Christian literature Archives

Listen to the Music

By Dave Walker | September 4, 2026 | Comments 0 Comment

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”

— Psalm 27:13–14 (NASB)

Why I Wrote Listen to the Music

For most of my life, I have worked in operating theatres, intensive care units, and some of the world’s most demanding medical environments. Along the way, I have witnessed intense suffering. I have seen lives changed in an instant from injury or disease, families facing unimaginable decisions, and people standing at the edge of uncertainty.

Yet alongside the pain, I have also watched individuals endure loss, uncertainty, and suffering while holding onto a belief that there is something greater than what they could see in that moment. In many instances, I have been privileged to help them hold onto a God of love despite the trials.

I wrote Listen to the Music because I believe stories have the power to reach places that explanations often cannot. A story can make us pause, challenge our assumptions, awaken compassion, stir forgotten memories — perhaps even help us hear God’s voice in a new way.

These stories are, in many ways, a reflection of what I have witnessed throughout my life: the reality of human suffering, the complexity of faith, and the quiet, persistent presence of God—even in the moments when He seems silent.

What You Will Find Inside

Listen to the Music is a collection of true Christian short stories shaped by real experiences, encounters with people from different cultures, and a deep conviction that God is present in every part of life.

Whether you are new to faith, wrestling with difficult questions, or have walked with Christ for many years, these stories invite you to pause and reflect on your own journey.

Within these pages, you will encounter people whose lives reveal extraordinary courage, sacrifice, heartbreak, and faith.

You will meet Father Damien in “Plundering a Hell on Earth,” a powerful account of sacrificial love and compassion in the face of overwhelming human suffering.

You will be challenged to consider eternal truths in “I Did It My Way,” a story that invites reflection on the choices we make and the paths we follow.

You will encounter the devastating consequences of conflict in “Scorched Earth, Seared Soul,” where the tragedy and senselessness of war leave a lasting mark on both the land and the human heart.

And in “To Mary, and Mary,” you will discover a tender and deeply moving story of love, humanity, and connection.

Each story stands on its own, yet together they form something larger: a collection of moments that invite readers to think deeply, feel honestly, and look again for the presence of God in both the extraordinary and the ordinary.

These are not simply stories meant to entertain. They are stories intended to stay with you.

A Perspective Shaped by Life and Faith

As a physician, I have had the privilege of serving in South Africa, Namibia, China, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. These experiences have taken me across cultures, communities, and circumstances that have profoundly shaped the way I see the world.

I have seen extraordinary resilience despite devastating suffering. I have seen how fragile life can be, but also how remarkably strong the human spirit can become when sustained by hope.

Although my medical background has given me a close view of the realities of pain, loss, and human vulnerability, my Christian faith has given me a different lens through which to understand those experiences. That combination shapes the stories in Listen to the Music.

They do not attempt to offer easy answers to life’s difficult questions. They acknowledge the reality of pain while holding onto the possibility of hope. Faith does not remove every struggle, but it gives us something to hold onto as we walk through them.

The stories, then are deeply human, spiritually reflective, and grounded in the realities of life.

What Readers Are Saying:

One reader described the experience this way:

“The best accolade I can give is that it leads you to search your own heart and that of the Lord.”

Another reader wrote:

“A real treasure trove of vignettes, little polished gems that keep me digging for more. I wept on several occasions at the beauty of your language and the emotions you evoked.”

These responses capture something of what I hoped the book might accomplish — not simply to provide answers, but to encourage reflection, inviting readers to search their own hearts. And perhaps, in doing so, to listen more carefully for the voice of God.

Why This Book Matters Now

We live in a world filled with noise.

There are endless voices competing for our attention, voices of fear, anger, distractions and uncertainty. For many people, the future can often feel uncertain, and anxiety is overwhelming.

With all this noise, it can be difficult to listen, to be still, to trust.

Yet Scripture reminds us that God’s presence does not depend on our circumstances, nor on our seasons of waiting. Sometimes His music is loud and unmistakable. Sometimes it is quiet. Sometimes, we must wait patiently before we can hear it again.

Listen to the Music is an invitation to pause amid the noise and pay attention to Him, to the people around us and to His involvement in it all. It is a reminder that even when we cannot understand the entire melody, we may still trust the One who is composing it.

Finally

Life does not always unfold according to our plans. There are moments when faith feels effortless, and others when waiting becomes one of the greatest tests of all.

But even in the waiting, God is at work.

And even when we cannot yet understand the melody, we can trust the One who holds the music.

May you find strength when the journey feels difficult.

