Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Advent devotions

Doing good things and God things

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ryno Marais on Unsplash

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth, Joseph believes he is doing the right thing. When Mary was found to be with child, he didn’t want to shame her, so he resolved to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:19). While it was the right thing to do according to the law of Moses, it wasn’t God had in mind for Joseph.

Like another Joseph from long ago, this Joseph has a dream in which an angel of the Lord tells him to take Mary as his wife. Her son was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he would save his people from their sins, just as the prophet Isaiah had said.

Joseph’s life turned out completely different than anything he could have imagined. The family would have to take a trip to Egypt to save Jesus’s life when Herod slaughtered the children in Bethlehem. He would raise God’s son in Nazareth as his own.

Joseph taught carpentry to the one who laid the foundations of the earth. Joseph worshiped alongside the one who would be worshiped by every nation, tribe, peoples, and language.

What a privilege to work and worship alongside the Lord. Since he is Immanuel – God with us – we get to do that too. This truth adds perspective to every task and prayer we offer up!

Of course Joseph gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree. He’s “of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4) and served as a faithful father to Jesus.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A servant of the Lord

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

How did you feel when you found out your first child was on the way? It’s a totally new experience, uncharted waters, virgin territory. It is hard to describe how much your life changes the moment you find out you’re expecting your first child. It’s a combo meal of excitement, fear, apprehension, and joy. A new life is entering the world!

With three children of our own and a tenth (!) grandchild on the way, I can report that the excitement never wanes. I can also attest that they grow up so quickly. And I can recommend that you enjoy every moment along the way.

Jesus’ birth announcement comes through an angel who visits Mary. Her pregnancy is impossible. It’s a fulfillment of prophecy. It’s awkward. It’s God’s plan. And it is what everyone has been waiting for.

God’s plans often seem messy, inconvenient, awkward, and embarrassing. But Mary just goes with it. When Gabriel makes the big announcement, she replies, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Her faithful answer makes my faith look like chopped liver. How willing am I to abandon my plans and just go with whatever God has in mind? If I am honest, not very.

But God already knew how Mary would respond. He already knew what kind of a woman she was. He created her. He created her for this moment and for this task. He knew she would be willing to be the one who brought a Savior into the world.

God knows all about me, too. And my family. Sometimes we fit into his plan by having children and raising them in the faith. That’s one of the most important jobs of all, isn’t it?

Mary gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree, the mother of our Lord and a great example of being a servant of God.

Posted in Advent devotions

Your prayer has been heard

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

Zechariah was just doing his job. He burned incense in the temple, a symbol of prayers reaching God in heaven. It was an honor. A privilege. A duty.

In the cloud of smoke created by burning incense, an angel of the Lord appears and says to Zechariah, “Your prayer has been heard” (Luke 1:13).

Zechariah had been praying, too. He had been praying for his wife, for his family, and for his future. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were older and had no children. I imagine his prayer was simple. “Lord, could we just have a child?”

I’ll bet your prayer list is filled with petitions for friends, family, and those you hardly know. You got the prayer email, and now you come to the throne of God’s grace, confidently asking for his mercy for all these friends and strangers. Nice job. And of course, you slip in your own requests, too.

Zechariah, God has heard your prayers. God is going to answer your prayer. You are going to be a father! You and Elizabeth are going to have a son.

And not just any son. Their son would be John the Baptist. He was be part of God’s plan to bring a Savior to the world. His bold preaching would prepare the way for the Lord. Zechariah and Elizabeth were a part of God’s plan!

None of us ever know how we or our children will be a part of God’s plan. I read somewhere that a person’s path to the Lord was paved with many stones, that is, people who play a part in God reaching someone with his love and mercy. You never know which of those stones you are.

So just keep doing your job and saying your prayers. You never know when an angel or God himself will show up with an unexpected message or blessing.

Zechariah gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree, the father of the one whose voice would be heard in the desert, “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

Posted in Advent devotions

God’s building project

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Di on Unsplash

Nehemiah didn’t have to say a word. The king could see it in his face. Nehemiah was upset about the ruined walls and burnt out gates of Jerusalem.

The king knew Nehemiah’s sadness wouldn’t go away all by itself. He asks Nehemiah, “What do you want?”

Nehemiah makes a big, bold ask. “Send me there to rebuild the city, and provide the resources to do it.” Amazingly, the king grants his request! Why? It was the hand of God (Nehemiah 1:8).

