Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

What if God’s behind it all?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 45.

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
    whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
    and to loose the belts of kings (Isaiah 45:1)

For the sake of my servant Jacob,
    and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
    I name you, though you do not know me. (Isaiah 45:4)

I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me…
I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:5,7)

In these verses, Isaiah writes about a king, Cyrus, who has not even been born yet. Two hundred years from then, the armies of the Medes and Persians, under Cyrus, would defeat Babylon and restore God’s exiled people to their homes. Cyrus doesn’t know God. He knows little if anything about the one true God of Israel. Yet God uses him. God is behind it all. There’s no one else making these things happen.

Could it be that God is behind current events, working out his plans for his people? Absolutely. What if today’s headlines really about what God is doing in the world? Faith opens our eyes to that reality.

God is not limited or deterred by unbelief, rebellion, selfishness, and greed. It’s a good thing that God isn’t dependent on our faithfulness and obedience. He wouldn’t get much done, would he?

I believe we tend to forget about God when we read or hear news. We tend to leave him out of the equation. What if we began with the assumption that God has a hand in whatever was happening? What if we believed he is involved in history, science, economics, government, entertainment, artificial intelligence, and space exploration? What if God’s connected in some way to crime, violence, scams, human trafficking, natural disasters, and pandemics?

Interesting questions, huh? Challenging questions for sure.

Remember, he’s not a God apart from our world. He’s incarnate. He’s a part of our world, fully immersed in every human endeavor.

And there is no other.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Do you carry your god, or does your God carry you?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Danka & Peter on Unsplash

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 46.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
    carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46:3-4)

Those who lavish gold from the purse,
    and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
    then they fall down and worship!
They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
    they set it in its place, and it stands there;
    it cannot move from its place. (Isaiah 46:6-7)

I find this justaposition of ideas fascinating. On the one hand, you have the one true God of Israel, who promises to carry his people just as he always has.

On the other hand, a metalworker fashions a god someone carries around from place to place.

Which kind of god would you rather have?

What’s your daily carry look like?

A phone, for sure. (That’s kind of a god right there, isn’t it?) Keys. A water bottle. Wallet. My dad always carried a handkerchief and a pocket knife. Most women have a purse full of essentials. A briefcase or a backpack? All the stuff that gets us through the day.

God’s daily carry is you. And me. He carries our burdens, anxiety, sin, and us through this life and into the next.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Speaking with purpose

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 55.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10,11)

Everything God says has a purpose.

That is so different than many people who make their voices heard. I believe many speak because they simply like to hear the sound of their voice.

As toddlers, we learn to communicate what we want. We cry, scream, complain, or plead for what we need.

When God speaks, however, it is to create. Sometimes to warn. Often to instruct and lead. Definitely to invite. Like the prophets who implore, “Repent!” Or Jesus who says, “Follow me.”

If God speaks with purpose, I should listen. I’ll bet most who devalue scripture simply don’t want to hear what God has to say.

I do. I want to hear his promises, assurances, and instructions. He gave me life. His instructions for life are worth listening to.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A few more years

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Richard Burlton on Unsplash

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 38.

Hezekiah is one of Judah’s better kings. According to the writer of Kings, “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (2 Kings 18:3). He purged idolatry from Judah and restored worship of the one true God. When threatened by the Assyrians, he turned to God for salvation.

When an illness threatens his life, Hezekiah also turned to God. He prays, “O Lord…restore me to health and make me live!” (Isaiah 38:16) God hears his prayer and gives him fifteen more years of life.

However, during those fifteen bonus years, his son Manasseh is born, arguably one of Judah’s worst kings, doing evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 21:2). He assumes the throne at age twelve, and undoes all the good his father did. Because of his actions, God declares he will bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 21:11,12).

Would things have turned out differently if Hezekiah had not lived those fifteen additional years? What if Manasseh had not been born? What if another son had become king and continued Hezekiah’s spiritual reforms?

Early on in my ministry in Florida, a ninety-year old member fell off a stool while having his picture taken for a church directory. He was in serious condition, but recovered and lived fifteen more years. However, over the next fifteen years, his son and daughter became embroiled in disagreements, hearings, and lawsuits about the care of their parents. At one point, seven different lawyers were involved as the courts decided who would get power of attorney, guardianship, and control of the assets. In the end, I believe the lawyers ended up with most of the estate. Sure, he lived to one hundred and five years, but the family conflict continues twenty some years later.