May you find courage when the future feels uncertain.

May you learn to wait with hope.

And may you continue to believe, as the Psalmist says in psalm 27, that you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Blessings,

Dave Walker, MD

Author of Listen to the Music

About the Author
Dave Walker, MD is a physician whose medical career has taken him into operating theatres, intensive care units, and challenging medical environments across several parts of the world.
Having served in South Africa, Namibia, China, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East, his experiencesh ave provided him with a unique perspective on human suffering, resilience, faith, and hope.
He now lives in Howick, South Africa, with his wife, Dorelle.

Learn more:
Dave Walker’s Websitehttps://www.scribewalker.com/
Explore his books:
Dave Walker on Amazonhttps://amazon.com/author/dave_walker_md

A Sense of Destiny

By Dave Walker | September 23, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

(these posts are companion posts to the book God in the ICU)

Chapter One: A Sense of Destiny.

Psalm139: 15,16 “My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of the came to be.”

Quote from God in the ICU: “When I was old enough to understand, and heard them recall the story, (of my miraculous survival) it engendered in me a sense of destiny. God had spared me for a purpose.”

In the retirement complex in which I now live, I have two good friends who live vastly different lives. Dave is lean and bright eyed with an infectious enthusiasm that shines from his bearded face. His zeal for life is contagious. When we pop around spontaneously for a visit, he and his equally dynamic wife Katie greet us with delight, but often they’re away on some adventure, or helping out at the church or with friends in need. One day a friend of theirs, whose wife was away, mentioned that the thing he hated most about his wife being absent was the fact he had to make his own bed in the morning. Dave and Katie knocked on his door at an early hour. When their sleepy friend opened up, they bounced into his house and announced, “We’ve come to make your bed!”

My other friend keeps to himself. He is affable and responds with grace and a sense of humour when we pop over. Yet he’s content to sit by himself day after day in front of the TV. He seems prepared to live out the rest of his days this way, not wanting to die, but without any zest for life.

What is the difference in these friends? Dave and Katie have a sense of destiny. They realise God has a plan for them, and fulfilling that as best they can is energising and life-giving.

Chosen by God

Our sense of destiny starts with an understanding of who we are. It was as I heard the story of how I had miraculously survived a severe malaria illness that should have killed me as a small baby, that I sensed I’d been spared by God for a purpose .

What about you? Do you know, deep in your heart that you have been chosen by God for something especially designed for you? No matter the circumstances of your birth or upbringing, you are important to God, and here for a reason.

God says, in Ephesians 2:10, “We are God’s workmanship (poema — from which the word poem comes — a work of art) created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do.”

Sometimes, as I describe in God in the ICU, you might be aware of what that purpose is from early on. At other times it is more difficult. May I suggest a few things that will help?

Finding your destiny

Firstly, as you seek to find it, be other-centred. Jesus has been called “A Man for others.” His plan for you will be in line with His character. So, whether you have a passion for entrepreneurship, for public speaking, for art or engineering — whatever it is, check out how it can be used to benefit others and show them the love of Christ. Let that motivate you. My dream as a doctor was fuelled by pictures of myself at the bedside of the sick, bringing healing to them.
Secondly, follow your passion. God has made each of us uniquely, with our own aspirations. Psalm 37:4 has a double meaning when it says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” It could mean that what you desire, He will give to you, but I wonder whether it is truer to say, as you delight in Him, He will put the desires in your heart that He wishes you to have to fulfill your destiny.
Thirdly, follow your giftings. God equips us for our destiny. I’m writing this with some reservation, because I know of many people who were terrified to speak in public, but, in following God’s calling, became eloquent and pursuasive. However, that, for the most part, was not their main calling but enhanced their vocation as God equipped them when they stepped out in obediance.
Lastly, what doors does God seem to be opening for you? Are you aware of them? Is He shutting doors and opening others?

Whether you feel it or not, you have been hand-picked by God for a purpose. There’s nothing more life-giving than walking into that.

Further Bible reading:

1 Corinthians 7:17 Philippians 2:1-4 1 Peter 2:9-10

Listen to the Music

By Dave Walker | November 10, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Inspirational short stories

After a delay while I had stents put into my coronary arteries and looked after a four-year-old step grandson for 10 days — a full time occupation with no time for anything else — I’m very proud to announce that my new book is in print — electronically and as a paperback.

You’ll find it on Amazon or

There is something in music that causes a surge in the heart of the listener, causing emotions that fluctuate as the music varies. A good story, well written can do that, too.

