Devotions, Verses, and Humor by Chaplain Mark Davis
Greetings, Friends!
I am going to adjust my Daily Devotion to a lighter summer schedule, so that I can do some traveling and work on some projects that need my attention. Beginning June 1, I will publish a devotional on Monday and humor for the week on Friday, as well as a Scripture verse for each day, Monday through Friday.
Thank you for your continued interest and for allowing me to be a part of your life.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark Davis (retired)
Chattanooga, TN
Thu-May-28-2020
Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you, instead, pay them back with a blessing. (1st Peter 3:9 NLT)
This verse is not very popular in today’s world. I suspect it wasn’t 2,000 years ago either. I have told hundreds of people over the years that they will have to forgive someone and bless them instead of retaliating. No one ever answered, “Oh boy, that sounds like fun.” But over time, God can cleanse you of the urge to retaliate as a first response.
I have had to work on this myself because I grew up with a hidden anger. I still have incidents where my first thought is to strike back. But I have come a long way and now have far fewer times when that anger develops. For me, it took the love of God being poured into me. I had to really, really think, think, think, and internalize that I am loved and accepted. My mind had to be “transformed.” That’s because my problem wasn’t with resenting other people, it was more about my struggle with self-acceptance. Here’s what the Apostle Paul said about mind transformation:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” (Romans 12:2a NLT)
Another verse that influenced me was Romans 8:1, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Think of this in law enforcement terms. When I gave my life to him, I was transferred into his custody, thus no other agency can undo God’s authority over me. The worldly court of condemnation could accuse me of being guilty of violating one of their standards. And indeed, I might be guilty of that infraction. But the world court doesn’t get to try my case, it has no jurisdiction or authority over my spirit.
I am in God’s custody. I am free from the spiritual/emotional backlash of this world. I can no longer be tried in Satan’s court. In God’s court, I am forgiven and have already been declared righteous. Does that cause me to be proud? No … not proud, but humble. Does that make me want to get away with wrongdoing? No … it makes me want to please God and to walk a higher path. And when someone insults me, I’m not much interested in engaging in battle. I am free.
If you really internalize this ownership of your life by a loving God, and it goes way down into the depths of your soul, then retaliation against offenses no longer makes sense. Wouldn’t it be great to read that Bible verse above … “Don’t retaliate, pay back with a blessing” … and say to yourself, “I can do that!” And, indeed, it will become your new way of life.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
Wed-May-27-2020
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)
When this verse says, “If anyone hears,” I conclude that not everyone hears. It implies to me that even though a voice may be speaking, something about some people causes them not to hear that voice, at least under present conditions.
For the first time in our 37-year marriage, my wife and I have a home with a swimming pool. We like it. I am now the “pool guy,” and there is always something to do. Under certain conditions, sometimes the pool pump clicks off and must be restarted. The equipment is near the end of the house where our bedroom is, and while I am getting ready in the morning, I can tell by the presence or absence of a certain sound with a certain pitch whether the pool pump is running or not. My wife can’t hear it unless I hum the pitch and she really, really concentrates, and sometimes still can’t.
On the other hand, my wife has had the sense of hearing the faint cry of one of the kids during the night while I remained asleep. There are folks who can be at a crowded occasion in a large facility, and yet when a child falls and cries out from the other side of the room, the parent of that child knows the sound of that cry.
There is something in each of us capable of hearing the voice of God. We can be preoccupied by our world, our job, our activities, whatever … such that God’s voice doesn’t get our attention. But God is calling. He hasn’t left you out or given up on you because of your present season of stress and distraction. Stop and listen. You can hear him.
During my younger years, I heard others use this passage as an evangelism and conversion tool. And I adopted that approach as well. Jesus is knocking on the hearts of unbelievers because he wants to come in and save them, take up residence.
