Mary awoke at 7. She lay in bed considering her day. In the 10 minutes it took her to get going a man put a gun to his head and took his life. Mary went to the kitchen to get coffee. In that 10 minutes, a woman living alone took all the pills she had and ended her life. During that hour six people took their own life. Every day, all day, every 10 minutes, someone in America ends their life by their own hand.

Why? The answer is that they feel hopeless, unloved, and alone. With no reason to live, they decide to end their own life. This is not fiction. It is the story of 132 people in America who end their struggle every day.

Jesus once met a woman who struggled with life. She got married. It didn’t last. She married again and again the marriage ended. Five times she tried to find the man of her dreams, the one who would be her partner for life. Five times she failed. Finally, she just gave up and moved in with a man she didn’t even marry. 

In her little village, the women would go to the well to get the day’s water for the home. There was a well in town, but she decided to take the longer trip to go outside of town and to go at noon. It was hot, but there would be fewer people there. 

There were fewer people there, but there was one man there who would change her life. No, he was not a potential husband. He was Jesus.

The story of her encounter with Jesus is told in John 4. Her encounter with Jesus changed her life. To those who look for answers, it always does. To those who don’t, he is just another man at the well. 

Each of us must decide whether Jesus is the answer to how we can change our lives or whether he is just a man at the well.

Destiny is counting on our choice.

Lonnie Davis

As Israel entered the Promised Land, the first city, Jericho fell in spectacular fashion. The cities of Ai, Jerusalem, and Hebron were soon to follow. It was not easy but with God on their side, the Israelites conquered the enemy. 

Joshua noted, “One of you routs a thousand because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised.” (Joshua 23:10)

With God’s miracles and the leadership of Joshua, nothing could go wrong. At least that is how Israel felt, but Judges 1:18-19 tells us,

 “The men of Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron–each city with its territory. The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.”

 Notice the end of that verse, “They were unable to drive the people from the plains because they had iron chariots.” 

Think of “Iron Chariots” as tanks of that time. They were indeed formidable weapons, but it was not really the iron chariots that stopped Israel. The iron chariots made the task harder, but iron chariots or tanks could not thwart God. 

Years earlier these same Israelite soldiers had seen the mighty Egyptian army, along with her “iron chariots” perish in the Red Sea. Now Israel found it easier to leave the plains people alone than to battle against iron chariots. Israel opted for ease rather than obedience.

 There is a story about an old man who at a county fair was offered a chance to take his first airplane ride. After some persuading he agreed. When the flight was over the pilot asked the old man how he liked his first flight. He answered, “It was pretty good, but to tell you the truth I never did put my full weight on it.” 

Israel saw the iron chariots and decided not to put their full weight on God. Iron chariots cannot stop God or God’s people. Nothing can stop God’s people as long as they are doing God’s will. Only the desire for ease can do that.

 What does God want you to do? Do it. With God as your partner, neither iron chariots nor tanks can stop you.

 ~Lonnie Davis

Our text is Matthew 6:34

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

 This exhortation is often hard for me. There are so many potential problems for tomorrow. However, Jesus emphasizes in this verse the value of being present and paying attention to each day rather than becoming paralyzed with worry and anxiety about what might or might not happen on another day. 

By telling us not to worry, God isn’t telling us to pretend that problems don’t exist or that we shouldn’t meet our daily obligations. Rather, God is encouraging us not to become so consumed with worry about tomorrow’s issues that we do not live fully today.

 Instead of wringing your hands over the issues tomorrow might bring, here are three reasons you shouldn’t worry about tomorrow.

1. God is in control.

Life situations can change in an instant, from your job status to your relationships to your health. However, God is unchangeable; He is the same today as He was yesterday and as He will be tomorrow (Malachi 3:6). God knew how to help Moses and Elijah. That same God is our helper today. God promises to bring good out of every situation for those who put their trust in Him (Romans 8:28). 

2. God wants you to look to Him.

Like any loving parent, God wants to be the voice that tells you which path to take when you’re at a crossroads (Isaiah 30:21). Also, like any loving parent, He can’t help you if you don’t allow Him into your life first. By fretting about tomorrow, you’re averting your eyes from the God of hope.

3. God equips you with everything you need to face each day.

God gives you the daily bread you need. We are told to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” He is our helper, day by day.

By telling us not to worry about tomorrow, God is asking us to trust that He’ll give us enough strength to face each day as it comes and that He’ll do it all over again tomorrow!

