Category: Through the Bible Devotions

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Understanding Vengeance in Psalm 94

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 94.

O Lord, God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, shine forth!
 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
    repay to the proud what they deserve! (Psalm 94:1,2)

He will bring back on them their iniquity
    and wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out. (Psalm 94:23)

The imprecatory psalms are one of my guilty pleasures. In those psalms, the writer asks God to give the bad guys, whoever they are, exactly what they deserve. Which is what we all want, right? We want those who have hurt us to pay for their actions.

We don’t like to admit this, though. It doesn’t feel very Christlike. After all, Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want us to pray that they would be wiped out.

Yet that exactly what the psalmist does. However, maybe this is a good prayer to pray or song to sing. It takes the idea of vengeance out of my hands and leaves it with God, where it belongs.

And here’s a sobering thought. Maybe, just maybe, there’s someone out there who’s praying this about me. Whether I’m aware of it or not, I’ve hurt, neglected, ignored, dismissed, and snubbed someone who would like to see me get a taste of my own medicine. Is there anyone praying that I be wiped out?

I don’t like that side of the psalm, either.

I guess the best thing to do is go ahead and pray this psalm. Get it out of your system. Then be thankful your God is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He understands how you feel. Don’t worry. In the end, he’ll take care of everything, including you.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A rare moment when God speaks to his creation

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Sam Moghadam on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 104.

God has a lot to say in scripture. However, he speaks to people, not to the creation.

But the psalmist mentions the Lord rebuking water (Psalm 104:7), which reminds me of Jesus calming the wind and the sea with a simple command, “Peace! Be still!” (Mark 4:39)

Are there any other instances where God speaks to his creation?

Jesus curses a fig tree on his way to Jerusalem before his crucifixion (Matthew 21:19).

God commands the seas and how far they can come up on shore (Job 38:11). He commands the morning, too, giving instructions to the dawn (Job 38:12). In that same chapter, God implies that he can speak to the clouds so that they release their moisture (Job 38:34).

God tells the prophet Ezekiel to speak to mountains, birds, and beasts on his behalf, but not directly in those passages. He tells Moses to speak to a rock, so that it will give up water for the people. (Moses makes a big mistake and hits it instead.)

That’s all I could find. God speaks creation into existence. He speaks to his people in many and various ways through prophets and ultimately his son, Jesus. But he doesn’t often speak to the creation which is waiting for Christ’s return (Romans 8).

I talk to inanimate objects. (Don’t you?) I usually speak in an unkind way, though, because they aren’t doing what they are supposed to do. I get very short with a car that won’t start, a plant that won’t grow, a smoke alarm that starts chirping in the middle of the night, or a toilet that won’t flush. Nothing responds to my voice, no matter how much I rant.

The sea and the wind. The fig tree withered up and died. Creation obeys him without question. I’m not as responsive. God has to repeat himself a few times before I pay attention.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The Dimensions of God’s Love: you’re going to need a box

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 103.

“It looked bigger in the picture.”

Ever order something online, only to find it’s much smaller than you expected it to be? Could be clothes, a tool, or a toy. I have to make sure I read the specs before I buy something.

Pictures of short-term rentals make homes look palatial. When I arrive, though, everything looks so small. Whoever took those pictures knew exactly what they were doing. They knew just the right angles to magnify every bedroom, bathroom, closet, and living area.

It’s just the opposite with God. We tend to underestimate the dimensions of his steadfast love, or mercy. The words of Psalm 103 blow the roof off our meager expectations.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11)

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him. (Psalm 103:17)

The Lord has an abundance of steadfast love, more than enough to go around, enough for seconds and even thirds. That same steadfast love keeps going up and up and up, far beyond the highest floor of the worlds tallest building. And if that’s not enough, his steadfast love lasts forever. It’s the ultimate bottomless cup of whatever.

Before you order the salad in a restaurant, ask how big they are. They’re often enough to feed both of you, with leftovers to take home.

Check out that breakfast platter coming out of the kitchen. Look at the size of those pancakes! Maybe we should split an order.

And make sure you consider the dimensions of God’s amazing steadfast love. Yeah, you’re going to need at least one take-home box.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Finding Faith When Facing Mountains

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 97.

Mountains are obstacles. When they’re too hard to climb over, travelers go out of their way to find passes between peaks. If there’s time, explosives tunnel out roads beneath the hills. Switchback roads zig zag up and down slopes too steep to drive straight up and down, adding miles to a otherwise short journey. Many just settle when they reach the foothills, unable to go any further.

Mountains are obstacles – unless you’re the Lord.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth. (Psalm 97:5)

I struggle to grasp God’s omnipotence. What does a power greater than any other power look or feel like? We like powerful things. The world’s strongest man. The most powerful computer. The hottest hot pepper. Headlines celebrate the most powerful rocket that lifts off into space.

While training or innovation takes people farther and faster, there are still mountains. Mountains never go anywhere. They remain obstacles.

Mountains stretch high into the sky because the Creator instructed them to do so. They break into praise at the mention of God’s saving work. Jesus said a speck of faith in God could launch a mountain into the sea. They know and respect the sheer power of God.

I love the psalmist’s poetic way praising God’s unequaled power. If the mountains are no obstacle, what could ever keep us from his great love?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Fresh oil

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Roberta Sorge on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 92.