While that is true … that Jesus wants to come into the hearts of unbelievers, that is not who this message was originally written to. It was addressed to the Church at Laodicea. Yes, Jesus is knocking on the door of a church that has stopped listening to his voice. This is the church to whom Jesus said, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation (3:15-17)
This is evidence that even though we might have been a believer for a long time, we still have spells when we are not really listening. In one sense, that is what this passage is about … the church … one full of believers who have stopped listening. Isn’t it interesting that his request was for “anyone” on the inside of that door to hear him and invite him in!! And while this is a call to the churches to become on fire again, it is also about any believer who has learned to ignore what God is saying.
I listened to a story on the radio today from a man who was sitting in a church leadership meeting when the Lord spoke to him about the extra-marital affair that he thought he was getting away with. And the voice said, “Today is the day to come clean. It is time to trade your story of infidelity for God’s story of faithfulness and forgiveness.” The next day he revealed the truth to his wife, and a new story began.
Now that’s pretty serious. And maybe your situation is, too. Or maybe your story is completely different. Maybe it’s about your church. Or perhaps you personally have wandered away from God. Listen for his voice today. God has “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) But he does want you to hear his voice. He wants to continually write and rewrite your story. He does not want you to be lukewarm. He wants you to be all in.
Wherever you are in life … stop and listen. Invite him in. Dine with him and be nourished. Be changed. Be new.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
Tue-May-26-2020
KEY THOUGHT: Sometimes we think we should be doing a bigger job, or a different job. Thus, we can get frustrated and impatient with what we are doing right now. We want to get on with “doing my dream” and this doesn’t seem to be it. But … you could very well be going through this job or this season to prepare you for something that God has in mind … something you don’t know about yet.
For instance, in the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to the home of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as the next king of Israel, even though it would be many years before this king would be put in place.
Samuel was presented with 7 different sons to choose from, but one by one the Lord whispered “no” as each was presented. Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him to me…” (1st Samuel 16:11)
The 8th son was named David, apparently not regarded by his family as kingly material or a candidate for greatness. But … you guessed it … Samuel had him summoned and he was the one … the future King David. When did he become King? … 15 years later! Meanwhile, he worked hard, was faithful to God, and patiently did what was before him.
Have you ever felt like you were doing something menial or without purpose, like tending the sheep? And there was no likelihood of a higher calling or purpose? Well, in David’s case, the tasks that make up shepherding were actually miniature versions of the skills needed to 1) defeat a giant named Goliath with a slingshot, 2) serve in the present king’s court, playing the harp, 3) battle enemies with his sense of confidence, and 4) care for a nation of people, like a shepherd cares for his sheep.
I had a discussion about this topic yesterday with my older daughter, who lives in California. We have both worked through the tension between seeing greater things and living in the present faithfully, trusting God for what we do not see.
My wife and I have also lived out this scenario, working in places where unfair things sometimes happened. We were constantly asking God for endurance and patience, questioning the reason for having to continue in something that seemed to have no purpose in the larger plan. We have both been released from jobs by bosses who seemed callous. And we have both continued in other situations for longer than seemed necessary.
Then there came times for all of us when God opened a new door. When that happened, we realized that the difficult time we had in a certain place was the vey thing necessary to give us the training, experience, and endurance to step into an opportunity we could never have had without those frustrating phases, lessons learned, and skills gained.
The season of life you are in right now, the job you are doing, the situation that seems like you are spinning your wheels … might very well be preparing you for something yet to come. Don’t despise where you are. Be faithful to your present situation. God has a plan. Give him time. Serve him well in small things … and wait … the best is yet to come.
Keep on keeping on,
Chaplain Mark
Mon-May-25-2020
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Our lives produce fruit by which we may either bless others or hurt them. We could wait until someone else acts as a “fruit inspector” and levels with us about the quality of the actions and attitudes we produce … or we could decide to look within ourselves and ask God if our fruit is wholesome and effective to touch and bless the lives of others.
For myself, I can read through that list of 9 characteristics and pretty quickly tell you which ones I am producing well, and which ones I am struggling with. How about you? Take a moment to read the list. What are your thoughts?
