Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 26

Three Ways to be a Faithful Christian Over the Long Haul

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

In our drive-by, fast-paced, instant-everything culture, we are not in the habit of thinking about the long haul. We tend to think more about today, or even the next few minutes.

That can be problematic for Jesus-followers, as there is nothing instant or speedy about discipleship. It requires a decades-long mindset.

The writer of Hebrews spoke of running with endurance. Sprints don’t require endurance, marathons do. “Endurance” implies pain. Suffering and discomfort are things we endure. They come and stay awhile. There’s no quick fix for them. And if you have walked with Jesus for any length of time at all, you know that it requires endurance.

Such teaching flies in the face of our instant-gratification culture.

As I prayed over this verse, I started thinking about the long haul. I started thinking about men and women of God who have gone before me and finished well, and a few who didn’t finish well.

I want to finish well. Do you? I want to end in faithfulness, not flaming out or doubting God or being disqualified because of sin.

The good news is finishing well is very much within the reach of every Christ-follower. The Holy Spirit is there to assist you as you walk with Jesus over the decades. He’s there to help you finish well.

But, there are also some things you can do to help ensure that you “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Here are three of them:

Read your Bible and pray daily . No surprise here. Reading God’s Word and spending time in prayer are great daily exercises for keeping your soul right towards God. Neglect these daily exercises, and you’ll soon find your heart growing cold. God will speak to you, heal you and guide you through these daily encounters with him. I don’t know any believer who did well over the long haul that didn’t meet with God daily over his Word and in prayer. Make prayer and Bible reading a daily routine in your life. You really can’t live without it.
Live in Christian Community . Following Jesus over the decades is very much like climbing Mount Everest—it’s nearly impossible to do it alone. We were not designed by God to live in isolation. Rather, we were wired up for life in community. We need the spiritual gifts of others to compliment our own. We need their wisdom, their prayers, their life experiences, their love and their accountability…and they need ours. I don’t know any believer who has done well over the long haul that did so in isolation. And yet I can name countless believers who flamed out, fell into sin and lost their faith specifically because they were isolated. Make healthy, authentic interaction with other believers a regular part of your Christian walk. Get in a small group. Meet with an accountability partner. Join a men’s or women’s Bible study. But don’t fly solo.
Serve . One final way to ensure a faithful Christian walk over the decades is to serve regularly. There is something very healthy and beneficial about living an others-centered life. There is something equally unhealthy and dangerous about living a self-centered life. Living for self is antithetical to following Jesus. The more you live for yourself, the more you will find yourself at war with Jesus’ message. The more you give your life away and focus on others, the more you will find your life in congruence with the life Jesus lived and calls us to. I don’t know any believer who has done well over the long haul that didn’t make serving others a high priority. Want to do well over the long haul? Make blessing and serving others one of your major life goals.

I hope this helps. What steps can you take today after reading this article?

The post Three Ways to be a Faithful Christian Over the Long Haul appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Why Was God Walking?

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” Genesis 3:8

I’ve always loved the beauty and simplicity of this scene. In the quietness of that day in Eden, even in the aftermath of the worst decision in human history, the peacefulness and tranquility of the place that God created is still obvious.

God was walking in the cool of the day. How was God walking? Was it the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus? We don’t know. But we do know that the world’s first humans knew who it was and suddenly didn’t want to be found by him. How sad.

The question for today, though, is why was God walking.

The questions that follow in the Biblical text can lead us to think that God was unaware of what had happened, and that he just stumbled upon Adam and Eve and then discovered their sin. That is certainly not the scene Moses (the writer of Genesis) was describing.

When God asks questions, it’s never for his benefit. He obviously knows the answers. God asks questions because he wants us to answer them. He wants us to think about them and have to respond.

God knew that Adam and Eve would fail before he ever placed them in the Garden. So when they did, he set in motion a plan that he had made before the first moment of creation—the redemptive plan of Jesus’ death.

An early step of that plan was for God to find the sinners. That’s why he went walking. He wasn’t on a leisurely stroll. He went to find Adam and Eve and have a conversation with them that would change the course of history.

God is still looking for sinners. That’s still his first step. Rather than casting us out or avoiding us, he is roaming the world in search of those who will hear and answer his call.

When you sin, don’t run from God. Don’t hide from him. He is looking for you. He wants to heal you, cleanse you and clothe you in his righteousness.

God, thank you for pursuing us, even when we sin. In Jesus’ name . . .

The post Why Was God Walking? appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

What’s Your “Go To” Point?

 

“ . . . fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 12:2

 

Sometimes on a long climb I’ll employ an old trick my dad taught me years ago to help me get up a mountain. I’ll pick out “go-to” points.

