Wisdom for the Heart

Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

  1. hace 4 h

    When The Answer Is No Part 2 (2 Samuel 7)

    Share a comment God says “no” to David, and it’s not because David’s motives are wrong. That’s what makes the moment so unsettling. David wants to build a house for God, a temple that would feel like the ultimate act of devotion, and then Nathan returns with a reversal: you will not be the one. If you’ve ever had a dream that looked right, felt right, and still got denied, you’ll recognize the punch of that kind of disappointment.  We follow the story all the way through the emotional turn of one small word: “but.” The plans change, the path shifts, and the question becomes painfully practical: how do we respond when God closes the door? We lay out five responses modeled by David that reshape Christian living and spiritual growth in real time: humility instead of protest, gratitude that trusts God’s longer timeline, surrender that rests in being God’s servant, praise that chooses worship over wrestling, and readiness that stays alert for the window God opens next. Along the way, we talk about contentment as something learned, not wished for, and why trying to “force the locks” only drains faith.  Then we land on the surprising beauty of preparation. David can’t hammer one nail into the temple, but he spends years organizing, gathering resources, and setting Solomon up to succeed without becoming bitter. It’s a picture of faithful obedience, Christian leadership, and trusting the will of God even when the work will outlive you.  If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s stuck in a painful no, and leave a review so more people can find it. Where are you tempted to wait for “someday” instead of serving God today? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    When The Answer Is No Part 2 (2 Samuel 7)
  2. hace 3 días

    When The Answer Is No Part 1 (2 Samuel 7)

    Share a comment The word “but” can crush a plan in seconds. David is living the dream: peace in the land, a secure throne, a cedar palace, and a holy desire to honor God by building a temple. He asks the prophet Nathan, gets an enthusiastic yes, and you can almost hear the blueprints unrolling. Then God speaks, and everything shifts. We walk through 2 Samuel 7 and the moment God closes a door on something that looks good, noble, and spiritually motivated. That’s what makes it so personal. Most of us don’t struggle with God saying no to obvious bad choices, we struggle when the no lands on something we truly wanted to do for the right reasons. Along the way we connect the dots to how our childhood dreams change, how God redirects our steps, and why trusting the Lord means more than trying harder to force a locked door open. The surprise is that God’s no is paired with a massive yes. Instead of accepting David’s offer to build God a “house,” God promises to build David a “house” through the Davidic covenant: a lasting line, a kingdom, and a throne that points forward to the Messiah. We also slow down on David’s response, because it’s the model we need when plans unravel: humility instead of self-defense, gratitude instead of fixation, and surrender that rests in whose we are. If you’re dealing with closed doors, delayed dreams, or a painful redirect, press play and sit with this story. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs steadiness today, and leave a review if it helped. Where are you tempted to push harder when God might be guiding you elsewhere? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    When The Answer Is No Part 1 (2 Samuel 7)
  3. hace 4 días

    The Last Meal Part 2 (1 Samuel 28 & 31)

    Share a comment God’s silence can feel mysterious until you realize what King Saul refuses to face: you can’t demand closeness with God while you’re actively protecting the sin you already know needs confession. We walk through Saul’s final descent and why his complaint “God won’t answer me” isn’t a puzzle, it’s a mirror. Along the way, we use a painfully funny illustration about a man hiding a lit cigarette from his pastor to expose how often we try to “stuff” disobedience out of sight while still asking for guidance, comfort, and clarity. From there, the story turns darker and stranger as Saul seeks out the medium at Endor. We unpack the reality of the unseen spiritual world without sensationalizing it, and we talk candidly about spiritual deception: why evil doesn’t know the future the way God does, how it can still manipulate with real information, and why chasing supernatural shortcuts can pull us away from God’s revealed Word. We also explain why the passage reads most naturally as a genuine appearance of Samuel delivering God’s final message to Saul. Then comes the gut punch: a 48-hour death notice. Saul is handed a last mercy window, yet he chooses denial and control, marching toward the outcome he’s been warned about. That leads us to the bigger contrast that closes the message with hope: Saul’s death looks like the end of Israel’s future, but it opens the way for David’s line and ultimately the Messiah. Jesus Christ’s death looks like the end of spiritual hope, but it becomes the doorway to the church, saving grace, and a coming kingdom for unlikely people like us. If this conversation sharpens your thinking, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What would you change today if you truly believed time is shorter than you think? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    The Last Meal Part 2 (1 Samuel 28 & 31)
  4. hace 5 días

