God wants us to be firm in our intentions and purposes, but He is not looking for rigidity. Plans will get changed, but if we have made them in good faith, we can trust Him through the disruption and see His good purposes prevail.
God never promised us a trial-free life. But He does promise to be right there with us in our troubles, encouraging us and ultimately delivering us from all our afflictions. He is teaching us to rely on Him and to pray for one another, leading to a great increase in thanksgiving.
A church that is motivated by Christlike love will give generously, stand firm in the faith, and honor and follow godly leaders. Paul concludes his first letter to the church at Corinth by stressing that everything we do should be done in love.
Christ's victory over death will be fully realized when our bodies are raised and changed into the likeness of His resurrection body. This certain hope not only gives us assurance for the future but also motivates us to serve the Lord now.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact, but it is not simply a historical fact. It is an essential part of the biblical gospel, and it is the assurance of a coming resurrection of all who believe in Christ.
When self-promotion and disorder enter a church's worship, the worship is greatly diminished. The Bible allows for great variety in worship, but it also gives important guidelines to ensure that the Lord is truly honored in our worship.
Spiritual gifts can be abused, misused, and misunderstood, even to the point of distracting us from the one who gave them. The apostle Paul gives us an important reminder that God's gifts are not toys for us to use as we desire but tools for us to use for His glory.
Many of the problems we face in the church and in our personal lives will be resolved by simply living lives that consistently manifest the love of God. What does that look like? The apostle Paul tells us as he describes the way of love for us in 1 Corinthians 13.
We have been placed in the church, the body of Christ, so we can exercise the gifts the Spirit has given each of us for the common good of the whole church. We are all important, but we are not all-important in the Lord's plan for His church.
To glorify the Lord as we are called to do, our worship must align with biblical truth and principles and come from humble hearts that are right with Him. We must examine our hearts for sin and measure our actions by God's Word.
Psalm 51 records David’s heartfelt confession after his sin with Bathsheba, and Stephen Davey explains it as a model of genuine repentance. He begins with David’s petition—a plea for mercy based on God’s steadfast love. Aware of the weight of his guilt, David asks God to blot out his transgressions, wash away his iniquity, and cleanse him from sin. The second step is admission: David accepts full responsibility, refusing to blame others and acknowledging his fallen nature. His sin, he admits, flows from the sinful heart of humanity inherited from Adam. Next comes restoration: David pleads, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” recognizing that only divine power can renew what sin has corrupted. Finally, his resolution is to teach others from his failure—to lead sinners back to God through honesty and repentance. Davey concludes that true confession involves humble honesty, complete dependence on God’s mercy, and a transformed resolve to live transparently before Him, proving that no sin is too great for God’s restoring grace.
Psalms 42–44 open the second book of Psalms, where Stephen Davey explains that God invites believers to pour out their hearts to Him with complete honesty. The sons of Korah—descendants of a rebel who chose faithfulness—wrote of spiritual dryness and discouragement: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Davey notes that even when God seems silent, He is never absent. These psalms teach believers to trust and wait for the Lord, declaring, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” In Psalm 44, this personal trust expands to national suffering as Israel endures consequences for sin yet clings to God’s covenant faithfulness. Paul later cites this psalm to remind believers that suffering is not abandonment but evidence of spiritual maturity. Through these lessons, Davey encourages believers to be honest with God, steadfast in hope, and confident that even in dry seasons, God remains their salvation and strength.
In The Voice of Creation (Psalm 19:1–8a), Stephen Davey contrasts Carl Sagan’s hopeless view of a silent universe with David’s joyful proclamation that creation declares the glory of God. Davey explains that the heavens continually reveal God’s signature, wisdom, and grace—a universal testimony to His power and creativity. The beauty, complexity, and order of nature point unmistakably to a Designer, but this general revelation alone cannot save; it must be joined with the special revelation of God’s Word. David moves from calling God El (Creator) to Yahweh (personal Redeemer), showing that Scripture revives the soul, makes the simple wise, and causes the heart to rejoice. Davey concludes that while creation proves God’s existence, His Word reveals His character and plan of redemption. Believers, therefore, should worship the Creator revealed both in the world around us and in the inspired Word that leads us back to Him.
This lesson from Deuteronomy 16–26 emphasizes God's righteousness as the standard for all of life. Moses reviews the importance of righteous leadership—judges, kings, priests, and prophets—who are called to uphold justice and truth. God's laws are revisited to guide Israel in holy living, covering areas like inheritance, morality, and societal order. These commands act like protective boundaries, showing how a righteous person should live. Finally, Israel’s worship is tied to gratitude and public acknowledgment of God's faithfulness. The lesson encourages believers to live righteously, not just privately but visibly, so the world sees God's wisdom and character through them.
Psalm 19:8b–14 teaches that God’s Word is flawless, enduring, and deeply valuable—more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey. Unlike the temporary treasures of this world, Scripture enlightens the heart, exposes sin, renews fellowship with God, and guides believers in righteousness. David celebrates the Bible as a timeless revelation that cleanses, corrects, and delights those who cherish it, reminding readers to treasure and obey God’s Word as their greatest source of wisdom and joy.
