Author: William Douthwaite

Posted in Devotions, Grace, Through the Bible Devotions

I don’t think the flood solved the problem

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Chris Gallagher on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 6-9.

As I read about the flood in Genesis 6-9, it occurred to me that the flood didn’t solve the problem. Before the flood, God saw that “Every intent of the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). After? God said, “The intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Doesn’t sound like much changed at all.

That’s the way life is, isn’t it? Clothing gets dirty and has to be laundered over and over again. You have to dust the furniture, clean the bathroom, wash the dishes, and bathe the kids again and again. Everything keeps getting messy, including hearts.

So why wipe out life with a flood? Why save a few people who are just going to get into trouble again?

You have to admit that forty days and night of rain is a powerful message of God’s judgment. By the same token, an ark big enough to ride out the storm and preserve life is a dramatic illustration of God’s grace. The flood is a picture of law and gospel, justice and mercy, and power and love.

Along with David, we pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). What a difference it makes when Christ dwells in our hearts by faith (Eph. 3:17)!

I’m going to get in trouble again. So are you. Just don’t forget about that big boat of grace.

Posted in church, Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions, worship

Why does someone have to get hurt?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Tom Jur on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 4.

As soon as people began to worship God, worship began to separate people. Cain and Able both brought an offering to God in Genesis 4. But their style of worship was different. Cain brought produce from the farm; Abel brought something from his flock. Because God had regard for Abel’s offering but not for Cain’s, there is post-worship anger, gloom, assault, and murder (Genesis 4:8).

Not much has changed. Worship styles vary from church to church. There is gloom, despair, and agony when some congregations grow and others shrink. Worshipers openly criticize, discredit, and attack each other. And along the way, someone usually gets hurt. That’s what happens when “people [begin] to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26).

Jesus himself got caught up in a worship system that had plenty of room for laws, sacrifices, rituals, and priests, but little room for God. He was the one who ended up getting hurt and ultimately killed.

But that changes everything. The Lamb who was slain is on the throne in Revelation where everyone is on the same page, giving him “blessing, honor, and glory” (Rev. 5:13).

I suppose there’s a lesson to be learned here. Rather than focusing on what someone else is doing for worship, put the blinders on and let the Lord be in the spotlight. Listen to his word, receive his gifts of grace, and respond as someone who has been abundantly loved by loving others.

Posted in Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions

Nice outfit

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 3.

When someone comments, “Hey, nice outfit,” I wonder if it’s a compliment or they’re making fun. Maybe they really like what I’m wearing. Or maybe the plaid shirt with the striped pants wasn’t the best choice.

After the deception, disobedience, shame, and consequences of Genesis 3, God does something really nice for Adam and his wife. He makes garments of skin for them.

So God isn’t angry with them. I don’t hear anger in his voice when he finds them hiding in the bushes. He simply speaks, explaining the consequences of their actions. And then he clothes them (Genesis 3:21).

It’s a good thing he does. I doubt their makeshift fig leaf coverings were very effective. Probably wouldn’t last long, either.

We try hard to cover up our failures and mistakes. We hide behind excuses, blame, and ignorance. None of those are effective. They don’t last long, either.

The good news is that God covers our sin, too. He comes in the flesh (skin) as a Savior who covers up our shame and guilt with his own righteousness. Or as Paul will later put it, “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Gal. 3:27 NASB).

So I guess you can say that those garments of skin in Genesis 3:21 are a hint of what’s to come: Jesus.

This is the kind of stuff I think makes the Old Testament so much fun to read. I love finding the footprints of Jesus in those pages long before he walked on the earth.

As I take another trip through the bible, I’m going to write devotionally along the way and share what I find. This year I’m reading the 2020 edition of the New American Standard Bible. If you’re blessed by any of this, feel free to share it with a friend!

Posted in creativity, Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions

“That looks pretty good”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andrey Novik on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 1.

