Wisdom for the Heart

Wisdom International
Wisdom International
  • 4.8 (264)
  • Christianity
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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.

  1. 14h 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)

  2. 1d 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)

  3. 2d ago

    The Cat and the Mouse Part 2 (1 Samuel 23-24)

    Share a comment You know the moment, the one where you finally have the upper hand. The text in front of us is 1 Samuel 24, and David is hiding in a cave at En Gedi while Saul hunts him with 3,000 elite soldiers. Then the impossible happens: Saul walks in alone, completely vulnerable. David’s men whisper that it’s destiny, that God has handed David the chance to end the threat and take what he’s owed. David chooses something far harder than revenge, and his conscience won’t even let him enjoy a small victory. We talk about why the same “open door” can be interpreted in totally different ways, and why a sensitive conscience is not weakness but evidence of growth in grace. David spares Saul, confronts him with truth, and entrusts judgment to God with a line that cuts through so many of our conflicts: “My hand shall not be against you.” Along the way, we unpack the painful gap between remorse vs repentance, because Saul cries, admits he’s wrong, and still returns to the same unrepentant pattern. The conversation also includes a heartbreaking story of coercion and deceit under a Soviet regime and an astonishing act of forgiveness that reframes what Christian forgiveness can look like when the damage is real. If you’re wrestling with injustice, gossip, betrayal, or that urge to “settle the score,” this is a practical, searching look at refusing retaliation, trusting God with vindication, and letting the grace of Jesus Christ shape your next move. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with what line 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

    The Cat and the Mouse Part 2 (1 Samuel 23-24)

  4. 3d ago

    The Cat and the Mouse Part 1 (1 Samuel 23-24)

    Share a comment One moment. Two completely different conclusions about what “God’s will” must be. That’s the tension we sit in as we follow David’s flight from Saul through 1 Samuel 23 and 24, where the chase feels nonstop, the accusations are unfair, and the danger is real. If you’ve ever felt hunted at work, misjudged by family, or punished for doing the right thing, David’s story meets you right where you are, not with slogans, but with a gritty, lived-in faith.  We walk through David’s decision to rescue Keilah even while he’s a fugitive, only to be betrayed by the very people he helps. We also highlight Jonathan’s visit in the wilderness of Ziph, where he says the quiet part out loud: Saul knows David will be king, and that fear fuels the obsession. The pressure builds until David is nearly cornered, then providentially spared, leaving him with a new landmark and a new name for God’s rescue.  Then everything slows down in Engedi. Saul steps into a cave, unaware David and his men are watching, and David is handed what looks like the perfect chance for revenge. We talk about conscience, restraint, and biblical leadership, and why “open doors” are not the same thing as moral permission. David chooses mercy, confronts Saul with proof, and for a brief moment even the king breaks down and admits the truth.  If this challenged you, subscribe for more Bible teaching that connects Scripture to real life, share the episode with a friend who needs perspective under pressure, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s your hardest test: letting go of revenge, or trusting God to vindicate you? 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 Cat and the Mouse Part 1 (1 Samuel 23-24)

  5. 4d ago

    The Original Robin Hood (1 Samuel 21-22)

    Share a comment David’s story takes a hard left when fear takes the wheel. He’s hungry, hunted, and making split-second choices that don’t look like the fearless giant-slayer we remember. We walk through 1 Samuel 21 to 22 as David lies at Nob, eats the holy bread, and then reaches for the one symbol that should have been unnecessary: Goliath’s sword. That moment becomes a mirror for the way our own “past wins” can turn into a crutch, while present-day trust quietly drains away.  Then things get even more unsettling. David runs to Gath, enemy headquarters and Goliath’s hometown, gets recognized, and survives by pretending to be insane at the gate. It’s messy and humiliating, yet it also highlights God’s providence in the middle of bad decisions. We talk about what this reveals about anxiety, desperation, and the temptation to grab whatever feels safest when God seems silent. We also press on a crucial spiritual principle: yesterday’s faith is not enough for today, because God calls us to daily dependence, daily prayer, and daily obedience.  The cave of Adullam shifts the entire tone. Psalm 142 gives us David’s raw words, spoken out loud, as he confesses, complains, and pleads for mercy. From that dark place, God begins rebuilding: reconciliation with family, a surprising community of people in distress and debt, and a renewed posture that defines real faith without pretending to control outcomes: “until I know what God will do for me.” If you’re between a rock and a hard place, this will give you language and direction. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that hit you hardest. 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 Original Robin Hood (1 Samuel 21-22)