When the author of Psalm 92 praises the Lord, it is for his love and faithfulness, the works of his hands, and divine protection and strength. Then he adds,

“You have poured over me fresh oil” (Psalm 92:10).

In the Old Testament, oil is used to anoint or consecrate priests and kings. It is a way of showing everyone that the people in those positions have been set apart by God for a particular purpose.

The image of “fresh oil” is a daily reminder that a new batch of God’s morning mercies await as we begin the day. Just like daily bread and a daily resolve to follow Jesus, there is a plan and purpose for our day. The God who was, who is, and who is to come redeems our past, guarantees our future, and blesses this moment in time.

Your car’s engine doesn’t run as well on old oil. Forgotten vegetable oil in the pantry goes rancid. How long has that oil been in the fryer? It looks disgusting.

What a blessing to have some fresh oil from God each day. His word refreshes our souls with new daily reminders of his forgiveness, his promises, and his purposes for our lives.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

It’s about time

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Olga Nayda on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 90.

Kids grow up in the blink of an eye. Waiting an hour to see the doctor seems to take forever. Time is a curious thing. It may zip by or it may drag.

I would imagine that time dragged for Moses in the wilderness. Psalm 90 is attributed to him. Forty years out in the middle of nowhere. He tries to keep it in perspective.

For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4)

It’s easy for God. From the perspective of eternity, a thousand years seems like yesterday. A single shift at work.

Our seventy or eighty years seems like a long time on the front end. But “they are soon gone,” and at the end of life, you wonder where the time went.

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

It’s a learning curve to keep things in perspective. Our lives on earth are finite. Our lives with the Lord will last forever. Those two realities rattle around in our minds. Mortality and eternity.

That awareness gives us wisdom. The wisdom to enjoy this moment. The wisdom to remember life up to this point. The wisdom to keep eternity in mind. The one “who was, who is, and who is to come” enables us to live in all three dimensions without skipping a beat.

The watch on my wrist dictates much of my day. But it doesn’t define my life. The Lord does.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I’ll never again complain about lunch taking so long

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 91.

While in Texas, we took four grandchildren to lunch at Panera last week. Tw o of them had bowls of soup, one had the macaroni and cheese, and the fourth went with grilled cheese.

I couldn’t believe how slowly they ate! It took every bit of forty-five minutes for them to enjoy a nice relaxing lunch. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve just never seen anyone eat a potato chip in six separate bites. I grab a few and pop them in mouth. Rather than a whole spoonful of soup, which wasn’t that hot, the olders scooped very small amounts of soup with their spoons. Mac and cheese? One small noodle at a time. Unless she decided to eat that noodle in three bites.

We weren’t in a hurry, had lots of things to talk about, and enjoyed our time together. Afterwards, we headed towards a Target to pick up a few things. As we approached the turn in, I saw two banged up cars waiting for the police to arrive. A minute sooner and it could have been us. I said, “I’ll never again complain about lunch taking so long.”

The psalmist writes

He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11,12)

Forget about a guardian angel. I’m thankful for a bunch of them taking care of me. And here’s the fascinating thing. Most of the time, I’m not even aware of their presence and protection. The bad stuff that could have happened doesn’t. So I go on with my life, oblivious to their efforts.

In the bible, angels sing, deliver messages, praise God, fight battles, and take care of us in ways we can hardly understand. Thank you, Lord, for letting us linger over lunch.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

He loves it

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible: devotion from Psalm 87.

Maybe you’ve seen those HGTV shows like “Love it or list it.” What do you do when your house no longer does it for you? Renovate for a changed lifestyle, or sell it and buy something else.

Psalm 87 answers that question for God regarding his house.

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
     the Lord loves the gates of Zion (Psalm 87:2)

The Lord loves this city! It’s not perfect. In fact, it’s a real mess sometimes. The bible recalls numerous remodeling jobs. It’s a target for both Assyrian and Babylonian attacks.

Of course, Zion is more than just a place. It’s God’s people. It’s a city filled with people who don’t listen, don’t care, and mostly think of themselves. They are led by unfaithful kings, reject prophets, and ally themselves with foreign nations. They talk a good game, but their hearts are far from God.

And God loves this place. Not because of them. Not because they have potential. Not because they will eventually come around. He loves it because it’s his. He designed it and built it. God loves it because of who he is.

In the New Testament, Paul will describe the church as a place for God’s spirit to dwell made up of people just like them and us. Yes, we’re a mess, we’re undependable, and we forget how much he’s done for us. And yet he loves us. He loves his church. He paid for her with his son’s life.

It’s a keeper. You and I are keepers, too. All because of him.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Open wide

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 81.

In Psalm 81, Asaph encourages all sing aloud and shout for joy to the Lord.

Sing aloud to God our strength;
    shout for joy to the God of Jacob! (Psalm 81:1)

Now’s not the time to hold back. Let loose with praise for who God is and what he has done for you. He’s brought you out of Egypt, subdued all your foes, and feeds you with the finest.

A great promise follows:

“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)

It’s okay to be a church that looks like baby birds in a next with mouths open wide, crying out. Their pleas are heard, and their mother fills them, just as God opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every creature he’s made.

You can complain, gripe, and lash out. You can be discontent, grouchy, and irritable.

Or you can spend your energy on thanks and praise, and not only focus on God’s abundant grace, but receive even more in the process!