There’s got to be a lesson somewhere in this. We pray for health, healing, and long lives, not knowing what will happen down the road. Sometimes, God grants our request. But sometimes he doesn’t. Did you ever stop to think that the latter might be better?

All of that gives you a lot to think about. But don’t overthink it. God knows the number of your days, and has a purpose for short and long lives, from conception to last breath. Be grateful for today. Enjoy his daily morning mercies (Lamentations 3:22,23).

Posted in Life

Treasures along the road

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The big dog and I walk about twenty-five miles a week, around all the streets in the neighborhood plus some bonus excursions through the nearby sports complex. I find something along the road almost every day. A dime, a washer, or a pencil. I’ve found a screwdriver, two folding utility knives, and a Spiderman action figure.

Yesterday was unusually productive. I found

  • A Lego apple. The bright red color stood out in the brown mulch. This is gold. We’ve paid good money to add food pieces to our Lego collection.
  • A one-inch blue ball. It looks like it belongs to some kind of game. I spied it in the grass along the side of the road. It will fit in nicely with our collection of balls the grandkids play with.
  • A twelve-inch zip tie. It was just laying there in the middle of the road. I use these all the time, organizing wires, cords, and cables in our house.
  • An admission ticket to By Brothers. By Brothers is a family owned Cuban restaurant/family fun park in Miami featuring pedal tractors, corn pit, aviary, petting farm, train rides, pony rides, a giant jump pad, camel rides, paintball, an obstacle course, a fish farm, a sprinkler zone, inflatable waterpark, ball pit, and bird gardens. I have no idea why this ticket would be laying along the road five hours north in Palm Coast, but it sounds like a place I’d definitely want to visit!
  • A raffle ticket. Actually, the road was littered with them. I only picked up one. I’m thinking I’ll tuck it away in my wallet, and one day…that number will come up!

Posted in Life

The missing lug nut

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Tekton on Unsplash

For the past few days, I’ve heard an unusual sound from the front end of the van just as I’m coming to a stop. It’s not a squeak or a grinding sound. It’s more like something rubbing. I don’t feel it in the brakes. I only hear it. But not all the time. Hmmm.

I made an appointment with the brake place where I just had some work done a few weeks ago. Today I took the van to Discount Tire for an overdue tire rotation. Balance, too? Sure.

After the initial inspection, the service rep told me, “You’re missing a locking lug nut on the right front wheel.” What? I had no idea. The set of regular lug nuts were still in the glove box. “Just put one of those on.”

Fifteen minutes later, I was out of there. And on the drive home, I didn’t hear that noise. Hmmm. Nice! Could that missing lug nut been the culprit? Who knows? I’m just glad it’s not a brake issue.

But now I’m wondering, “What happened to that lug nut?” The last people to work on the van were the brake guys. From now on, I’ll check the lug nuts when I do my walk around.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The fear of God: more than a command; an experience

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by hannah joshua on Unsplash

A “through the Bible devotion” from Isaiah 29.

And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
 therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:13-14)

I wonder how much of this is true about me? Do I fear God because someone told me I should fear him? Is my fear of God “a commandment taught by men”?

On the one hand, I am thankful for my parents, pastors, teachers, and friends who taught me to fear God. I’ve never been afraid of God, but I have a healthy respect for his power, which exceeds every nuclear weapon, cat 5 hurricane, destructive tornado, or devastating earthquake.

On the other hand, my fear of God is rooted in what I’ve been taught about him. I have not camped at the foot of a rumbling Mt. Sinai. I have not walked through a parted Red Sea or Jordan River. I have not survived in a desert with nothing but a daily supply of manna. I have not directly witnessed a miraculous healing or resurrection.

I’ve been taught these truths.

God won’t let us limit him to textbooks or lectures. He promises to “again do wonderful things with this people.” His work of salvation isn’t limited to the past. It’s happening right now.

When my faith becomes nothing more than lecture notes, God promises to do wonderful things. He’s more than anything the best communicators can tell us about him. He’s an active participant in my life.

