Our text for today is James 1:2-3.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

We all go through struggles and failures that bring pain. When you face that pain, James said, “Count it all joy.” Be happy about it, because that pain will produce good things. Of course that is only if we grow from it and are williing to grow from it. 

When my youngest daughter was about four, she did something she should not have done and I disciplined her. She cried and I left her room. Soon it hit me that I should make sure she knows why she was punished. I went back to her room and ask her, “Honey do you know why I punished you?” She sobbed, “Yeah.” I asked why? She answered, “Because you are mad at me.” At that moment I was glad that I had that talk with her.

Pain always has a lesson in it. Learn the lesson from the pain. When we learn the lesson, then we will grow. If we do something thing brings pain and we don’t learn from it, then the pain is wasted and we are hopeless stuck in our ways.

I remember the story of the salesman who went to a farm and talked to an old farmer who was sitting on his front porch. As they began to talk, the old dog laying on the porch let out a moan. The dog got quiet and the man continued with his pitch. Soon the dog moaned again. 

The salesman asked the farmer, “Why is your dog moaning?” The farmer answered, “Aww, he is laying on a nail.” Puzzled the man asked, “Then why doesn’t he move?” The farmer answered, “It don’t hurt that bad.”

If our discomfort or pain doesn’t move us, then we are doomed to repeat the failures. Growth involves discomfort. Even if the discomfort is downright pain.

Lonnie Davis

Today’s Scripture is Proverbs 11:14

“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” 

Have you ever been to counseling? Have you been several times? The truth is that from time to time we could all grow from it.

Because of doing decades of counseling, both as a minister and in community settings, I have needed to know what to tell those who come for counseling. This week I asked myself what six things almost all counselors need to tell those who come. I answered that question from personal experience and with a little research. Here are those six things everyone needs to know: These are not in any special order, but just a list.

1. Change is a process. It doesn’t happen all at once. We have to work to know what to change and how to accept it.

2. You are not alone. Whatever you are going through, others have also faced. We can learn from others who have walked the same path and won the victory.

3. Asking is okay. The world doesn’t need more people who are too stubborn to ask others.

4. Boundaries are necessary. A child needs to know boundaries that are set by their parents and by society. Every, every human being needs boundaries in their life.

5. Growth involves discomfort. If you stay in your “comfort zone,” then you will never grow. Or if you do grow it will be very, very slow. 

6. You can’t control everything. Learn to know the things which you cannot change and accept that fact and grow from there. Nobody always gets their own way, every time. Life does not work that way.

The sooner you and I accept those truths, (and others not listed here) the sooner we can work on being joyful. 

Lonnie Davis

Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It’s an important step towards healing and growth.  

We sat in a golf cart. I asked him to play golf because his marriage was crumbling. I knew he would never ask for or even accept counseling. I figured if I could get him on the golf course for 4 hours, he would be trapped and he would have to listen. My plan half worked. His response to my suggestion about getting help from a wise counselor was, “No. I will never go to a counselor. Not ever!” With many other words I exhorted him to work on the problem with someone wise. 

Why would I exhort such? The wisest man who ever lived told us: 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

There are times when we all need a little help, to talk with someone who has walked our path. If anyone will never ask for help, then it might be because of one of three reasons:  

1. Maybe they believe they have all wisdom. Job’s friends who bedeviled him with ignorant but loving hearts, were told by Job, “Doubtless you are the only people who matter, and wisdom will die with you!” – Job 12:2.  

2. Another reason some reject help is because they already have their mind made up. There is no help for the self-willed.   

3. Maybe some just don’t know anybody who can help. Ask around. There is someone.  

We have all had a teacher who says, “There are no stupid questions.” Actually, I like Leonardo da Vinci’s statement better: “He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not remains a fool forever.”  

In other words, when in need reach out for help.  

Lonnie Davis

Today, I have something different for you. I am sharing with you what we will focus on for the week. We have already done two of these lessons.

Suppose you were going to go to a counselor, what would they tell you? This week we will look at six things everyone will eventually hear from their counselor.

I start by reading Galatians 6:9.

“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good, for at the right time we will reap a harvest—if we do not give up.”

One fellow paraphrased this verse as “Keep on keeping on.” I love that principle, but there are times we don’t know what the right path is. At such times we need to talk to someone who can help us. Sometimes our counselor is our grandmother, or aunt, or teacher, or whoever has shown themselves to be wise in our eyes. 

As one who spent decades counseling as a minister and then, after getting a degree in counseling, working with members of the church and the community, I know some of the things people need to hear.