Jesus once commented about how to detect sincerity and godliness versus deception and dishonesty. “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:16-17)
Lest you be concerned that you might be stuck as a bad tree, consider this. In the biological world, a plant is what it is. A thorn bush can’t become a grape vine. But in the Kingdom/spiritual sense, God can take the old nature of a person and make it new. In other words, we were all born weeds (tainted by sin), but we can be born again, as a wheat. We may have produced bad fruit in the past, but God can transform us, and we will begin to grow good fruit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Apple trees don’t have to make a concerted effort to grow apples. They grow them because that is the kind of tree they are. You and I can try all we want to grow certain kinds of fruit, but it is of no eternal benefit unless we begin by allowing God through salvation to give us a new nature. Then comes the fruit. The fruit is not a result of what we try to do, it is a result of who we are in Christ.
That doesn’t mean we don’t have to make an effort. After all we are actually people, not trees. We have choices, trees don’t. This leaves us with a mysterious combination of genuinely producing good fruit because God has heard our humble request to be reborn and has made us into a good tree, but also refining what we produce based on our tendency to stray from God’s purposes. God’s grace and our efforts work together, and by far the greater of these two influences is God’s grace!
The people around you observe and know you by your fruit.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
Fri-May-22-2020
It’s Humor Day!
As we get ready to celebrate Memorial Day and to honor those who have served our country through military service, I share with you a bit of humor.
One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed young Alex was staring up at a large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church. The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted on either side of it.
Seven-year-old Alex asked, “Pastor McGhee, what is this?”
“Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.”
Little Alex got a worried look and in an inquisitive voice asked, “Which service, the 9:00 or the 11:00?”
Children like to ask questions. So did Jesus. When he was twelve years old, his family made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover feast with their extended family. At the conclusion they left for home, thinking that Jesus was in the group somewhere. But after searching for him during the first day, his parents returned to Jerusalem to see if he had stayed behind and gotten lost.
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:46-49)
There is always something to learn in the Kingdom of God. And even as a twelve-year-old, Jesus loved talking about his Father’s business and seeking greater understanding. Yes, Jesus had things to learn. We understand that he was the Son of God and the only perfect person, but his need to learn as he grew up is based on our doctrine that Jesus emptied himself of his equality with God in order to live among us as a man, fully God in origin, but fully a servant of God in the likeness of man.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:5-7)
At age twelve he already understood that God was his Father, and God’s house was his true home. Twelve was the age at which a child became an adult in their tradition, and their focus was now on learning and growing in the image of the Father. So, Luke says at the end of this story, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
That is a great statement for us to embrace for our focus as believers.
I hope you attend services somewhere this weekend, as you continue to grow in wisdom and understanding and in favor with God and man.
Giving thanks this weekend for those who died in service to our country,
Chaplain Mark
Thu-May-21-2020
“But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…” – The Apostle Paul (2nd Corinthians 1:6)
In our culture, the norm is to avoid suffering at any cost. There are lots of people who would be willing to help you in a time of need, so long as it is convenient. Far fewer are those who would suffer hardship and inconvenience in order to serve you or help in a crisis. But the love of God that comes to dwell within us as Christians is an unconditional love. Thus, Paul tells the Corinthians that he is willing to suffer affliction in order to bless them.
Is there anyone in your past or present who has made great sacrifices on your behalf? Were any of those sacrificial people doing so unexpectedly? Maybe they were strangers or just someone who went out of their way to take an interest in you at a critical time in life. Without those people our world would be worse off for it. It is a noble thing to intentionally make sacrifices for the sake of someone else. As parents we do so for our children, but all too often people don’t make sacrifices unless there is compensation. (Hmmm … I guess if you get compensated, it’s not really a sacrifice after all.)
In the case of Paul, he was making these sacrifices without requiring compensation and doing it for complete strangers. Many of us restrict our sacrificial giving and acts of service to those we know and love, or at least to those who, in our opinion, deserve it.