  6. Aug 14

    Storm Clouds Part 2 (1 Samuel 19-20)

    Share a comment Have you ever felt like life turned against you for no good reason? You did the right thing, obeyed God, and served faithfully, only to watch storm clouds gather where the sun had just been shining. What do you do when doing right leads to being hunted? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 19 and 20 and continues his series on the life of David. The pretense is finally over. King Saul openly orders his son and servants to kill David. Stephen walks you through the crushing losses David absorbs in rapid succession. His position, his wife, his spiritual mentor, and finally his closest friend, Jonathan. Every layer of stability is stripped away, not because David sinned, but because he stood faithfully in the will of God. Stephen also draws in the courageous witness of Jonathan, a son who refused to imitate his father's evil, and points to David's honest cries in Psalm 59 as the very songs forged in these dark days. Alongside David's story, Stephen brings you into 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul confesses he too has been pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and knocked down, yet never crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed. God, who raised us up, wants us to stand. And He wants us to remember how. This message will comfort your heart when the storm refuses to lift. Desperate times have a way of redefining your sources of strength and rewriting your list of priorities. Every roof will leak except the roof of your Sovereign shelter. Look up. Look ahead. What you see now is not all there is. God will make everything right, even if He waits until glory. Until then, keep singing the song of faith that is being forged in your own hideout. 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

    Storm Clouds Part 2 (1 Samuel 19-20)

  7. Aug 13

    Storm Clouds Part 1 (1 Samuel 19-20)

    Share a comment Have you ever felt like life turned against you for no good reason? You did the right thing, obeyed God, and served faithfully, only to watch storm clouds gather where the sun had just been shining. What do you do when doing right leads to being hunted? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 19 and 20 and continues his series on the life of David. The pretense is finally over. King Saul openly orders his son and servants to kill David. Stephen walks you through the crushing losses David absorbs in rapid succession. His position, his wife, his spiritual mentor, and finally his closest friend, Jonathan. Every layer of stability is stripped away, not because David sinned, but because he stood faithfully in the will of God. Stephen also draws in the courageous witness of Jonathan, a son who refused to imitate his father's evil, and points to David's honest cries in Psalm 59 as the very songs forged in these dark days. Alongside David's story, Stephen brings you into 2 Corinthians 4, where Paul confesses he too has been pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and knocked down, yet never crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed. God, who raised us up, wants us to stand. And He wants us to remember how. This message will comfort your heart when the storm refuses to lift. Desperate times have a way of redefining your sources of strength and rewriting your list of priorities. Every roof will leak except the roof of your Sovereign shelter. Look up. Look ahead. What you see now is not all there is. God will make everything right, even if He waits until glory. Until then, keep singing the song of faith that is being forged in your own hideout. 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

    Storm Clouds Part 1 (1 Samuel 19-20)

  8. Aug 12

    Behaving Wisely Part 2 (1 Samuel 18:1-30)

    Share a comment Have you ever wondered what wisdom really looks like in the middle of ordinary life? Not the wisdom of clever answers or shrewd strategies, but the kind that shapes how you respond to praise, criticism, promotion, and setbacks. What does godly wisdom actually look like in flesh and blood? In this episode, Stephen Davey opens 1 Samuel 18 and continues his series on the life of David. Fresh from defeating Goliath, David is suddenly a national hero. Songs are sung in his honor. Jonathan gives him his own robe and sword. Everyone loves him. But behind the celebration, King Saul begins to boil with envy. Stephen walks you through this chapter and shows how David quietly displays three defining marks of wisdom while Saul digresses into hostility and hatred. First, walking wisely means responding to promotion with humility. David rises to command, yet he never boasts, never gloats, and never rubs his success in anyone's face. Second, walking wisely means tolerating the weaknesses of others with grace. When Saul hurls spears at him, David does not pick them up and throw them back. He offers the benefit of the doubt and refuses to join the downward spiral of hurt, hate, hostility, and harm. Third, walking wisely means surrendering to the providence of God without complaint. David is demoted, denied a promised bride, and then handed a deadly dowry, yet he keeps trusting the Lord and refuses to defend his own honor. This message will reshape how you handle both the applause and the arrows in your own life. You do not have to answer every insult. You do not have to defend every slight. You do not have to grasp for what God has not yet given. Walk humbly. Extend grace. Trust the God who is quietly writing your story. 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

    Behaving Wisely Part 2 (1 Samuel 18:1-30)
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4.8
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About

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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