No human plans or preparations can alter God's plan or limit His power. When Jesus is confronted by Judas and a large band of soldiers who have come to arrest Him, He does not resist but demonstrates to all He is all-powerful and in complete control.
What Jesus experienced in the garden of Gethsemane is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. But the model He gives us is very clear: When we come before the Lord in times of anxiety, pain, uncertainty, and decision, our foremost desire should always be for His will to be done.
Prayer is the appropriate response to every agonizing situation in life. But that does not mean either the situation or prayer itself suddenly becomes easy. Jesus' prayer in the garden demonstrates the great emotional struggle it can be to align our will with God’s will.
Jesus' prayer in John 17 shows us how important purity and unity are to the church. There can be no true unity apart from purity in life and purity in doctrine. As we all strive for such purity by the Spirit's power, we will experience unity and the answer to Christ's prayer.
The trials and challenges of life just keep coming, but they do not have to overcome us. We can survive them courageously and ultimately with joy when we have the right perspective on God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the power of prayer.
To stand with Christ is to stand against a hateful world. That means we will experience persecution; but we will never do so alone. Other believers will join us, and the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit will enable us to be a powerful witness to the unbelieving world.
We are to serve the Lord by loving and serving others, and by being an example and a witness to others. Serving the Lord is our calling. Knowing the Lord as our Friend is our privilege and joy.
The first step toward following and serving the Lord is recognizing how utterly helpless we are. Jesus' image of the vine illustrates this truth and shows us that spiritual fruit in our lives comes from total dependence on Him.
Until we stand one day in the immediate presence of Jesus Christ, we have the assurance and comfort of knowing we have a constant, divine helper, companion, and teacher in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The words and works of Jesus Christ are essential to the Christian faith. They are also foundational for our prayer life, as we learn to pray and wait and trust Him to accomplish His good will.
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.
In Psalm 56, Stephen Davey portrays David as “flying in the dark,” surrounded by danger and fear but learning to trust God’s Word as his instrument panel. Hiding in Gath—the hometown of Goliath—David faced overwhelming threats, yet confessed, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” Davey emphasizes that faith and fear often coexist; trusting God doesn’t remove fear but steadies the heart in it. He draws three principles from the psalm: God’s Word is always relevant and reliable in trouble, God Himself is fully aware of every step and sleepless night, and God is compassionate, collecting every tear in His bottle. Davey explains that just as ancient people kept tear bottles to express sorrow, God lovingly keeps record of every believer’s tears—proof that no pain is unnoticed. He concludes that one day, God will empty those bottles forever, wiping away every tear. Until then, believers can rest in His presence, knowing He sees, cares, and sustains them through every trial.
