5 Words to Live By

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Wayne Davies

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I like to fill my mind with great thoughts about our great God. And the best way I know to do that is to read, study, memorize and meditate on the written Word of God, for here we find an infinite supply of radiant gems that describe the One who is indescribable.

God has chosen to reveal Himself through words. This fascinates me to no end. I regularly read through the book of Psalms and the plethora of nouns, verbs and adjectives that focus on the character and conduct of our God can be overwhelming.

I love reading a psalm that I’ve read many times before and “finding” a verse that tells me about God in a way I haven’t considered before. Such is the case with Psalm 31:19.

How great is your goodness
which you have stored up for those who fear you
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
Psalm 31:19 (NIV 1978)

I love that verse, especially the first five words.

There is a cluster of words used of God in the Psalms that are most comforting, the source of constant delight for the people of God. Oh may we never tire of singing of His love, grace, mercy, compassion and kindness.

The goodness of God can be viewed as the one divine attribute that summarizes the others mentioned above; that’s the way I like to think of it. My mind gravitates toward categorization. I like a word that captures the essence of many other words.

David says that God’s goodness is “great” (NIV 1978) or “abundant” (ESV). God’s goodness is of such magnitude and intensity, He stores it up for us. I love the King James rendering: God’s goodness has been “laid up” for us. Incredible!

Dear friend of God, think on this today and let it take your breath away! God has so much goodness to shower upon you, He chooses to stockpile it in His divine warehouse. Every day He takes some of that goodness and delivers it to you as only He can: food, clothing, shelter; people to love and be loved by; parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters; music and art and poetry and prose. So many gifts, so much goodness!

And then when we move from the material realm to the spiritual, the goodness of God becomes even more amazing. The holy Scriptures, the holy Spirit, the Christ – the holy One of Israel. The provision of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of King Jesus. The granting of godly sorrow, genuine repentance, and saving faith. All so we can be reconciled to the One we betrayed with a kiss. Entrance into His kingdom both in this life and the next. And the sweet intimacy of His presence.

All these manifestations of the goodness of God come to us daily. Oh, may we never take them for granted! May we rise up with grateful hearts to give thanks to the King of glory, for surely His goodness pursues us all the days of our lives.

The above comments are an excerpt from my book, How to Pray Like David: A Bible Study on Psalms 1-41, available on Amazon in Kindle or paperback. Or you can download a free PDF of this book here.

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How to Overcome Sins of the Heart

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Wayne Davies


When you’re all by yourself, what do you think about?

I have a mind that wanders relentlessly. Staying focused on any one thing for any length of time can be a challenge.

What do I think about when I’m alone? Well, me, mostly.  I am the most narcissistic person I know.

I find myself ruminating over the day’s events and conversations, re-playing and analyzing them, all the while looking at myself and what I said and did or didn’t say or do.

This tendency toward self-absorption can be a blessing or a curse.

Lately, I’ve become increasingly aware of my inclination to feel sorry for myself. Self-pity can be a subtle thing. I usually don’t even notice it until it’s too late. And that’s not good.

Because most importantly, I believe that self-pity is a sin. I am grieving the Holy Spirit and disappointing King Jesus.

I must find a way to overcome this sin. It is standing in the way of my sanctification. By the grace and power of God, I must destroy it, for Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:30).

How do I do that?  By thinking about God.

The more I think about God, the less I think about myself. The antidote to self-pity, or any other sin of the mind/heart/soul, is to focus on God more and more.

This is where reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture can play such a crucial role in the life of a Christ-follower. Time in the Word is the best way I know to follow Paul’s advice to “Set your heart on things above . . . Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).

Plus, it’s the easiest way I know to stop the meanderings of my wandering mind.

What sin of the soul plagues you lately? Do you struggle with self-pity or lust or greed or discontentment or negativism or anxiety?

Whatever it is, the cure is as close to you as the Word of God. Fill your mind with great thoughts about God and you’re on your way to overcoming any internal iniquity.

Never forget that the Bible is, first and foremost, The Book about God. It’s all about Him. When reading any portion of Scripture, the best questions you can ask are, “What does this passage teach me about God?” And “In light of that, what is my response?”

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A Simple Request

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Wayne Davies


The purpose of this blog post is to ask you to do something.

It’s a simple request, and one that I think you can handle . . .

Rejoice with me!

Yesterday, August 5, my daughter Courtney got married. The Davies family is still celebrating, and I thought you’d like to be part of it.

So I have a present for you . . .