A go-to point is a rock or a ledge or some other landmark that is usually only 2-3 minutes of climbing away. You promise yourself that when you get to the rock, you’ll take a break.

Go-to points are a great way to cut a long mountain trail into bite-size chunks. I’ve climbed many a mountain hiking from one go-to point to another.

In this great verse, the Hebrew writer says that we, as Jesus-followers, have a go-to point for life. It’s Jesus.

As you make your way through life with Jesus, you’re going to face all kinds of obstacles and difficulties that make you want to lose faith and quit—cancer or some other chronic illness, a miscarriage, a troubled marriage, unemployment or financial hardship, a drug or alcohol addiction, the loss of a loved one.

These kinds of difficulties can really take a toll on your desire and ability to stay in the faith. And that’s why you need a go-to point. Specifically, that’s why you need to keep your eyes on Jesus. He’ll cut your journey down into manageable—sometimes moment-to- moment pieces—that you can navigate.

The writer of Hebrews promises that as we set our eyes on Jesus, he will perfect and finish our faith. He will give us what we need for every step of the journey. He is the world’s best go-to point, because he actually goes up the mountain with us.

What are you aiming at today? What’s your go-to point? Anything other than Jesus will lead you astray. Set your hopes, dreams, desires and plans on Jesus. He alone is able to get you where you need to be.

Holy Father, help us to firmly fix our eyes on Jesus and nothing else. In Jesus’ name . . .

 

 

 

The post What’s Your “Go To” Point? appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Like the Nations

 

Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations. 1 Samuel 8:5

Christians are supposed to be different. We live by a different set of rules. A different set of values guides us.

That is why it is very important for us to not grow enamored with what culture is doing around us.

Israel asked for a King. “We want to be like the nations,” they said, and in doing so they rejected God. Their choice of a human king over their Heavenly one eventually led to the dividing of the nation and exile.

It is never a good idea for the people of God to copy what their unbelieving friends and neighbors are doing.

If we are true to our callings, if we stay true to our biblical values, we will look foolish, archaic and judgmental in the eyes of the world. We will look old-fashioned, outdated and even irrelevant.

But actually, the opposite will be true. We will have the anointing and power of God. We will have God’s wisdom and God’s answers for the problems that plague humanity. And, we will have hope to offer when our unbelieving counterparts have none.

Take a look at your life today and reject any desire on your part to imitate the nations around you. Set you heart and hope in God alone.

Holy God, we will not seek the ways of the nations. We will stay true to you and your word. In Jesus’ name . . .

The post Like the Nations appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Prayer and Spiritual Warfare

 

The following is from my book, Pray Big for Your Life. 

We Win

When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, he totally and completely broke the back of Satan. The two primary weapons the devil had at his disposal—sin and death—were overcome by Christ in his victorious triumph that we celebrate on Easter weekend. Jesus’s death and resurrection gave notice to the powers of darkness that their days were numbered. In Colossians 2:15, Paul taught that after Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Paul’s readers knew all about public spectacles. They had seen more than a few defeated kings made public sport of before being led off to execution. They most certainly understood the weight of Paul’s teaching: Satan has been beaten; his doom is sure.

As you pray about your plan to fight back against Satan, you need to do so from the standpoint of a victor. You do not stand against the devil as a lone soldier or as one who is part of a battle with an uncertain outcome. You resist Satan as a soldier who is part of an army who has already won the war. There may still be battles and skirmishes to be fought, but the outcome is not in question. Moreover, you fight these battles, not as just a soldier, but as a prized son or daughter of the conquering king. All of the power of your father’s kingdom is available to help you in your battles against your archenemy.

Get on Your Knees and Fight Like a Christian!

For me, the hardest part of a long hike or climb is the trip down from a mountain summit. I’m tired from the hike up, and with every jarring step my knees and feet remind me of the many miles and hours I have traveled. Beyond that, mountain summits have clear, cool, fresh air, breathtaking vistas and very little noise. But as you descend into the valley, the summit conditions give way to heat, traffic noise and crowds of people. For me, there is always a bit of a letdown when I come “back to reality” after a long hike.

Jesus, no doubt, felt the same letdown after his trip to a mountain summit with Peter, James and John. During their time on the mountain, Jesus had actually taken on some of his original, eternal glory. His disciples had the unique human privilege of seeing Jesus in his most natural, divine state. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Finally, a voice from heaven spoke, affirming Jesus as God’s Son and commanding the disciples to listen to him. We don’t know how long this glorious transformation lasted for Jesus, but it must have been incredibly powerful for him. For a brief time he was able to shed the terrible confines of human frailty and re-embrace his divine, eternal nature. He was able to draw encouragement and perspective from two Kingdom warriors and hear his father once again affirm his holy Sonship. There was just one problem with this experience for Jesus: It had to end. He had to come down from the mountain, resume his leadership of a bumbling band of disciples, and face his date with a cross for sins that weren’t his.