This week, we will consider six truths everyone needs to know.

We’ve already looked at two of them.

1. Pebbles on the Path – The Process of Change.

And 

2. You Are Not Alone – Others have walked the same path.

Here are the next four:

3. It’s Okay to Ask for Help, You are not Superman or Wonder Woman.

4. The Necessity of Boundaries – Know when to say No! (Or Yes)

5. Growth Involves Discomfort – Be willing to go out on a limb; that is where the fruit is!

6. You Can’t Control Everything – Knowing what you CAN control is half the solution.

Tomorrow, we will continue our series with “It’s Okay to Ask for Help—You are Not Superman.”

I believe you will find each of these to be thoughts worth thinking about.

Lonnie Davis

Jesus told his apostles, 

“An hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” – John 16:32

Even Jesus addressed being alone. In this verse we see that not being around people does not necessarily make you lonely, at least not as long as we feel the presence of God. But often you and I, left alone do experience loneliness. In fact, recent studies have found a range of 20–50% of people who express feelings of loneliness at times.

Why? Among the reasons listed in the research were:

1. Digital Communication
2. Changing Social Structures
3. COVID-19

True, but misleading. People have felt lonely for as long as mankind has existed. Even Cain worried about this when, after he killed his brother, he told God, “I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:14). In short, Cain felt he would be alone.

What can we do about loneliness?

First, we need to learn the difference between alone time and being lonely. You can be lonely in a crowd. Or, you can be by yourself and not feel lonely. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, communed with only God, and yet certainly did not feel lonely. He came from this experience and built a community of thousands of followers.

Here are some great steps to fighting loneliness:

1. Realize you don’t have to be lonely. If up to 50% of people fret about feeling lonely, then surely you recognize they long for community and someone like you.

2. Put yourself out there. Reach out to other people. There is a book on personal evangelism called, “Just Walk Across the Room.” In other words, make the effort to talk to and connect to others. Put yourself in charge of this effort.

3. Be interested in other people and let them know it.

Obviously, there are other things one can do, but these are great starter steps. 

Let’s close with the words of a poet:

Sometimes I get lonely, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook  
Always connecting but not connected  

Sometimes I get lonely, Looking to the future  
Forgetting to be in the present  

Sometimes I get lonely, Thinking someday, one day  
Never thinking right here, right now  

Sometimes I get lonely, Phone’s on, WiFi’s up  
Waiting for it to buzz  

Sometimes I get lonely  
Just waiting…Always waiting…  

…Anon 

So, stop waiting. Remember Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Or herself be friendly.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is 2 Corinthians 5:17.” 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Do you see the need for change in this verse? When people starts following God, their lives are changes. “The old has gone, the new is here.” 

But how does change happen. The answer is that it happens little by little. Change is a process. It is the journey and not the destination. Each step is just a pebble on the path. Each pebble is just a pebble, but with enough pebbles you will eventually have a path.

This is true in all change. It is true when a person changes a career, for becoming a parent, for becoming a good parent. For becoming a husband or wife, for becoming a good husband or a good wife. It is true for learning to eat healthy food. 

We all have to change, but how does it come. I heard one man describe financial bankruptcy this way. It said it does not happen all at once. It happens little by little and then all at once. Change in your life happens in the same way. 

When one first makes a decision to follow Christ, he or she is not instantly changed. We take baby steps to grow into the one we want to be. Change, whether for good or bad, is a process. A wise person will accept that fact.

What is it you want to be? A kind person? A wise person? A fun person? A good wife? A good husband? A writer? A good writer? A good golfer? A good cook?

All of this takes time. This is the reason that it takes 13 years of study and work to become a physician and surgeon. Work toward things and change will happen little by little and then all at once, pebble by pebble and then a path.

Making and accepting change calls on us all to lean on Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.”

My kids grew up observing one habit of mine. Whenever we would hear an ambulance coming down the street, I would say, “Kids, you think you are having a hard day? No, but somebody else is.”

Have you ever thought about an ambulance? An ambulance tears around town with its siren blaring. It is always going to a crisis or leaving a crisis. It is built for emergencies.

Too many people live life the same way. They run their lives with a siren going. Every day is desperate, and every moment is a crisis or preparation for one. They manage their time by putting out the latest fire.

Such a frantic existence leaves no room for smelling roses or enjoying sunsets. Even worse, it leaves no time for sharing friendships and building love.

What if some of the things you are racing around to do did not get done? Suppose you substitute a quiet walk around the block or time off to call on a friend or time out to read a book?