Last Monday, I finished up Revelation and started with Genesis on Tuesday. The words that grabbed my attention in Genesis 1 were, “And God saw that it was good.” After speaking land, plants, heavenly bodies, birds, fish, and animals into existence, God saw that it was good. Once he added people to his creation he saw that it was very good.

I jotted that down in my journal, thinking about how satisfying it is to create something. It could be something I make with my hands, some words that I write, a picture I draw, food that I cook, or some music I play. It feels “good” to create something. I believe that’s part of being created in the image of God.

There is a downside to being a creator. I am very critical of my work. When I say, “That’s pretty good,” I’m fully aware that in some way I could have done better. I see every flaw in a paint job, hear every note that wasn’t quite in tune, and know that I should have taken something out of the oven a minute sooner. There is always room for improvement.

As a creator, you keep creating. You don’t have much of a blog if you don’t keep creating content. Music is gone in a moment. If you want more, you must play more. Recording artists are always working on their next project. Once you’ve preached a good sermon, you get to work on next Sunday’s message. After you’ve eaten all the cookies, it’s time to create a new batch, right? When the kids grow up (and they grow up so fast!), you’ve got no more babies – unless you make more.

On the one hand, God rested on the seventh day because he completed the work of creation. And yet he still creates. He graciously creates a clean heart in us (Psalm 51:10). If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). We are looking forward to the new heaven and earth that God will create (Is. 65:17).

I look forward to daily creating content for this blog. I enjoy creating a loaf of bread, memories with family, space in the house by decluttering, and a little music with my guitar, too. What a blessing it is to both know the Creator and be a “creator.”

Posted in dogs, Food

A delicate balance

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I did a double take as I passed by the kitchen and saw a pile of homemade Loaded Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies balanced on a teetering plastic container lid. What could possibly go wrong?

What could possibly go right? A lot of dump trucks have been rumbling by our house on the way to construction sites up the street. Wire baskets in the kitchen from time to time, nudged little by little towards the edge by traffic vibration. The house shook when a neighbor brought down a dead tree in the lot next door. I think our dogs are aware of this. I’m certain they were thinking, “Just one more truck and those are ours!”

That’s one scenario. Here’s another. I can imagine the smaller, older dog encouraging the taller pup, “Just go over there and take a sniff. Just a little one. No one will know.” Just in case you’ve forgotten, our taller pup is an eight-month old Great Dane, whose chin is as tall as that island countertop. Her sniff is more than enough to send that stack flying across the kitchen floor. The little dog is quicker. I figure he’ll get four while the big dog grabs two. And just like that, everyone goes back to their respective sofas happy.

Neither dog has figured out how to open the kid gate that keeps them out of the kitchen. I saw the cookie stack long before they did and stabilized the pile for the low, low price of just one cookie. So you can still order some from the Backseat Grace Bakery.

Posted in Food, shopping

I can’t believe someone returned those

Posted on by William Douthwaite
What’s wrong with this picture?

If you’re going to Walmart, would you take these back for me?”

I know, no one ever wants to hear those words. However, bundling your errands into one trip to Walmart is better than multiple trips. And the return had already been initiated online, so it should be a quick scan and go.

Scan and go, yes. Quick, no. Five people stood in line ahead of me at the Service counter. I used the time to see what I could notice. I hadn’t yet decided what to write about today. But Walmart never fails to give me an idea. Today was no different.

The Walmart service counter is surrounded by piles of returned items. Boxes of diapers, an aquarium pump, a charcoal grill, colorful plastic eggs, a potted plant, and a package of underwear filled metal shelves on both sides of me. And one thing that really caught my eye: a package of double stuf Oreos.

I know. I did a double take, pulled out my phone, and got the photo. I couldn’t believe it, either. Oreos? Really? Who’s going to return Oreos? That’s just not right.

