The dusty roads of Jerusalem were alive with chatter. Pilgrims from all over had come for the Passover, their sandals kicking up clouds as they moved toward the temple. Among them was a boy—a quiet, thoughtful twelve-year-old. A boy named Jesus.

After the festival, the crowds began their long journeys home. They traveled in family groups so that Mary and Joseph assumed Jesus was somewhere among the travelers, laughing with friends or walking beside distant relatives. But as the sun sank and the stars blinked awake, they realized their boy was missing.

Panic set in. Heart racing, Mary retraced her steps. She and Joseph hurried back to Jerusalem, searching the busy streets and calling his name. Then, after three days of fear and worry, they found him sitting in the temple, deep in conversation with the teachers.

The scholars leaned in, listening with amazement. This child, barely on the cusp of manhood, was asking questions that made them think, answering with a wisdom far beyond his years. He wasn’t lost. He was exactly where he was meant to be.

Mary let out a breath, relief and confusion mingling in her voice. “Son, why have you done this to us? We’ve been searching everywhere!”

Jesus, calm and sure, replied, “Did you not know I must be in my Father’s house?”

That moment was more than a boy’s adventure—it was a glimpse of his purpose. Even at twelve, Jesus had a hunger for wisdom. He trusted God’s plan. Mary and Joseph worried, but Jesus was exactly where he needed to be. His calm assurance teaches us that when we walk in faith, we are never truly lost.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Luke 2:52 offers a rare window into Jesus’ youth: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” This single verse spans nearly eighteen years of Christ’s life, revealing profound truths about His development and our own spiritual journey.

Though fully God, Jesus embraced genuine human development. His growth “in favor with God” seems strange to us. How could the Son of God increase in divine favor? Yet this reveals that Jesus, in His humanity, actively cultivated His relationship with the Father. Certainly through obedience, prayer, and study. His favor wasn’t automatic; it was nurtured through devoted communion.

Jesus also “grew in favor with man.” Before performing miracles or delivering sermons, His character earned respect in Nazareth. People admired this young man’s integrity, kindness, and wisdom. His nature and behavior won hearts through ordinary daily interactions with those around him.

These silent years remind us that hidden seasons aren’t wasted—they’re foundational. Jesus spent nearly two decades in obscurity, growing spiritually, physically, and relationally. If the sinless Son of God required gradual maturation, how much more do we need patient development?

God values ordinary faithfulness. Jesus’ quiet years in carpentry, family life, and synagogue worship demonstrate that simple obedience is holy ground. Our unseen growth in character, wisdom, and relationships with God and others mirrors Christ’s own journey.

Don’t rush what God is growing in you—even silent seasons serve His perfect timing.

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Joseph and Mary and two year old Jesus fled in the night. No parade. No farewell. Just the quiet rustle of bags and the hurried steps of a family obeying God. Matthew 2:13 tells us that after the visit of the magi, an angel warned Joseph in a dream: “Get up… take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt.” Herod, in his fury, was hunting for Jesus to kill Him.

So Mary and Joseph did what parents do, they protected their child. The road to Egypt was long—some 75 to 100 miles through rugged terrain. Not a journey of comfort, but a journey of obedience. We don’t know exactly how long they stayed in Egypt, but likely until Herod’s death, around two to three years. Long enough for Jesus’ early years to unfold in a foreign land.

There is a lesson in this. Here it is: Obedience sometimes means going places we never planned. Following God may lead through uncertainty, detours, even danger. But His path is always purposeful.

God was not just protecting a baby, He was protecting the Savior of the world. In this story, Mary and Joseph remind us that sometimes the holiest act is simply to get up, pack up, and trust.

Even if you don’t know the map, follow the Guide.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Maybe it is the most famous story ever told. Wise men came from the east to see Jesus. We don’t know their names, how many there were, or exactly where they started. But we do know why they came. The magi were not kings, but wise men—learned scholars who watched the stars. When a new star appeared, brighter than the rest, they followed its trail. Not for a weekend trip, but for a journey that may have taken months, perhaps over a year.

By the time they reached Bethlehem, Jesus was no longer in a manger. Matthew 2:11 tells us they entered a house. Most scholars believe He was likely a toddler, maybe close to two years old. And yet, they bowed before Him. Grown men kneeling before a child. Why? Because they recognized what many did not—this child was a King.

They brought gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Strange presents for a baby. But each one told a story. Gold, for royalty—He is the King of kings. Frankincense, used in worship—He is divine. Myrrh, a spice for burial—He came to die. Even in their offering, the gospel was being whispered.

Their journey speaks to us. They didn’t come for what Jesus could do. They came for who He was. They weren’t driven by duty, but by awe.

Sometimes the longest journeys lead to the greatest discoveries. Read Matthew 2 and you’ll see it. Wise men still seek Him. And when they find Him, they still kneel.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

On the night Jesus was born, the shepherds near Bethlehem were doing what they always did—watching over their flocks under the stars. It was an ordinary night, and they were ordinary men. Not scholars. Not priests. Just blue-collar workers of their day, often overlooked by society and even looked down upon for their lowly status. But on that quiet night outside Bethlehem, heaven opened up for them.

Luke 2:8 tells us, “And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.” These men weren’t attending a temple service or studying the Scriptures. They were doing their job, staying awake, staying faithful. And that’s when the angel appeared.

Why shepherds? Because God delights in lifting the humble. He could have sent angels to Herod’s palace or the temple’s high court. But He chose the field. The forgotten. The ones who were used to silence and darkness. In doing so, God made a loud statement: *My message is for everyone. Especially those who think they’re not worthy to hear it.*

The shepherds weren’t just invited to see the baby—they were the first to spread the news. The first evangelists of the gospel were not trained theologians, but smelly shepherds.