Or even better, can you find the time to read the Good Book? Suppose you wrote an encouraging note to someone who really needed it? Would your world fall apart? Perhaps it would help put your life back into perspective. Remember, God will work all things out if you will just lean on him. 

As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight.” In other words, walk the walk of faith.

Lonnie Davis

Our Bible verse for today is Proverbs 16:3

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

This verse implies the importance of planning our future. We must decide what we want to achieve, then entrust those plans to God’s guidance. Without a clear vision for tomorrow, how can we truly commit it to His will?

Sir Walter Scott, a famous novelist of the 16th century, exemplifies the power of planning. He penned countless novels, a testament to his diligent work ethic. His diary, however, holds a final lesson. The last entry reads, “Tomorrow we shall…” followed by an empty space. Sadly, there was no tomorrow for Scott. He died with unfulfilled plans, plans that remained unwritten and uncommitted.

Many of us have dreams and goals we strive for, plans we meticulously map out, and steps we take towards achieving them. Yet, we sometimes fall short of our aspirations simply because we lack a plan. As the poet stated, “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.” This underscores the importance of action and prioritizing tasks that require our attention today.

God declared to Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you.” Do you know the plans you have for yourself? God knows his plan, but do you? Take time to reflect, pray deeply, and write down your aspirations. Commit these plans to God’s wisdom and watch as He helps you on your journey.

When you do this you will be able to say with David, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad.”

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is Genesis 18:19. In this verse, God is considering whether he ought to tell Abraham what his plans are. God decides yes, because, as the verse says:

“I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just…” 

He said yes for three reasons related to Abraham.

1. God chose Abraham.

2. Abraham will direct his children and all in his house to keep the way of the Lord.

3. He will teach them by setting the right example before them.

There is no goal for a father that is more important or worthy than for a man to spend his life by leading his own family in the way of God. The verse doesn’t say lead by teaching, but rather by “doing what is right.” 

Years ago I knew an old, retired preacher named Bill. Bill told me one of the stories of his ministry. He said that his congregation was trying to sell church bonds years earlier to build their church building. The task fell to Bill to lead the effort. Though Bill did not know him, he decided to go to the richest man in town and ask him to buy some bonds. He cold-called the rich man and talked to him. He made his pitch and the rich man’s response was to tell him about his daughter. He said that his daughter left home and was living a hard life on the street. He then made an offer. He told Bill that if he could help his daughter, he would buy every bond Bill had. Sadly, Bill had to sell his bonds elsewhere.

That rich man knew that unless your own family is okay, then nothing else matters. It is that way for every father. I am sure it is for every mom too, but our text talks about a father’s spiritual goal.

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture for today is Psalms 118:24.

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

That verse doesn’t say, “If things go well today, I will rejoice and be glad.” Any day that God has made for you is a day of rejoicing. That is what the verse says.

I admit, that this is sometimes hard. Some days are a challenge and you only smile when you look back. Sometimes not even then.

I read the story of a preacher who got up on Sunday to preach. His alarm didn’t go off so he was late. He threw clothes on, and grabbed his coffee. Oh no! The coffee didn’t make. He ran to his car and saw that he had a flat. Now he was really going to be late. Speeding to church, he ran a stop sign. The cop pulled him over and he snapped at the cop. The policeman smiled and said, “I know how you feel sir. I used to have days like this before I became a Christian.” Ouch!

I’ve had days like that and I am sure you have too. 

When my first child was born, I had one of those days. When my wife and I brought the baby home. Liz was still struggling from the birth and everything was up to me. As we pulled up to our house, Liz said, “Carry Janet into the house.” I had never picked up a baby in my life. I certainly could not start now. I said, “Let me go get the neighbor next door and she will carry her in. Liz said, “No, you can do it.” Resigned to the first time I would carry a baby, I ran into the house and got a pillow. I came back to the car, put the pillow on my arms and had Liz put the baby on the pillow. I then carried the baby on the pillow into the house.

For the rest of the day, every time the baby cried, it was up to me to care for her. At least I knew what to do. Every time Baby Janet cried, I gave her a bottle. Every time!

By ten that night I had a sick baby that I did not know how to help. I did the only thing I knew to do, I called my mother. She lived 600 miles away, but she drove all night.

That was my hard day then, that looks different looking back. I know you have had days like that too. For all of those days, both mine and yours, we all need to say, “This the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad.”

No matter what this day or even tomorrow brings, there is joy in it. Someday we will find the joy. The greater our faith, the sooner we will find it.

Lonnie Davis