All 12 of My Books Are Free This Week

As my “father of the bride” gift to you, click HERE (or the link below) to download a PDF of any of my Christian books at no charge.

https://payhip.com/GodWroteTheBook

And should you benefit from reading any of these books, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

Also, feel free to forward this post to family, friends, and anyone else you know who would benefit from reading my books. Or simply pass on the link above.

My books are ideal not only for personal use but also for your small group Bible study or Sunday School class. Enjoy!

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Is There a Wrong Way to Study the Bible?

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Wayne Davies

Every now and then, a new Bible study resource becomes available that I get quite excited about.

Here’s one –
How to Study the Bible with Jen Wilkin

This is a series of audio/video presentations by best-selling author Jen Wilkin, one of my favorite Bible teachers.

Here is what this series covers:

Episode 1 – How Studying the Bible Changed My Life
Episode 2 – Overcoming Common Barriers to Bible Study
Episode 3 – Is There a Wrong Way to Study the Bible?
Episode 4 – 5 Key Principles for Transformative Bible Study
Episode 5 – Comprehension: Understanding What Scripture Says
Episode 6 – Interpretation: Understanding What Scripture Means
Episode 7 – Application: Understanding How Scripture Changes Us
Episode 8 – 10 Bible Study Tools Every Christian Needs
Episode 9 – Tips to Help Anyone Teach the Bible
Episode 10 – Why Bible Study Should Always Lead to Worship
Bonus Episode – Jen Wilkin Answers Your Questions about Bible Study

You can access these presentations here:
https://www.crossway.org/articles/introducing-the-women-of-the-word-podcast-with-jen-wilkin/

The above link will provide details on the different formats available – including podcast, YouTube, or directly from the Crossway.org website.

Enjoy!

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What the Bible Says About Distractions

Posted on July 21, 2023 by Wayne Davies

Life is filled with distractions.

They are everywhere.

It’s always been that way for God’s people. Things haven’t changed much over the centuries.

 

 

In Luke 10:38-42 we read the account of Jesus, Mary, and Martha. I find this story compelling because it teaches us about the danger of distraction while showing us what to do about it.

And it does this through the captivating contrast of these two women.

First, there’s Martha, who “welcomed him [Jesus] into her house” yet “was distracted with much serving” (v. 39-40).

And then there’s Mary, who “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his [Jesus’] teaching” (v. 39).

To make matters worse, Martha complains about Mary to Jesus (v. 40). Martha doesn’t think Mary is doing enough to help Martha with the meal preparations. Mary is, well, just sitting there at the feet of Jesus. The only thing Mary is doing is listening to Jesus.

So Jesus tells Martha, “You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (v. 41-42).

Wow. There’s so much truth in this passage. Here’s what God is teaching me.

1. Doing good for others can be bad for me.

Martha’s serving was a distraction. Not only that, it was a source of anxiety and trouble for her. Yet, in and of itself, her serving others was a good thing, isn’t it? Of course it was . . . in a sense. But in another sense, her good deed became a bad thing, a really bad thing.

And why is that?

Because doing a good thing can be a bad thing when it becomes a distraction from the main thing.

2. According to Jesus, only one thing is necessary: listening to the teachings of Christ.

Mary was fully engaged in the most important thing – hearing the Word of God. For a follower of Jesus, what should be Priority #1? Listening to Him speak through His Word.

In light of these truths, I’m asking myself:

  • What “good thing” in my life has become a distraction from the “main thing”?
  • What do I do that prevents me from doing the one thing that is, according to Jesus, “necessary”?
  • What changes do I need to make to be more like Mary and less like Martha?

Feel free to join me in asking yourself these questions.

And may we not let “doing good” prevent us from choosing “the good portion” (v. 42) of the Word.

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The Most Important Thing about You

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Wayne Davies

I like to read books about God.

If the most important commandment is to love God, it makes sense to spend time learning about the One we are to love.

The Bible is at the top of my list of books to read about God. And there are other books that teach us about God because they explain what the Bible means.

Here’s one of my favorites: The Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer.

 

This book is about the attributes of God. Yet it begins with a statement about us. He starts with an answer to the question, “What is the most important thing about you?” Here’s his answer:

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

“The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

“For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. She can never escape the self-disclosure of her witness concerning God.

“Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God?” we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man. Were we able to know exactly what our most influential religious leaders think of God today, we might be able with some precision to foretell where the Church will stand tomorrow.

“Without doubt, the mightiest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God, and the weightiest word in any language is its word for God. Thought and speech are God’s gifts to creatures made in His image; these are intimately associated with Him and impossible apart from Him. It is highly significant that the first word was the Word: “And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” We may speak because God spoke. In Him word and idea are indivisible.