Okay, I know it’s one item from what looks like a whole cart of healthy food choices including soda, chips, Skittles, and ranch dressing. Maybe someone forgot their debit card and left this all behind. Maybe they got a call and had to leave the store before they could pay for their groceries, and left them in an aisle. Maybe someone made a snarky comment about their New Years resolution to eat healthier. “Fine. I’ll return them!”

Or, maybe someone at home wasn’t happy. “Why did you get double stuffed Oreos? You know I only like the regular ones! You’re so selfish. You only think about yourself. I’m not paying for them. Take them back!” Apparently someone did.

Do you think this bag made it back to the shelf? Or does the night crew share them when it’s break time?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Some animals and a garden

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 2.

I started reading the bible again.

What I mean is I just finished up the book of Revelation and started in Genesis again yesterday morning. I get through the whole bible about once a year so it all sounds familiar. But something new always touches my heart.

This morning, I read about God putting the first man in Eden to cultivate and tend it, and name the animals (Genesis 2:2:15, 20). I thought to myself, “We all start out that way.”

Within the first year of having children, we’re teaching them to identify animals and animal sounds. “What does the cow say?” “Moo!” Parents and grandparents sing endless choruses of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” Small plastic and large stuffed animals fill toy rooms.

Early on we teach them to smell flowers. Toddlers quickly learn to pick a weed and bring it to mom. Fruit quickly becomes part of their meals, first pureed, then chopped up. Playrooms fill up with plastic pretend food.

It never gets old. I still love to go to the zoo, an aquarium, or arboretum. I am fascinated and delighted by the endless array of animals, birds, fish, and plants. We were created to connect with nature, which connects us with the Creator. That connection is a powerful part of who I am.

Posted in coffee

A luxury or a necessity?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A recent WordPress daily prompt asked, “What is one luxury you can’t live without?”

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

When there’s a hurricane and the power is out for a few days, you learn what you can live without. Without electricity, there’s only candles after sunset, no wifi or cellular service, no streaming, no ice for drinks, no air conditioning or fans, no hot water for a shower. Everything is closed, so there’s nowhere to go.

I can get along with non-perishable food for a few days. I don’t mind drinking bottled water on mission trips. But the first question my wife and I ask when a storm knocks out the power is, “How are we going to make coffee in the morning?” If there’s no power to work the coffeemaker, I can boil water over a propane burner for some pour-over or instant coffee. I guess coffee is the luxury I wouldn’t want to live without.

A close second would be ice. Drinks pulled out of an ice-filled cooler or poured over ice into a glass are just so good. It doesn’t have to be a fancy beverage. Tap water over ice is delicious after yard work on a hot day.

It’s easy to forget how many luxuries we enjoy. I’m grateful for havingso much more than life’s necessities of food, water, shelter, and clothing.

Posted in minimalism

The oldest thing: my bedroom dresser

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday’s WordPress prompt asked the question, “What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?”

That question required some thought. I’ve actually got two answers. The first is my antique dresser in our bedroom. We bought these at an antique shop in Connecticut shortly after we moved there in 1991. It was my first call, and we brought a bed, a crib, and a table with chairs when we moved into the 2,700 sq. ft. church parsonage.

We purchased two antique dressers and still use them today. They have to be at least seventy-five years old. Made of real wood, they have dovetail joints.

A second answer to the question could be the Revere Ware mixing bowls in the kitchen. My mom gave me a set of Revere Ware in 1979 when I graduated from college and headed off to my first job and apartment. I still have one small saucepan and three stainless mixing bowls from that set. They’ve served me well for over forty-five years.

A runner-up answer would be my trumpet. It’s a silver-plated Bach Stradivarius 43 I purchased brand new in 1979 from Red Bank Music in New Jersey for $600. I had to go trumpet shopping when my old one, a lacquered model, was stolen from my car in West Long Branch. I still play it, although not every day.

We decluttered our house when we remodeled it six years ago, so we don’t have a lot of old things around. If we weren’t wearing it or using it, we sold it or gave it away. It’s just about time to do that again. Funny how stuff accumulates on shelves and in drawers.