    The Last Meal Part 1 (1 Samuel 28 & 31)

    Share a comment One person with the wrong theology and the right access can tilt a whole nation. We start with a surprising historical thread, Rasputin’s shadow over the Russian monarchy, and use it to spotlight a timeless pattern: when a culture gets “all aflutter” with mysticism and the occult, deception doesn’t stay on the fringe. It moves inward, shaping decisions, weakening trust, and leaving real damage behind.  Then we open to one of the darkest scenes in the Bible, the Witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28. King Saul is terrified as the Philistines mass for war, and when he asks God for direction, heaven is silent. We talk honestly about why that silence happens, how unrepentant sin cuts off fellowship, and why blaming God misses the real issue. Saul’s next move is the turning point: he disguises himself, seeks a medium, and tries to force guidance from the dead after rejecting the guidance God already provided.  We also tackle the big question head-on: was it really Samuel who appeared? Walking through the details in the text, we explain why this moment reads like a sober act of God’s judgment, not a party trick, and why the occult remains spiritually dangerous even when it seems to deliver “legitimate” information. If you care about biblical teaching, spiritual warfare, and learning to hear God without chasing shortcuts, this conversation will challenge you.  If this helped you think clearly, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review. What do you reach for when God feels silent? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    The Last Meal Part 1 (1 Samuel 28 & 31)
  5. hace 6 días

    Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 2 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30)

    Share a comment Panic loves to sound like wisdom. It tells you to move fast, trust your gut, and do whatever it takes to feel safe again. That’s exactly where David is in 1 Samuel 27 to 30, and we follow the chain reaction as his “perfect plan” seems to work at first, then traps him: conniving in enemy territory, cornered into an unthinkable battle, crushed by loss at Ziklag, and finally corrected when he seeks God instead of his own instincts. We talk through why “listening to your heart” can be dangerous, especially when discouragement is twisting your thoughts into something that feels reasonable. Along the way we pull in F B Meyer’s counsel for biblical decision making: never act in panic. Get quiet, let the pulse slow, and wait for God’s way rather than baptizing your relief as “peace.” We also wrestle with the hard tension that God remains faithful even when we are faithless, without pretending that self-directed choices are harmless. One of the most unforgettable moments is a warning story about a raccoon named Bandit and the confidence that says, “It’ll be different for me.” It’s a mirror for how compromise works until it suddenly doesn’t. The good news is where the story ends: David finally asks God, God answers with clarity, and grace meets him on the road back. If this helped you rethink a decision, share it with a friend who’s under pressure, then subscribe and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one place you’ve mistaken relief for God’s peace? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 2 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30)
  6. 24 ago

    Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 1 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30)