“That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.

“A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well. It is to worship what the foundation is to the temple; where it is inadequate or out of plumb the whole structure must sooner or later collapse. I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.”

END OF QUOTE

Sobering words, for sure. May these thoughts about our thoughts motivate us to search the Scriptures daily so we can accurately know, love, and enjoy the one true God.

If the most important thing about you is what you think of God, how does that impact the way you live? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

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How to Get the Bible in Your Heart

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Wayne Davies

Back in January I made a commitment to God to memorize Scripture more consistently in 2023.

So far, so good. By God’s grace I have memorized 26 passages over the past six months, one passage each week.

 

(For details on what passages I’ve been memorizing, click HERE.)

This has had a profound effect on me. I think about God more. I pray more. I spend less time watching my mind wander off aimlessly and unproductively. I have a better understanding of God’s truth. My faith is stronger and my desire to obey my Master is greater.

God is deeply concerned about what with do with our hearts and minds. Amen?

Proverbs 4:23
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (NIV)
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” (NASB)

Meditating on Scripture through consistent memorization has taken my love for God to a new level. I highly recommend it!

If the above words resonate with you at all, here’s an excellent book I read recently on this topic.

Word in Heart: The Life-Changing Discipline of Scripture Memory
by Cameron Frank

You can get the Kindle version for free HERE.

Cameron Frank is a wonderful writer. I love the way he explains biblical truth. You will, too!

Don’t let the brevity of this book fool you. I read it a few months ago and found it compelling. Then I started reading it again this morning and could not put it down. So I read it straight through in about an hour and a half. And I’m a slow reader.

Have you ever listened to a sermon and thought, “Wow. Everything he says is making so much sense.” You start nodding your head, and saying “Amen” over and over (maybe silently, maybe out loud).

That’s what happened to me when I read Word in Heart today.

With a Kindle, you can highlight sentences or paragraphs with your finger. (It’s a slick feature; then you can retrieve them later, all on one screen. I love my Kindle.) Well, I had highlighted many sentences and paragraphs the first time I read Cameron’s book. Today I realized, “You know, I could just highlight the whole book. Every sentence is resonating in my heart.”

It was cool.

Everything Cameron says in this book is exactly what I believe about the Bible and what God does for those who spend time reading, studying, and meditating on it. He has a profound description of Scripture memorization: “transformational discipline.” I love that phrase. There’s a boatload of truth there.

It takes time and effort. You know, work! It’s discipline.

But it’s worth it because the result is transformational. It is life-changing, sanctifying, and God-glorifying. I want that. I don’t want to stay the way I am.  I want to be holy. I want to be like Christ. I want to love God with my heart and soul, hands and feet.

Don’t you?

I’m here to testify that God can use the consistent practice of Scripture memorization to change us.

If any of this resonates with you, let me know by leaving a comment below.

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A Better Way to Begin Your Day

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Wayne Davies

I like to listen to John Piper’s podcast, “Ask Pastor John.” Most episodes are 10-15 minutes, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a wiser Bible teacher than this man. You’ll also find a written transcript of each episode at https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john

Here’s a recent episode that I commend to you:
Better Than Scrolling Your Phone in the Morning

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/better-than-scrolling-your-phone-in-the-morning

Dr. Piper provides great insight into our compulsion to begin the day by instinctively reaching for our phones. And he identifies six temptations that can be overcome by pointing us to a better way to begin the day.

Best of all, I am challenged by verses from the Psalms that shed light on the benefits of starting the day by devoting ourselves to Him.

“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” Psalm 5:3

“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”
Psalm 143:8

“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love.”
Psalm 90:14

“My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.”
Psalm 119:148

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! . . . I awake, and I am still with you.”
Psalm 139:17–18

One more compelling thought is the example of Jesus. In my opinion, this is one of the most amazing verses in the Bible . . .

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Mark 1:35

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12 Free Christian Books

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Wayne Davies

All 12 of Wayne’s Christian eBooks Are Free This Week!

To celebrate the beginning of summer, click HERE (or the link below) to download a PDF of any of my Christian books at no charge. Happy Summer!

https://payhip.com/GodWroteTheBook

Feel free to forward this post to family, friends and anyone else you know who would benefit from this. Or simply pass on the link above.

My books are ideal not only for personal use, but also for your small group Bible study or Sunday School class. Enjoy!