Despite the overwhelming task and local opposition, the people get the walls rebuilt in fifty-two days. I believe that’s pretty good when you consider they had no heavy equipment or power tools. Plus, they worked with tools and materials in one hand and a sword, spear, or bow in the other.

God tears down and repairs walls. In Ephesians 2, Paul describes how Jesus tore down dividing walls by his blood. Then, God puts up a new structure, a dwelling place for his Spirit, built with believers on the foundation of the prophetic and apostolic scriptures, “with Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20,21). Against all odds and opposition, God builds his church, a place where our lives are safe and secure.

Nehemiah gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree, reminding us of God’s amazing construction project. If you’ve read this far, be sure to go listen to Gold City sing “God’s Building a Church.”

Posted in Advent devotions

Just keep praying

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Julie Wolpers on Unsplash

When Daniel revealed the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron and clay that was toppled by a divine stone, he had no idea he’d live to see that dream come true. In Daniel’s lifetime, Babylon falls to the Medes, and King Darius takes over.

What did Daniel do in the meantime? He knelt down and prayed three times a day. It was no secret. Everyone knew it. As kingdoms fell and rose, Daniel’s devotion remained constant.

I believe it’s important to nurture your spiritual disciplines when life is good, so that when there are challenges, your spiritual muscle memory keeps you on track.

What did Daniel do when his colleagues conspired against him? What did Daniel do when the king decreed he couldn’t pray to his God? “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10). His circumstances may have changed, but his habits didn’t.

King Darius had no choice. He wrote the law. He prescribed the consequences. He had to throw Daniel into the lions’ den.

Do you know what happened? (A lot of you do.) Darius didn’t get any sleep. Daniel got to see an angel! “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel 6:21). Someone had an amazing night!

I want to see an angel. But do I want to see one in the same context as Daniel? I’m not so sure about that. I’ve seen lions tear into a piece of beef at the zoo. I don’t want to be the next meal.

On the other hand, if angels show up where there are lions, then maybe…just maybe…I’ll check into the lion Airbnb.

What if angels only show up when the going gets tough? What if you only get to see angels when the whole world seems to be against you? What if an angelic presence requires the presence of a carnivore with big teeth and a loud roar?

What if…? I could ask that question all day. Life is filled with “What if’s?” What if your prayers bring you to a place with lions and angels? I could live with that!

Daniel gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree as a reminder that we can depend on god to save us from lions, from sin, death, and the power of the devil.

Posted in Advent devotions

Is it hot in here, or is it me?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by yasin hemmati on Unsplash

Didn’t you hate it when your parents flipped your argument and used it against you? When you got in trouble for doing something, you justified your actions by explaining, “Everyone else was doing it.”

Your parents may have replied, “If everyone else was jumping off the top of a building, would you join them?”

Of course we want to say, “No,” but you and I know that it’s hard to swim upstream and not do what everyone else is doing. It’s hard to be Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when the music starts playing and everyone falls down to worship the giant golden statue King Nebuchadnezzar set up. It’s especially hard when the consequence for noncompliance is the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:4-6).

I’ve often wondered if the Chaldeans had a dedicated furnace they kept on simmer for moments like this. I suppose it might have been a kiln that no one was using to fire pottery.

It couldn’t have been easy, but these three wouldn’t do it. They had no doubt that God was able to save them the furnace. But even if he didn’t, they were not about to worship anyone but him.

Nebuchadnezzar was so furious at their response that he turned up the heat seven times more than normal and tossed them in. When he and his advisors looked in, they were walking around the furnace with a fourth, most likely Christ himself in an Old Testament cameo. The one true God is not just someone you bow down before. He is someone who come alongside you in good and horrible situations.

Hundreds of years later, the devil would pressure Jesus to bow down and worship him. If Jesus would do that, for just a moment, the devil promised to relinquish all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Jesus refuses. First of all, those were already his. Second, God’s word is clear: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10).

Since most of my readers live in the United States, where we have freedom of religion, we most likely will never be threatened with fire for our beliefs. But we will be influenced by what everyone else is doing.

So it’s a good idea to make every effort to be influenced by the best influencer of all, Jesus.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego get an ornament on the Jesse Tree, reminding us of the one who comes to save, Jesus Christ,.