Will I see it? Will I witness his power? Will I see what he can do? Will I fear him because I’ve experienced him? Because I know him?

I certainly hope so!

Posted in dogs

Another batch of friends at the dog park

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday’s trip to the dog park was fun. You can tell I enjoy these outings because I like to write about them. We went before lunchtime since lots of storms were predicted for the afternoon (none of which materialized, by the way.)

These are my two, enjoying our morning outing.

Only one dog was wandering around the park, and from a distance it looked like another Great Dane, a harlequin, white with big, beautiful black spots. Once we got closer, though, he just didn’t have the size or the head shape of a Great Dane. His name was Duke, and when his owner brought him home from the animal shelter at eight weeks, she thought he might be at least part Great Dane. But it wasn’t in his DNA. Her previous dog was a Great Dane, and she was so thrilled to see Willow, our dane.

They had to leave after just a few minutes chasing around with our dogs, but a few more came right after. There was Cotton, a little white, one-eyed, fluffy Havanese. When Winston, our slightly larger White West Highland Terrier looked at him, it must have been like looking in a mirror. Cotton’s owner used to take him to the adjacent small dog park, but the little dogs wouldn’t run around. They just laid there near their people. So she started bringing him to the big dog park, where there’s lots of action.

He was accompanied by an eight-month-old Basenji named Fawn. She had a wonderful curly tail that looped around twice. I learned that a Bazenji doesn’t shed and is hypoallergenic. The four of them raced and hopped around getting to know each other, but it soon became clear that the smallest, Cotton, was the Alpha of this impromtu pack.

Before long, we were joined by Buddy, a small black Lab/Shepherd mix sporting a vest which announced, “In training – do not pet.” His owner and trainer had walked him around the outside of the dog park before bringing him in, letting him acclimate to these new surroundings. He was very friendly, approaching all the owners, hoping for some attention, but we all respected his restrictions.

We were joined by Samantha, an older, affectionate, mid-sized mixed breed who soaked up all the petting and scritches she could coax out of the humans.

It was a typical hot summer day, so the dogs spent as much time drinking water from five-gallon buckets as they did running around with each other. I find it curious and amusing that though I left knowing the names of all the dogs I met that day, I didn’t get any of the owners’ names. I need to make sure I get to know them as well as their dogs!

Posted in kitchen, Life

A great appliance repair experience

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

I wrote about our new double-oven a few weeks ago. Worked great and we got a great deal. However, after a few weeks, I noticed that the “hot surface” light stayed on all the time. All the burners worked and both ovens worked, but that light never blinked off.

I turned off the breaker, waited a few minutes and flipped it back on. The light was still on. I got online to see what the fix was. There’s got to be a YouTube video describing an easy fix. But I didn’t find one.

I opened up to the troubleshooting part of the oven manual. The solution? Turn the power off and on. If that doesn’t work, you need a service call.

I’d only had the oven for a few weeks, so the repair would be covered by warranty. I got online to find out who to call. Well, this is 2025, so you don’t actually call anyone. You go to a website, input your information, and make an appointment with a nearby repair company. It was pretty easy to schedule them for the day after tomorrow.

I was really happy when the repair guy called in the first few minutes of the four-hour appointment window and said, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” The only thing I had to do was shut the dogs in a bedroom. My appointment confirmation email specifically said, “If you don’t have your pets secured before the technician arrives, he’s leaving.”

It took all of five minutes for the technician to open up the top of the oven and say, “I don’t know which burner is the problem. I’m going to order a whole new set. They’ll be delivered, and then I’ll come back to install them.” We agreed on the next appointment time, and he was out of there. If new burners didn’t solve the problem, he’d replace the wiring harness. If that didn’t work, I’d get a whole new oven.

One week later, a huge box arrived with all new burners for the oven. A week after that, he called to say he was on his way. One by one he replaced all five burners on the range top. After replacing each, he flipped the power back on. Four times in a row he said, “Nope. Not that one. It’ll probably be the last one.”

Sure enough it was. He popped in burner number five, turned the power back on, and announced, “There we go.” He tested all the burners, packed up his tools, and had me sign a receipt. Problem solved. He assured me, “I’ve never had to come back after replacing the burners.”

Overall, not a bad service experience.