Here are the 12 books:

Top 10 Reasons to Read the Bible Today:
The Life-Changing Benefits of Daily Bible Reading

The Forgotten Bible Reading Method:
How to Read and Understand the Bible in 5 Simple Steps

The Forgotten Bible Reading Method Workbook:
How to Read the Bible in 20 Minutes A Day

7 Deadly Sins of Bible Reading:
Common Bible Reading Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Jesus: Who He Is, What He Did, and Why It Matters:
A Bible Study for Believers and Skeptics, Part 1 (John 1-3)

Jesus: Savior, King, Living Water:
A Bible Study for Believers and Skeptics, Part 2 (John 4)

A Self-Portrait of Christ:
A Seven Week Bible Study on The I AM Statements of Jesus

Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold:
Meditations on Psalm 119

Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold Workbook:
A 22-Day Journey through Psalm 119

How to Pray Like David:
A Bible Study on Psalms 1-41 (Psalms Bible Study Guides, Vol. 1)

How to Pray Like David:
A Bible Study on Psalms 42-72 (Psalms Bible Study Guides, Vol. 2)

The Ultimate Communicator:
One Man’s Search for the Meaning of Life

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A Father’s Day Message about Our Heavenly Father

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Wayne Davies

Here are some thoughts on what it means to have God as our Father.

Because God is the Father of all true believers, we can experience true unity as children of God in the family of God. Our heavenly Father has only one spiritual family, the universal Church of God.

How We Got Here. We did not always belong to God’s family. Lest we forget “from whence we came,” it is good to remember that we entered the world as “children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph 2:4). Before coming to faith in Christ, we lived under the power of Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4). What Jesus told the unbelieving Jews applies to all unbelievers: “You are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father’s desires” (John 8:44).

Then, one day, the “Father of lights” (James 1:17) rescued us from the “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13) and the clutches of our evil father. What Paul told the Thessalonians becomes reality for all God’s people: “you are all children of light” (1 Thess 5:5).

To become a Christian is to become a new person with a new identity in a new family. We are the children of God! Incredibly, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe is now our Father, and He has promised to take care of us in both this life and the next, meeting every need and providing life “beyond measure” (the meaning of “abundant” in John 10:10).

How can this be? Who, after all, did God bring into His family? In Romans 5:5-10, Paul describes us as weak, powerless sinners, ungodly at best, hardly commendable as the enemies of God.

We are all the beneficiaries of God’s desire to pour out His love and affection on undeserving rebels and bring us home. God’s salvation is described in Scripture with many word pictures, yet they all accomplish the same goal – our inclusion in God’s household forever.

The Father Caused You to Be Born Again. All believers become God’s children through the new birth, aka “regeneration,” the instantaneous impartation of divine life into those formerly “dead in sins” (Eph 2:1).  Just as we were born biologically into a human family, we have been “born again” supernaturally “of the Spirit” into God’s spiritual family (John 3:6, 8). Praise be to God, because “In his great mercy he has given us new birth” (1 Peter 1:3). May the truth of these words thrill our souls today: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions” (Eph 2:4-5).

Since we have been born “from above,” we are all in the same family – God’s family! We have the same Father because we have all been “born of Him” (1 John 2:24). Don’t let our physical and cultural differences cloud our unity as brothers and sisters with one Father. We have identical “spiritual DNA” – the life of God that pulses through the veins of all God’s offspring.

The Father Adopted You. All believers also become God’s children through adoption.  “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15). Like regeneration, adoption is the miraculous work of God in which He takes the initiative to accomplish His salvation. The result is that all God’s adopted siblings become heirs of God, possessors of “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Furthermore, we now have full access to our Father in a relationship of intimacy and submission. Amazing!

The Father Has Given You A Special Status. It is tempting to minimize the significance of this title, “the children of God.” Oh, may we never take it for granted! John emphasizes the magnificence of this divine designation, for it is no minor moniker. Listen closely: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1). We are “called” the children of God because “we are” the children of God. Here is the glorious grace of God, “lavished on us” (NIV) at great cost to God through the death of His Son. This is breathtaking!

The Father Has Loved You with An Enduring Love. All believers of all ages receive the same intensity and longevity of the Father’s agape love. This truth alone should be enough to erase every trace of division, jealousy, and animosity among believers. To understand the dimensions of this love is to discover the key to harmony in the Church: since God loves you as much as He loves me, how can I withhold my love from you?

Questions for Reflection
1. How do you go about maintaining a relationship of intimacy with your heavenly Father, both individually and corporately?
2. What do you do to cultivate a balance between being a child who cries “Abba (Daddy), Father!” (Romans 8:15) and being one who “trembles at my (the Father’s) word” (Isaiah 66:2)?

Posted in Attributes of God, Parenting, Salvation, Thoughts About God | Tagged | Leave a comment