Posted in Advent devotions

You can run, but you can’t hide

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Christopher Campbell on Unsplash

When God gives Jonah the task of calling the city of Nineveh to repentance, he does his best to run away.

It turns out that it’s not that easy to run away from God. God sends a storm that threatens to capsize his ship. God sends a fish to swallow Jonah to keep him from drowning when he’s tossed into the sea. And when Jonah prays from the belly of the fish, God is there to answer him. Like David said in the psalm, no matter where you go, God’s already there (Psalm 139:7-10).

(My friend Gene from Denver believed Jonah said, “I never knew a fish had tonsils!”)

So Jonah taps out. He goes to Nineveh to warn them of God’s judgment. Believe it or not, the entire city repents. What a great reminder of the power of God’s word!

And what a great image of who Jesus will be. When religious leaders demanded that Jesus do a sign to validate his claim to be the Savior, he responds, “The only sign you’ll get is the sign of Jonah.” Just as Jonah returned from the depths after three days and nights in the belly of the fish, so Jesus would come back to life on the third day.

Jesus, God’s word in the flesh, also turned many from their sins back to God. His mercy and kindness moved many to repentance. His words brought those dead in sin back to life.

Jonah gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree because he’s a lot like the one who will save us from our sins: Jesus.

Posted in Advent devotions

Let ‘er rip!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

What’s your reaction when you hear scripture being read? You know, like when you’re in church and the pastor reads a passage before a sermon.

Or what about this: how do you respond when you read the bible? You know, in the early morning when you are doing your devotions?

Do you laugh? Cry? Get angry? Feel guilty?

None of the above?

Do you feel anything?

That’s a penetrating question. It’s a bit convicting. I read scripture a lot. Every day, first thing in the morning. I read through the entire bible once a year. I’ve read the bible cover to cover at least three dozen times. I hear scripture read every Sunday in worship services. I listen to the bible through an app on my phone. I hear verses read aloud on Christian radio.

You know what? Most of the time I don’t feel anything. Most of the time, it’s an intellectual encounter with God.

Okay, so let’s compare that with how King Josiah reacted to a scripture reading. When workmen repaired the temple and found the scrolls of God’s Word, the king’s secretary read it to him.

“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11).

In Old Testament culture, that means he felt convicted. Josiah was distraught. Devastated. He was so upset that he tore his clothes, the ultimate expression of confession and repentance before God.

So maybe I should ask a different question when I encounter God’s Word. Instead of asking, “What does this mean?” or “How should I apply this?” or “What should I do (or stop doing)?” I could ask, “How does this make me feel?” Does these verses or chapter spark joy? Or do they make me want to throw my bible across the room? Should I be dancing? Or should my eyes tear up?

My dog’s tails betray their feelings. Depending on my tone of voice, their tails might be wagging with delight or be tucked under in submission.

Josiah gets a Jesse Tree ornament because he responded to God’s promises of a Savior. He knew he needed grace. I do too.

Posted in Advent devotions

Fire from heaven

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Courtney Cook on Unsplash

The firewood was damp. I didn’t have any newspaper. What little kindling I could find was wet. It was windy. Night was approaching. It was a challenge, but I got a smoky fire going inside the campsite ring of rocks.

Elijah arranged similar conditions when he challenged the prophets of Baal to a sacrifice challenge. He soaks his sacrifice and the wood beneath it with enough water to fill a moat around the altar. But it’s not a problem for God who send fire to consume the sacrifice, wood, stone altar, and all the water (1 Kings 18:20-40). There’s nothing left but a crater after the Lord demonstrates that he is the one true God.

On a recent walk I saw a burned out shell of a car in someone’s driveway. Every Thanksgiving people post videos of turkeys going up in flames when improperly dropped into a pot of hot oil. I vividly remember when wildfires raged within a half-mile of my home. I never underestimate the power of flames.

Every once in while God shows up in fire. Like the burning bush from which he spoke to Moses. Or chariots and horses of fire when he took Elijah to heaven. Or when he spoke to Zechariah who was burning incense in the temple. The Holy Spirit looked like tongues of fire descending on the apostles on Pentecost. Jesus’s eyes looked like they were on fire when John saw him in the first chapter of Revelation.

Sometimes God’s fire consumes. Sometimes it purifies. Elijah gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree as he prayed for God to reveal himself with fire.