Lonnie Davis

We live in a world that is filled with people who don’t believe in God. They don’t believe that Jesus ever got up out of the grave. The reason they can’t believe in the resurrection of Jesus is because they say they don’t believe in miracles.

Really? 

Even so, they have to explain where the whole universe came from. Here is how many atheists describe the BIG BANG. I looked up a description of the Big Bang. Here is how one story went.

It said, Before there was a Big Bang, the universe was infinitely small. According to the Big Bang theory, the universe began as a very hot and dense point about 13.8 billion years ago. This tiny, tiny point then expanded rapidly, causing the universe to cool. It resulted in the formation of matter and energy.

The concept of a point with no size is difficult to comprehend, but it is necessary to understand the Big Bang theory. The universe was so small and dense that it was essentially a point. It had no length, width, or height. It was also infinitely hot and dense.

The writing continues, 

The exact nature of the universe before the Big Bang is a mystery that scientists are still trying to solve. However, the Big Bang theory is a well-supported and widely accepted model for the origin of the universe. It is based on a solid foundation of evidence and continues to be refined as new observations are made.

Now that, if true would be an amazing miracle! Think about it. 

It takes no faith to believe that, a tiny, tiny point was once was the whole universe, But that Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Is a step too far.

I believe in God and I believe God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

To me that miracle requires less faith than believing that all of the stars and planets were once smaller than the size of a pinhead that just suddenly blew up into the whole universe.

Lonnie Davis

Our Bible verse today is Mark 12:28–29.

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ ‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’”

It is easy to see the power of one when it is the power of one God. But this principle must not be overlooked in life with people. On one occasion, I was about to counsel a woman whose husband was determined to leave her. She was at her wit’s end. Since my wife, Liz, knew all about her, I asked her what I should tell the woman. I figured it would be good to look at things from a woman’s point of view. Her quick answer was profound.

She said, “Tell her about the awesome power of one!” I made a note of that on the pages of my heart. It would be something I would always remember. This is important because sometimes one is all you have. One can be enough.

What would our world look like without one Thomas Edison? Let’s also add one Alexander Graham Bell, one Leonardo da Vinci, one Louis Pasteur, one Marie Curie, and one Albert Einstein.

You might be tempted to say, “But I’m not important like them.” Maybe not, but there was one person who gave her life to raise each of them. There was one person who kept a family together. There is one teacher who educated a child. There is one person who preached to an Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8). 

You have to believe in the awesome power of one. No problem will ever be solved until one person tries and tries again.

We should add that, as Christians, we have the power of One plus God. That is a lot more than one.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is Matthew 6:9

“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”

These words from Jesus instruct us about how to pray. Before you ask for anything, before you praise God, before you do anything else, we first acknowledge that God is our Father. 

Since he is our father, he deserves the respect a father is due. From the Mountain of God, He told us that we must  “Honor your father and your mother.” – Exodus 20:12

Some years ago, an older woman impressed me with a profound statement about honor. 

Here is her story. As a child, she grew up with two sisters and her mother. Her mother openly showed favoritism toward her sisters and abused her. When her mother was old and needed one of her children to provide for her, you can guess which daughter took her in and cared for her. The answer is that it was the sweet daughter who had been herself neglected.  

A friend who was familiar with her story asked her why, after the way her mother treated her, she took her mother in. Her answer was profound. She answered, “Because it is not about her. It is about me.”

We do not honor our parents because they deserve it. We do not neglect a mother or father because we were neglected. We honor because it is about us.

We are blessed to have a Heavenly Father who is worthy of our praise. But if we do not show honor toward Him, it is not because of anything God did, It is about us. It is about the kind of person we are.

Choosing whether to honor our Father in heaven shows what we are. It is about us.

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Psalm 34:8

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

It has almost become a fad for people to say, “God is Good.” More than a few will follow this with “God is always Good.”  The words have a pleasant sound to our ears because we know them to be true. Of course there are skeptics who love to point out the pain in life and say God is not good!

God could get rid of all pain. He promises to do that in heaven. But what if you could get rid of all pain now, would you? The seemingly easy response is yes! Even an emphatic yes. Wiser people would say no. Pain is necessary for the good life here.

Look, I get that there is some pain that is hard and we would do all we could to stop it, but sometimes pain serves a purpose.