    Share a comment Discouragement isn’t just a feeling, it’s a lever. When it gets under the edge of your heart, it can pry you open and start rewriting what you believe about God, yourself, and the future. We start with a stark reminder from Scripture: even when we are faithless, God is faithful. That truth doesn’t erase consequences or discipline, but it does give us a solid floor when fear tells us we’re finished. Then we walk through David’s nearly fatal slide in 1 Samuel 27 to 29. Under real pressure, David stops bringing his fears to God and starts holding private conversations “in his heart” until he talks himself into a plan that seems wise: run to the Philistines. For a moment it feels like it works. Saul stops chasing him, the pressure lifts, and David finds a new home base in Ziklag. But we tease out why relief is not the same as guidance, and how a false sense of peace can be one of the most convincing traps. Finally, the story turns when David’s compromise boxes him into the unthinkable: marching with the enemy against Israel. This is where the episode gets painfully practical about self-talk, panic decisions, and the lies we feed our souls. And it’s also where God shows up quietly, moving pieces behind the scenes to rescue David from a disaster of his own making. If you’ve ever made a “perfect plan” that later unraveled, you’ll feel this one. Subscribe for more Bible teaching that connects to real life, share this with a friend who’s discouraged, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What’s one decision you’re tempted to make out of panic right now? Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Misled By A Misguided Heart Part 1 (1 Samuel 27, 29, 30)
  7. 21 ago

    Beauty and Two Beasts Part 2 (1 Samuel 25:1-44)

    Share a comment One careless insult can light a fuse that years of faithfulness never triggered. We watch David, the future king of Israel, go from steady endurance to a sword-strapped march of revenge after Nabal dismisses him with contempt. The shock is the point: character isn’t only tested by massive crises but by smaller slights that poke our pride. If you’ve ever been cheated, overlooked, or repaid with harshness after doing good, you’ll recognize the “disease of me” that turns pain into payback. We follow the story of Abigail and David in 1 Samuel 25, where Abigail shows up with courage, generosity, and a tactful confrontation that prevents bloodshed. Her appeal is a blueprint for Christian conflict resolution and anger management rooted in Scripture: don’t stoop to a lower level, don’t take matters into your own hands, don’t diminish your high calling, don’t play the part of God, and don’t forget your future. Along the way, we talk about spiritual leadership, gratitude versus entitlement, and why teachability often matters more than being “right.” The episode also honors the quiet strength of believers who live faithfully in difficult homes and unseen pressure, sanctifying their families through perseverance and godly commitment. The central question lingers: will we treat people based on who they are, or based on who we are in God? If this helped you rethink how you respond when you feel wronged, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Beauty and Two Beasts Part 2 (1 Samuel 25:1-44)
  8. 20 ago

    Beauty and Two Beasts Part 1 (1 Samuel 25:1-44)

    Share a comment A single insult can reveal what’s been building in the heart for weeks, maybe years. We start with a haunting phrase, “the disease of me,” and track how selfishness and resentment can spread through a team, a family, or a church until people who should be grateful become petty, reactive, and hard. To make it concrete, we retell an unforgettable sports moment from the 1981 Los Angeles Lakers: the team rallies without its star, then falls apart when the spotlight returns. It’s a picture of what happens when recognition matters more than character. Then we open our Bibles to 1 Samuel 25 and watch the same dynamic threaten David. After an extraordinary display of humility in the previous chapter, David hits a season of loss and uncertainty as Samuel dies. Enter Nabal, a wealthy Calebite with a godless heart, harsh dealings, and a mouth full of contempt, and Abigail, his discerning wife with spiritual insight and the courage to act. We walk through David’s protection of the shepherds, his respectful request for food during sheep shearing, and Nabal’s scathing refusal packed with “my bread, my water, my meat,” the language of entitlement. The turning point is as practical as it is sobering: David straps on a sword and prepares to destroy an entire household because his good is repaid with evil. We slow down to talk about righteous anger versus sinful vengeance, why victories won today still bring temptations tomorrow, and how easily our sense of being wronged can become a justification for wrongdoing. If you’ve ever been overlooked, underpaid, misrepresented, or repaid with harshness, you’ll recognize the battle. Subscribe for more Bible-centered teaching, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/ Support the show

    Beauty and Two Beasts Part 1 (1 Samuel 25:1-44)

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Stephen Davey will help you learn to know what the Bible says, understand what it means, and apply it to your life as he teaches verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Stephen is the president of Wisdom International, which provides radio broadcasts, digital content, and print resources designed to make disciples of all nations and edify followers of Jesus Christ.

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