Whoa … wait a minute … no compensation for Paul? Well, actually, he did sometimes receive offerings of assistance, though not always, and certainly not because he demanded it. They were gifts. And beyond that, there were some intangible compensations from God that were also gifts. You will find out about them below.
Paul was involved in a three-party relationship … himself, those he helped, and God whom he served. The reason he made sacrifices was not founded on the needs of the people he was “sent to,” it was because of the “sender” … God who called him, who sustained him, and who gave him a purpose.
Think about it … the idea of sacrificing for others is at the very heart of what God is asking us to do. It is not about increasing our goodness points. It is not about caring for someone because they care about us. It is not about helping those who deserve it. It is because we have a Great Provider who has done far more for us than we could ever do for anyone else.
We get to imitate the God of the universe by doing sacrificial and costly things, because God has always been willing to do sacrificial and costly things for us. At the cost of his Son’s life, he forgave our sins and gave us a new heart. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Are there benefits? Of course, there are. God certainly wants to bless us with tangible benefits … home, family, comfort, and well-being. But these are secondary to God’s amazing intangible benefits. And as Paul is trying to say, it is worth it to forgo tangible benefits when doing so will benefit others. “But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…” (2nd Corinthians 1:6)
Our sacrifices for the sake of others open doors within them to receive comfort and salvation. It also opens doors within us to receive the intangible benefits of love, peace, hope, joy, and fulfillment. Would you trade these five things for all the treasures in the world? I wouldn’t.
I am thankful for your sacrifices for the sake of others,
Chaplain Mark
Wed-May-20-2020
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Psalm 55:8-9)
The whole idea of electricity and how it works amazes me. The fact that water is going through turbines in a dam and causing a light bulb in my living room to glow is a wonder.
And how can an ant with a brain the size of a speck of dust, and whose home is 20 yards from my house, find a pinhead sized fragment of a candy bar located on the floor in the grandkids’ playroom inside my house made of thick walls, and then remember the way back to its mound?
The universe is amazing, and the Creator of the universe is not just amazing but is in fact the source of anything and everything that is amazing. I don’t have to know how electricity works to enjoy its benefits. And I don’t have to know how God works to enjoy him.
To an ant, I am beyond comprehension. And to me, God is beyond comprehension. The difference is that I can never communicate with an ant and explain who I am; whereas God has designed me in his likeness and chosen to reveal himself to me in a way that I can understand enough to know that he is good, loving, and trustworthy. Indeed, if I accept the invitation to relate to him, he renews my mind sufficiently to understand enough about him to receive his blessings.
If God has communicated through his Word that he knows me better than I know myself, and if he cares more for me than I care for myself, and if he has plenty enough ability and resources to supply my needs, and loves me and promises me to do so, then that is also more than I can fathom. But I choose to believe it and to receive it.
We cannot know all that God knows, but we can trust him and enjoy him. I have had plenty of ups and downs in life, but I must say that God has supplied my needs enough for me to cling to him above all else. But there is more depth of relationship beyond just “getting my needs met” in a physical sense.
Somewhere in our walk with God we should become so in love with the Lord, so bonded with him, so trusting, that getting our needs met is really secondary. The main thing is more about loving and being loved than about being comfortable. To be deeply in love with God who is deeply in love with us eventually makes comfort an irrelevant issue.
The amazing journey with God is higher than my thoughts. It happens through his ways which are higher than my ways. What an adventure! – To engage in something higher than I can understand! Hey … I’m all in for that! How about you?
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
Tue-May-19-2020
“Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
What are we doing when we “anxiously look about”? It might be that we are looking for another solution because we don’t like what we’re being told.
There is a story about a man on the side of a cliff who has his foot on a loose rock, and he is clinging for dear life. He yells upward, “Help! Is anybody up there?”
The answer comes in a deep voice, “This is God! Let go and I will catch you!”
The man is silent, wondering what to make of this voice. So, he finally yells again, “Is anyone else up there?”