And here’s the wonder: as God chose the shepherds, God chooses us. He still speaks in the ordinary. He still calls the humble. He still finds us in the field and says, “Come and see.”

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

The story of Jesus’ birth in a manger isn’t just a sweet scene for a Christmas card—it’s a sermon in straw. Luke 2:7 tells us, “She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger.” Simple. Plain. But not by accident.

God could have chosen a palace or a temple. Instead, He chose a feeding trough. Why? Here are five possible reasons:

1. Because the manger reveals the heart of God. Jesus didn’t come to impress the powerful. He came to dwell among the ordinary. People like you and me.

2. The manger was available. And maybe that’s the whole point. There were no gates to pass through, no guards to get past. Just a quiet place where anyone could come close. The King of kings came to a space that welcomed shepherds, not senators.

3. The manger was a place of nourishment. How fitting that the Bread of Life would be laid where food was placed. One day He would say, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). He came to satisfy the deepest hunger of the human soul.

4. The manger reminds us—there’s no place He won’t enter. Not even the messiest corners of our world. Not even the most broken pieces of our hearts.

5. It whispers something rare in our noisy world: contentment. Joy isn’t found in luxury, but in love. Not in riches, but in relationships. Christ is enough.

So the next time you picture the manger, don’t see it as small. See it as sacred. The God of the universe wrapped Himself in flesh and chose the lowest place—so He could lift us to the highest.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Before He Was Jesus

Before Jesus came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem, He already existed. That might sound surprising, but Scripture is clear—Jesus didn’t begin in the manger. He is eternal. He was with God, and He was God. That’s how the Gospel of John opens: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Jesus, before His earthly birth, was known as the Word. He was not created; He is the Creator. “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). He existed before time. He stood beside the Father, shining with divine glory. In fact, He shared the very nature of God. As Paul wrote, “He existed in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6).

In the Old Testament, we catch glimpses of Him. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses at the burning bush, many scholars believe this was Jesus, stepping briefly into time.

Before He cried in a cradle, He commanded galaxies. Before He took on skin, He shared in glory. And yet, He chose to leave it all behind for us.

That’s the wonder of His birth. The Eternal One became an infant. The Creator became one of His creations.

He was—He is—and He came for you.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our question for today comes from Isaiah 40:6.

“What shall I say?”

Isaiah had just heard the voice of God telling him to cry out. But cry out what? What do you say when your strength is spent and your heart feels hollow? When the people are worn down, the days are heavy, and hope is a whisper barely heard?

So Isaiah did what many of us do—he asked the honest question: “What shall I say?”

You’ve likely asked it, too. At a hospital bedside. In a funeral line. On a sleepless night. When someone you love is hurting and you don’t have the words. What do you say when silence feels safer than saying the wrong thing?

God gave Isaiah a message—and it’s the one we still need today: Life is short, but God is steady. “All flesh is like grass,” He said. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

That’s what you say.

You speak of the God who doesn’t change. You remind weary hearts that God is still here, still near, and still strong. He will work things out —in the end.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our question for today comes from Jeremiah 15:18.

In his agony, Jeremiah cried out, “Why is my pain unending and my wound incurable?”

Jeremiah wasn’t asking for sympathy—he was asking for relief. His pain felt permanent. His prayers seemed unanswered. His obedience had gone unrewarded. He did the right thing, and still, the wrong things kept happening.

Sound familiar? Sometimes our suffering doesn’t make sense. And when it lingers, we start to wonder if God has forgotten us—or worse, if He simply doesn’t care. That’s how Jeremiah felt.

It’s okay to admit you’re hurting. It’s okay to say it out loud. Faith isn’t pretending you’re fine. It’s trusting God enough to bring Him your hardest questions—just like Jeremiah did.

God didn’t cast Jeremiah aside. He called him deeper. He promised to strengthen him, to make him like a bronze wall (Jeremiah 15:20). Not by removing the pain, but by reinforcing the man.

We’ve all heard about the faith that moves mountains. Sometimes God moves the mountain. Sometimes He makes us strong enough to climb it.

So with Jeremiah, we can cry, “Why is my pain unending?” If you doubt that, then in a hundred years, meet me at the gates of heaven—and we’ll talk about it.

If you’re weary of the wound, take heart. God sees you.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

The quote for today is from Isaiah 6:11.

“How long, O Lord?”

Isaiah had just witnessed the unthinkable—he saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and lifted up. The temple shook. The angels praised God. 

In light of God’s glory, Isaiah felt undone by his own unworthiness. But then came mercy. A coal touched his lips. His guilt was taken away. And then came the call: “Whom shall I send?”

Isaiah said yes!

But obedience doesn’t always come with applause. Sometimes it comes with silence. Or resistance. Or an assignment that feels like shouting into the wind. And that’s when Isaiah asked the question many of us whisper in the waiting: “How long, O Lord?”

How long do I serve when no one notices? How long do I love when nothing changes? How long do I pray when the heavens feel quiet?

God didn’t sugarcoat the answer. He told Isaiah it would be a long road. A road of rejection. But God also gave him a promise of victory in the end. Even if it seems delayed, it will come.

If you’re asking “how long?” Remember this, God understands. He’s not deaf to your question. He sees your faith, even in the silence. Keep going. Keep sowing. What you plant in obedience will bloom in His time. Whatever work you are doing, keep going. 

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.