As soon as Jesus, Peter, James and John found the other disciples, they discovered that they were in a heated discussion with a man. The man had a son who was possessed by a demon. The demon had made the boy both mute and extremely violent. He was a threat to himself and to others around him. The man brought his son to Jesus’s disciples in hopes that they would drive out the demon and save his boy’s life, but his disciples had been unable to help the boy. Even after the disciples’ best efforts, the demon remained in full control of his young victim.

After rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith, Jesus commanded the demon to leave the child. The evil spirit threw the boy into a brief seizure, and then left. The child was whole. When the crowds had left and Jesus was once again alone with his disciples, they asked him why they were unsuccessful in removing the demon. Jesus answered with one of the most profound and important lessons ever given about the nature of resisting the work of Satan. He said, “This kind can come out only by prayer,” (Mark 9:29).

In the realm of rebuking and overcoming the power of the devil, prayer is your most important weapon. Why? Because prayer takes the battle out of your hands and places it in God’s. Prayer is the means by which you call on the power of heaven to defend you from the wiles of the devil. It’s also how you gain the discernment to recognize Satan’s schemes and the wisdom to know how to oppose them. If you’re serious about winning your battles against the devil, then you better get very comfortable with prayer.

The post Prayer and Spiritual Warfare appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

A Welcome Rebuke

 

Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil upon the head; do not let my head refuse it. Psalm 141:5

I love this verse. I’ve loved it for years. It reminds me of who I want to be.

David—a mighty man, a brilliant warrior and leader–wanted men in his life that would “smite” him. He wanted men who would get in his face, offer him rebukes in love, and keep him humble.

In fact, the one time David fell in the terrible sin of adultery, he had sent all of his mighty men off to battle and had stayed behind.

In other words, he was alone and isolated.

And if you’re alone and isolated, and if no one has permission to speak into your heart, then you’re a prime candidate for failure.

Do you welcome the rebuke offered in love? Do you give a person, or even a small group, access to your life—your attitudes, your spending, your behaviors, your relationships and your sin?

David said that such rebukes were open expressions of love—“it is oil on my head.”

Pray for an open and teachable spirit. Invite godly people to hold you accountable and to speak into your life. Don’t fall into the age-old trap of isolation. Let a righteous man smite you; it is a kindness.

Father, help us to be humble, teachable and accountable to each other. In Jesus’ name . . .

 

 

The post A Welcome Rebuke appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Who Does God See

“For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2

There is a direct relationship between a person’s humility before God and the favor he receives from God. The Bible is very clear about this. The more you humble yourself before God and acknowledge your dependence on him, the more favor and grace you will experience in your life. But, the more you resist God and assert your own wisdom and independence, the less of his blessing you will know.

God, it seems, doesn’t feel the need to compete with us for the leadership role in our lives.

What does it mean to be humble before God?

It means to “fear” him—to revere him, worship him and stand in awe of him
It means to recognize his power and authority
It means to worship him as the Creator of all things
It means to acknowledge his holiness
It means to acknowledge our sinfulness before him and to seek his forgiveness
It means to seek his honor and glory in everything we do

To live humbly before God is to be completely dependent on him. And the more you look to him and seek him in your life, the more you will know his blessing, favor, presence and power.

Oh God, may we always be humble and contrite before you. In Jesus’ name . . . .

The post Who Does God See appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Five Ways to Teach Your Kids about God

Tell your sons about it, and let your sons tell their sons, and their sons the next generation. Joel 1:3

God never intended for faith to be merely caught. It must be taught. Yes faith is contagious, but the Bible is filled with verses calling parents, grandparents and role models to be very deliberate about making sure faith gets passed from one generation to the next.

I frequently talk to adults who have decided to leave the faith decision up to the next generation. They somehow think they’re invading a child’s privacy or violating some constitutional amendment if they’re too aggressive in teaching the child about matters of faith.

Such thinking is naïve and dangerous. While every person is ultimately responsible for his or her own relationship with God, we who have faith are equally responsible for what we do with it. And telling others, especially the next generation and especially those whom God has put in our care, is an urgent priority.

When you talk to your child about God, you’re not brainwashing him or keeping him from thinking for himself. If anything, you’re simply leveling the playing field.