Trusting God sounds easy … but many times it’s not that easy. If you are suffering from anxiety, you probably can identify with this particular definition … It has been said that “the root of anxiety is a loss of control.”
When our world or a certain situation is out of our control, we may struggle to find any way we can to regain some control. But we can trust the one who has ultimate control. If we exercise our faith, then the Scripture “I am your God” is a good enough answer in any circumstance. Let me repeat that … “I am your God” is a good enough answer in any circumstance. “Do not be anxious about anything …” (Philippians 4:6)
It doesn’t seem like it could be that simple, but it is amazing what repeating a statement of faith like Isaiah 41:10 can do. First, we put ourselves into a calmer state of mind. “I am not going to fear, because God is with me.” We tell ourselves, “I am going to stop looking anxiously about me to find my own solution. I am going to look to God, because he is my strength and my help.” Then we repeat as many times as it takes … “God will uphold me with his righteous right hand.” Then we let God speak peace into our hearts.
[Jesus] got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. (Mark 4:39)
I do love it when I call upon the Lord, and he says, “Peace! Be still!” And I experience that real peace of God flowing in and filling my inner being, and I become completely calm.
Blessings,
Chaplain Mark
Mon-May-18-2020
It is the opinion of many that John Wooden was the greatest men’s college basketball coach ever. At UCLA, he won 10 National Championships and had an 88 consecutive games winning streak. And many also feel that Pat Summitt, from the University of Tennessee was the greatest women’s college basketball coach ever. She had more wins (1,098) than any other women’s coach, and more than all but one (Mike Krzyzewski of Duke) of the men’s coaches. Her teams made it to the NCAA Tournament every year of her 38-year career.
And what do these two famous coaches stress? Teamwork.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons of life is how to be a team member. Many talented people fail or accomplish only at a mediocre level, because they do not know how to work on a team. For those who wonder why things don’t progress, or dreams are not achieved, consider that getting a handle on the joy, blessings, and fulfillment of working together as a team might make all the difference.
You don’t have to be a star to be on a team. I would say that all those Tennessee and UCLA players on these two coaches’ teams were far prouder to have played on a team that accomplished great things and was coached by such a legendary coach than of any degree of their own talent. These two coaches didn’t just teach them about basketball, they taught them about life!
A team player is humble enough to let others be first. A team player knows that accomplishing something together produces a greater joy than doing something by ourselves. A team player knows that when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit, amazing things can happen. And a team player doesn’t go around saying “I” accomplished something … they say “we” did.
Two takeaways …
First … If teamwork is a difficult thing for you, renew your determination to be a team player. Take the humble approach of letting others know you like working together. God will lift you up through this process.
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Jesus (Luke 14:11)
Second … If you usually do well getting along with others and operating as a team, look around at those who might not. These are not mean people. They are often interested in being a part of the team, but don’t have your smooth skills at fitting in. And they are not going to force their way in. They might be waiting for a supporter or “sponsor” … someone who will invite them in, promote them to others, help them discover their contribution and enjoy teamwork. I remember younger times when certain persons used their influence to help others accept me into the group discussion by asking me to share my thoughts. This did a lot to help me discover my worth and contribution.
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
Here’s a question – Are you thinking this isn’t really a “spiritual” topic today? After all, the Bible doesn’t specifically talk about God’s people practicing teamwork – or does it? It may not use the word team, but essentially this is what Paul was talking about when he described the Body of Christ. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1st Corinthians 12:12-14)
Our culture emphasizes individuality, but in the Christian community we do not as individuals choose whether we want to be part of the Body or not. We are already “one Body” by definition. The choice we make is “am I going to refuse to be what I am made for, an indispensable member of the Body of Christ.” And no single part of the Church is more important than another. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1st Corinthians 12:24b-26)
It is our job to help every member to feel included, to fulfill their purpose, and to honor one another. We all need God’s help – but also, God’s team needs you, and you need God’s team. There is no greatest or least among us – we are one.
Go team!
Chaplain Mark