In this book, I’ve written award winning stories that will put a song in your heart, like music. Whether you find your spirit soaring like an eagle with inspiring true stories such as that of Father Damien in “Plundering a Hell on Earth”, challenged with fictitious tales containing eternal truths, such as “I Did it My Way”, weeping at the tragedy of a senseless war in “Scorched Earth, Seared Soul” or tenderly touched by the love of two women in “To Mary, and Mary”, each story will strike a chord that brings you to Jesus, or challenges your walk with Him in some way.

Listen to the music that stirs within you as you read, and you will hear God speak to you.

For the next two weeks the book is on promotion for 99c. If you buy it from Smashwords, you’ll need to quote a coupon, which is NM27P.

This is an extract from someone who previewed it:

“Loved the book! It was a real treasure trove of vignettes, little polished gems that keep me digging for more. I wept on several occasions at the beauty of your language and the emotions you evoked.”

Here’s a sample:

The Mocking

            At the cathedral exit, Jacques paused and looked at his friend. “Wait here. I’m going back to shock the priest out of his cassock!” Turning back to the aisle, he made his way towards the confessional.
            Jacques and Mario were touring the world and having a blast. Cathedral tours were not usually included with the beaches, night clubs and extreme sports, but this one was supposed to be famous. Jacques found it ornate, cold and otherworldly. He needed to inject some fun.
            Drawing back the curtain of the confessional, he sat down. “Father, I have sinned,” he said in a contrite voice.
            “Nothing is beyond God’s forgiveness, my son. Please confess your sins.”
            Jacques, his imagination at full sway, recited in lurid detail, stories of every abominable sin he could think of. He had murdered, he said, fornicated, cheated, lied, blasphemed and betrayed. Finally he stopped, waiting for a response.
            After a silence the priest spoke up in deep, clear tones. Was there a slight mocking? Had he seen the prank?
            “My son, you have much to repent of. This is the penance: At the life-size crucifix overlooking the chapel to your right, look into the face of the statue of Jesus hanging on the cross and repeat ten times, “Jesus, you are hanging there for all I’ve done and I don’t care.” Then, with the hint of a smile in his voice, he said, “Do not let the game end here. Carry it through to the end.”
            So he DID know. Oh well, Jacques would accept the dare.
            He found the crucifix easily. He never understood this Jesus thing. Why did people make so much fuss about a man on a cross improbably taking our sins? Was the story true? It seemed unlikely. Uncertainly, he started. “Jesus, you are hanging there for all I’ve done and I don’t care. Jesus, you are hanging there for all I’ve done and I don’t care.” Gaining confidence, he made it part of the fun. Beating his breast in mock despair, in a cracked voice he called, “Jesus, you’re hanging there for all I’ve done,” then he straightened himself, looked defiantly at the statue’s face and spat out the words, “and I don’t care.” He tried looking him in the eye, daring him to flinch, “Jesus, you’re hanging there for all I’ve done and I don’t care.” There, that was four times. Six to go.
            On the seventh time, as he looked into that face, he noticed, for the first time, how the thorns of the crown pierced the skin of his forehead, causing blood to trickle down into his eye. Inexplicably, he felt an urge to wipe it away. “This is silly. It’s only a statue!”
            The next time, his eyes wandered to the hands fiercely impaled with large, rough nails. Again he noticed the blood trickling, this time, from the palms to halfway along his arms before forming drops that hung, about to fall. “Jesus, you’re … you’re hanging there … for all I’ve done, and ….. and I don’t care.” He forced the words out. “I am just talking to a statue.” Why, then was he feeling so emotional about it? He looked back at the face. Those eyes; they seemed to know what he was saying and yet remained with that same compassionate look. Of course they would. They were the eyes of a statue. And yet…. what if it depicted a real person?
            Two to go. He started, “Jesus, you’re hanging there for all I’ve done and…. and… ” He felt his knees shaking, then giving way. On his knees he started sobbing, “and I DO care, Jesus. I’m not that callous. Or maybe I am. I am sorry. I am so sorry that you had to do this for us. Why do you love us so much? How could I not care, Jesus, when YOU care so much? Forgive me, please. I don’t ever want to willingly do anything that makes me more responsible for your suffering.”
            As he knelt before the cross, a tangible peace flooded his soul. Through his tear-filled eyes he half-imagined Jesus coming off that cross, laying a forgiving hand on his shoulder. And he felt clean; for the first time he could remember, he felt washed from the inside out. He looked up and saw the man-God behind the statue. He also saw, in every repeat of his own mocking another reason for those brutal nails. And, born again, he wept.
(This is based on a true story)