Trust me, there is plenty of cultural stimuli out there that will challenge your kids’ faith. When you teach your daughter to love the Lord, not only are you equipping her to handle the onslaught of culture that says God is irrelevant, but you’re also doing exactly what God has commanded you to do. Tell the next generation . . . .

Let’s talk about how. Here are five ways to help pass your faith on to your kids:

Pray over them . From the day they are born, pray with and for your children. Whether they’re in a nursery, a bedroom or a dorm room, your kids need to comfortable hearing you pray for them. It needs to normal.
Read the Bible to them . Get a good children’s illustrated Bible and read it to your kids every night when you tuck them in. Read those great stories of our faith to them. In doing so, you’ll show them that reading the Bible is a normal part of a believer’s daily life and you’ll be helping them begin to grasp the great truths of our faith.
Talk about your own faith journey . This is very helpful, especially when your kids are older. Share your faith story with your kids. Talk about how you came to Christ, the times you rebelled from or doubted God, and the times God answered your prayers. Take faith out of the realm of theory and make it real for them. Be open and honest about how you’ve seen God work in your life.
Worship with them . This one is very important and is commanded all over the scriptures. We actually added a monthly family worship service at our church because we feel so strongly about this. Worship, like faith, isn’t just caught, it’s taught. Kid’s need to learn how to engage in the public worship arena—singing, praying together, lifting hands and kneeling, and taking Communion—from the example of worshipping parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other role models.
Pray for godly adults to invest in them . As you obviously won’t be the only adult who impacts your child’s life, you need to pray for those others who do. Pray that God will bless your child by giving her access to amazing, godly adults and leaders. Pray for her coaches, her teachers, her small group leaders and her mentors. Pray that they will sow the seeds of a deep and profound faith into your child.

God never intended for the next generation to have to grope around in the dark to find him. Teaching our kids about him isn’t just serious business, it’s a command. And the future of our homes, our cities and our country depends on it.

The post Five Ways to Teach Your Kids about God appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Turn North

 

You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north. Deuteronomy 2:3

 Basically, this verse represents God telling us to move on.

The people of Israel had found comfort and safety in the circling Mt Seir. They had just lost a terrible battle, and they fled to the region of Seir for protection. They circled the mountain day after day, growing very comfortable in the routine of living in their predictable and safe routine.

Then God commanded them to move on. “Turn north,” he said, “to the land that I will give you.”

Turning north was the last thing they wanted to do. For to the north was any number of fortified cities with well-entrenched armies. To the Israelites, turning north meant marching right into the jaws of defeat, slavery and even death.

But God saw it differently—his people couldn’t reach the Promised Land until they left the perceived safety of Seir and set out in faith and obedience.

I wonder how many of you need to hear the “turn north” message from God today?

You’ve found your mountain of safety and security:

You’ve closed off your heart to new relationships
You’ve stop hoping and dreaming
You’ve given up
You’ve stopped praying those big, hairy audacious prayers
You’re living in disobedience, because you think obedience means unhappiness and slavery.

Turn north. Leave your mountain of security. Step out in faith and obedience. Don’t settle for a routine of predictability and half-hearted Christianity. Jesus died to give you more. Seize it.

Turn north.

Holy God, please give us the courage to leave our mountains of perceived security and step out in obedience with you. In Jesus’ name . . . .

 

 

 

 

The post Turn North appeared first on Will Davis Jr.

Six Days

Six days you shall labor and do all your work. Deuteronomy 5:13

As I’ve been reflecting on my recent diagnosis of depression and the overall fatigue that caused me to take a leave of absence from my job, I have become painfully aware of my own negligence in the area of Sabbath.

As I reflected back over the last several years, I realized that I haven’t taken a non-working vacation since 2005. I also realized that I rarely take a full 24 hours off in a regular week.

And, I’ve had to admit that my supposed work ethic is neither noble nor excusable because I’m in ministry. It’s disobedient.

This verse is one of many that talks about God’s requirement of his people to practice the holy order of the 6 days on, one day off workweek. It’s not a suggestion or a really good idea, it’s a commandment.

And my chronic neglect of this commandment made me very, very sick.

I hope you will look at your own life today and examine your own personal practice of Sabbath. It’s part of God’s holy order for his people. God richly blesses the life that honors the Sabbath, but he isn’t obligated to bless the life that doesn’t take his work 6, rest 1 pattern seriously.

Practicing the Sabbath matters. It matters to you and the people around you. And, it matters to your God.

Holy Father, forgive us for dishonoring your Sabbath. Help us to honor your holy order. In Jesus’ name . . . . .

The post Six Days appeared first on Will Davis Jr.