and few small fish, Jesus fed a multitude, the story speaks volumes about the God’s abundance.

This isn’t just about the physical multiplication of food; it’s a deeper lesson on recognizing and being thankful for what we have, no matter how little it may seem. It teaches us that when we offer up our small offerings with faith, God can turn them into an abundance beyond our imagination. This act of divine multiplication reminds us to appreciate our blessings, encouraging us to trust in God’s provision. In everyday life, this translates to seeing beyond our perceived scarcity, understanding that with faith, what we have is enough to fulfill not just our needs but also to overflow into the lives of others.

May this story inspire us to live with gratitude and faith, acknowledging that God’s provision is indeed abundant.

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture reading today is Matthew 15:22, 25-28
[22] A Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
[25] The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
[26] But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
[27] “Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
[28] “O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This story contains a truth about mothers: To help the child is to help the mother. The mother was referred to as “a dog,” but it didn’t matter. She was focused on helping her child, and she would not turn her attention to her own insult. She might have stormed off, but she did not.

The need of her child was her need too. She cried out “Have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” The mother was not possessed, but her child’s need was also her need. In this verse we see a clear picture of a mother’s heart.
A child may think that her friends care more about her than her mother, but that is immature thinking. If a surgeon told a mother that the only way a sick child could live was a heart transplant and then told her that the only heart that was possible was the mother’s heart, the mother wouldn’t even have to think about it. “Take mine,” the mother would say. A child may not believe this, but a mother knows this is true.
There is a great lesson in the words, “My daughter is miserably possessed.” And then adds the words, “Lord, help me!”
To help the child is to help the parent.
One final thought: God feels that way about you. He let Jesus suffer and die for you. He watches over you.
Lonnie Davis.

Our Scripture reading for today is Matthew 15:1-2.
[1] Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, [2] “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
[3] Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

In the New Testament days, the Jewish people had become so mired in tradition that their traditions were considered necessary for righteousness. Some of the traditions were:

1. Fasting
   The Law required fasting annually on the Day of Atonement (Yum Kippur). This is outlined in Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-32. By New Testament days, many Jews required fasting twice a week and made a show of it so that others would notice (See Matthew 6:16).
2. Washing of Hands
   Of course, it is always good to wash your hands before you eat, but in today’s reading, hand washing was a ceremony that specified exactly how the washing was to be done and far exceeded a need for cleanliness.
3. Working on the Sabbath.
   Of course, the Law taught the Jews not to work on the Sabbath, but they had become so ritualistic and picky about this that it reached the point of making a new law. For example, they taught that on the Sabbath, one could spit on certain surfaces but could not spit on the ground. They reasoned that if you spit on the ground, you might inadvertently step on it and twist your foot and that would be plowing on the Sabbath.
   
   There are many other examples of traditions becoming a “thus saith the Lord” to the Jews. The point is not to make light of their legalizing traditions but to warn that we do not do the same thing.
   
   Years ago, a friend of mine was sitting behind two older ladies in church. The church had just hired a new preacher, and as he moved in, word got around that he owned a pool table. The two ladies’ comment was, “I don’t care if he is a preacher or not, sin is still sin.”
   
   It is wrong to ignore God’s commands and to make traditions a new “Law of God” when they are not. When the Bible speaks on a subject, we should listen. We can have other traditions, but we must not confuse them with the Bible.
   Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture reading today is Mark 6:53-56.
[53] When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat. [54] As soon as they got out of the boat, the people recognized Jesus [55] and ran through that whole region, carrying the sick on mats to wherever they heard He was. [56] And wherever He went—villages and towns and countrysides—they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged Him just to let them touch the fringe of His cloak. And all who touched Him were healed.

In 1871, a forest fire in Wisconsin destroyed 1.2 million acres of timber. To give you an idea of how big this fire was, the entire state of Rhode Island is smaller. Imagine a whole state burning, even a small state. The fire killed around 2,000 people. When investigators traced the cause, they found that it was caused by a careless camper who failed to completely put out his campfire.

I thought of this because of something in today’s reading. Jesus and the disciples were doing exciting work, great work. They were healing people and preaching. Everywhere they went, people took their sick out to meet him so he could heal them. I’ve never done work that significant in my life. I’m sure you feel the same way. However, it was not the great work that reminded me of this terrible forest fire. It was the little thing that they did before they went on the healing tour.

Notice verse 52, “When they had crossed over, they landed and moored the boat.” Even though they had a great work to do, they first moored the boat, they tied off the boat to keep it from drifting away. They took care of the little details of daily living before they tackled the great job of the day.
This great forest fire that killed so many people was started because someone did not “moor their boat,” that is, take care of the small details.

This little detail touched me because I often forget the small details.

As the poet said,
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Greatness or failure seldom comes from the big moments in life but rather from the little things we do or don’t do: put out the fire, make your bed, say your prayers, read your Bible, and moor your boat.

Even Jesus and his companions moored their boat. Today, moor your boat, and tomorrow will be better.

You will be better.
Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is John 6:22-71.
It is a long narrative filled with lessons about faith, belief, and the essence of spiritual sustenance. The great teaching of this text is that Jesus satisfies our real needs. I encourage you to read this text from your Bible.

The 5,000 in this story were the 5,000 who ate the loaves and fish. After eating, they sought Jesus not for spiritual reasons but for physical bread. Jesus pointed them to the bread of life, Himself, indicating that the deepest hunger is spiritual, not physical.

As he said in John 6:26–27,
“Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life.”

Any unbeliever can work for food for the body, but our true calling in Jesus is to work for food for the soul. He promises this in verse 35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Jesus is identifying Himself as the only source that can truly satisfy our deepest need. Physical bread sustains physical life…temporarily, but the “bread of life” Jesus offers to sustain spiritual life…eternally.

This insight is profound: while physical needs are real and pressing, they are not the deepest needs we have. Our greatest hunger goes beyond the material to the spiritual, pointing to a need for meaning, purpose, and connection with the divine. Jesus teaches that He Himself is the fulfillment of this need.

This lesson encourages us to reflect on what we are truly seeking in life and to recognize that only in Christ can our deepest hunger be fully and finally satisfied.

Before we end today’s devotional, it is important to note that many of the 5,000 struggled with Jesus’ teaching, and as the Bible tells us, “From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” (John 6:66)

May our response be like that of the Apostle Peter: “Lord, You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God” (68–69).
Lonnie Davis