First, pain is a warning sign against danger. Do you know the story of the death of Robert Wadlow? In 1940, at 22, he was just a little over 8’11” tall. He died of a blister on his foot. He was so tall that he could not feel the blister or any pain in his feet. The blister became infected, and he died. Pain can warn us of danger.

Second, pain helps us grow. I love the statement, “The bumps are what we climb on.” A steep, iced-over driveway is smooth. Yes, it is smooth, but you can’t use such a driveway. In life, there are painful rough spots that give us traction and help us grow.

Finally, pain here makes us long for eternity. There are some who are so in love with life here that they do not ever want to go to heaven there. We love mountains, sunsets, and winding rivers, but as we get older, we grow more and more ready to live in heaven with God.

Yes, God is Good. God is Good Always. It is not just a meme. It is a fact.

Lonnie Davis

People often wonder, “Why doesn’t God just come down and show himself? That way, people would believe.” To that, we can easily say, No, they would not. How do we know? Consider those around the cross.

Our text is Mark 15:29–32.

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 “save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Jesus had healed the sick, caused the blind to see, restored lepers, made the lame walk, and even raised the dead. Still they said, Do one more miracle, and we will believe.

Consider the story of “Malchus’ Ear.”

Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas brought Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. In his anger, Peter lashed out with his own sword. John 18:10–11 tells the story.

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Peter cut off Malchus’ ear and Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. (Luke 22:51).

Next, John 18:12 tells us, “Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus.”

Look closely at that, the soldiers saw Jesus instantly heal an ear that had been cut off and their response was to go ahead and arrest Jesus. All I can say is “Wow! Their eyes saw a miracle, and still they arrested Jesus.” 

Luke 16:31 says it best. “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

If anyone wants to doubt, a miracle will not change their mind. Faith comes from reading God’s Word. (Romans 10:17).

Lonnie Davis

God’s great compassion towards us is beautifully portrayed in Psalm 103:13 which says “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” This verse gives us a glimpse into God’s heart as a loving Father, tenderly caring for His children. 

The parable of the prodigal son provides a vivid picture of this compassion in action. When the wayward son returns home broken and repentant, the waiting father sees him from afar and is filled with so much compassion that he runs to embrace and celebrate his lost son (Luke 15:20). The father does not lecture his son or treat him as merely a servant. Though the son wasted his inheritance in rebellion, the father compassionately welcomes him back as his dear child without any reservations. 

This is a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father’s compassion compels Him to run towards us when we turn to Him with contrite hearts, no matter how badly we have failed. God knows all our weaknesses and flaws yet His compassion moves Him to fully restore all who come back to Him. As Psalm 103 assures, He removes our transgressions, heals our diseases, redeems our life from the pit and crowns us with love and mercy.

We do not have to earn God’s compassion. It flows freely from His loving and gracious nature as our perfect Father. Understanding the depths of His compassion gives us courage to return to Him again and again, knowing we will be met with His embrace, not condemnation. Though we cannot fathom the depths of God’s love, we see glimpses of its power in Christ’s compassion during His earthly ministry and His sacrifice at the cross for our salvation. As His beloved children, we can have confidence in God’s endless compassion and abiding mercy when we humbly seek Him.

Lonnie Davis

Our text is Psalm 90:2

“Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

Before the mountains were made, there was God. Before even the Earth was made, God existed. Before the Sun and the moon and the stars were created, God was there. God Is and Was, and Shall Be.

This means that God exists beyond the physical world’s limitations and the laws that govern it. Since time itself is a part of the created universe, it’s certain that God exists outside of time and is not subject to its constraints.

I admit that there are things that are too difficult for my little mind to grasp. For example, the idea of nothingness is unimaginable. I can imagine Earth without America or Russia or Alaska. I can imagine the universe without Earth. Take that away and we can still see it in our mind’s eye. But try to take away the universe. All the stars and planets are just gone. There is nothing but the blackness of space. I can even imagine that, but let’s take it one step further. Imagine that space itself is gone. That is nothingness and I cannot describe it or even imagine it. 

Timelessness is on the list of things beyond our ability to imagine. We can imagine time ending, but what if time never existed? We understand B.C. and A.D. but what about imagining BT, that is Before Time? Before there was time, there was God. God is eternal.

Many are familiar with 2 Peter 3:8

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

Many who read this verse see it as a symbolic way of God saying that he has a long view of things. I take a more literal view. God is really telling us that He is beyond time itself. A thousand years can be a day or a day a thousand years. He made time and time obeys him. 

In other words, God is eternal.

Lonnie Davis