Category: Through the Bible Devotions

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Productivity or Leisure: The Art of Doing Nothing

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jeswin Thomas: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-sitting-on-bench-under-tree-1280162/
Daily writing prompt
What do you wish you could do more every day?
View all responses

I wish I could do more “nothing” each day.

Even though I’ve been retired for a few years, I still set daily productivity goals. I still have a “To do,” “Doing”, and “Done” Kanban board on the wall. I feel compelled to redeem my time each day.

I consistently write, read, exercise, and practice music each day. I’ve always got a house project going on, do a little online teaching, love to cook and bake, and have dogs who need lots of exercise. Time for family, a few church activities, and learning new technology (3D printing and edible ink printing) and before you know it, my week is full.

I’m fascinated when I hear people talk about all the TV or movies they watch, or completely wasted days when they got nothing done. I’m not saying I want to live those kind of days. I not sure I would even last 24 hours trying to do nothing.

Maybe I should schedule a little nothing into my day as well. They say that simply sitting and doing nothing stimulates creativity, and I love the science of creativity. So if I could spend more time doing less, I would actually be accomplishing more?

There I go again.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Bring on the summer!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite type of weather?
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My short answer: summer.

Yep. I love summer. Even in Florida, where I’ve lived for twenty eight years. `

I love hot temperatures, humidity, waking up to 75 degrees in the morning, and a day of shorts and nothing else.

I love sweating from the moment I walk out the door in the morning. I love the boiling hot car seats that only cool off after two minutes after starting the car AC. I love walking the dogs in warm predawn weather, knowing that this is as cool as it will get all day.

I love sweating while working in the yard or a sweaty garage gym workout. I love feeling the sun beat down on me while walking the dogs at dawn or cutting the lawn in the evening.

I love having to smear sunblock all over my body every day. I love the rumblings of distant thunderstorms. I love the longer hours of daylight.

Everyone else escapes the hot summer months. I relish them!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

My choice: Cross-country cycling

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Lorenzo Rui on Unsplash
Daily writing prompt
You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?
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While I would love to take a long train ride across the country or take the bus, my first choice would be biking from the Pacific to the Atlantic ocean.

I know it takes about three months to cycle across America. I’ve followed the Instagrams of a few cross country riders, and I would love to bicycle those three thousand or so miles.

The physical challenge of such a ride appeals to me. I love being outdoors, laboring uphill and careening down the other side. I relish traveling light, with everything I need in just a few panniers front and back. I’m more than ready to spend the night in a small tent by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

It’s not an easy way to cross the country, but for me, it’s better than being cooped up in a car, train, or bus.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Movies We Watch Again and Again

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times?
View all responses

At first I thought, “I don’t watch movies that many times.” And then I remembered the ones I watch over and over:

  • “Independence Day” (We’re big Will Smith fans). We watch this every fourth of July. We’ve got the DVD.
  • “Castaway” (We’re big Tom Hanks fans, especially where he celebrates making a “fi-yah!”) We’ve got this DVD, too!
  • “Jungle Cruise” (A grandson always asks to watch this one)
  • “Avengers: Infinity War” (Same grandson likes this, too.)
  • “Avengers: End Game” (Yep, same grandson!)

There are probably a whole bunch of Disney films we’ve watched over and over with grandkids, like “Frozen,” “Frozen 2,” and “Moana.”

I’ve watched a lot of movies after supper and before bedtime when the grandchildren have spent the night at out house. When you are under ten, you go to Marvel and Disney, which is okay by me.

If I were choosing movies, I would watch the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy more than a few times. And I am a big fan of “Eddie and the Cruisers” movies, which I have watched a few times. But maybe not five.

What about “The Sound of Music” or “The Ten Commandments”? The networks put those out there every year, and those are perennial favorites.

Some movies never get old.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Why I Don’t Believe in Superstitions: A Personal Reflection

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Are you superstitious?
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Friday the thirteenth? Thirteenth floor? Not a problem.

Black cat? Walk under a ladder? Broken mirror? I don’t give it a second thought.

I don’t keep wearing the same socks to keep a win streak going, either.

I’m not superstitious.

However, when someone says, “I hope it doesn’t rain!” I’ll catch myself responding, “Don’t jinx it!” As if the weather was subject to our random comments.

I’m not big on coincidences, either. I’m a logical thinker and like to investigate cause and effect. I have a pretty good handle on numbers and probabilities, too. Plus, my faith reminds me that God is still in control.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Eavesdropping on God: you can learn a lot

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 110.

Do you talk to yourself?

I’ve walked by people who sounded like they were talking to themselves. Then I see their air pods and I realize they were having a conversation on their phone.

Well, I don’t own any air pods. If I sound like I’m talking to myself, I am. And now that I’m thinking about it, I talk to myself a lot.

What do I say? O, things like

  • “I’m not going to do that again.”
  • “Come on, you can do better than that.”
  • “Relax. They aren’t worth it.”
  • “Unbelievable.”
  • “Just shut up and listen.”
  • “I knew they were going to say (or do) that.”
  • “This is going to take forever.”

In Psalm 110, we hear God talking to himself. Yahweh speaks to the Lord (Adonai), “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1) Later he adds, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (v4).

I think it’s fascinating to eavesdrop on the triune God. He talks to himself about some amazing stuff. He talks to himself about authority, victory, sacrifice, and grace. His words are all about who he is and what he does. God is victorious, omnipotent, interceding, and eternal.

Have you ever had to shut someone down by saying, “I wasn’t talking to you”? Sometimes God isn’t talking to you, either. But it’s okay to listen in. I don’t think he minds. Besides, you might just learn something.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I’d try a little bit of everything

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
View all responses

I’m not much of a shopper. I’m more of a buyer. When I walk into a store, I’m on a mission. I have a list. I get what’s on my list. I check out. And then I go home.

However, I can see myself “spreeing” in a place with a vast assortment of food and drinks. (Is that even a word?) It could be a row of food trucks, vendors booths, or free samples at Costco. That’s where I would spend a lot of time and money.

I can picture myself wandering from barbecue to pizza, asian and creole, and then to baked goods and ice cream. In between, how about a soft pretzel or nachos? Sample craft beers and whiskey. No huge platters or meals. Let’s do small portions of many different tastes.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Tears in a bottle

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Bobby Donald on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 56.

David might have written Psalm 56 when he was a prisoner of war. Or he might have been reflecting on his experiences later in life. Either way, I paused when I came across these words:

You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8)

What does it mean to have tears in a bottle? This is actually the only place in scripture where the word bottle is used. My mind wonders, “What is a bottle of tears?”

Here’s what I learned. It expresses remembrance. God knows and cares about me and my tears, as if he kept them in a bottle. He never says, “Get over it.” Instead he says, “I know.” “I get it.” “I understand.”

Most people really don’t care about how I feel. They are concerned about my performance. They care about the bottom line (money). They care about what I can do for them.

God cares about me. He cares about you. He cares about how you feel, about your joys, your grief, your worries, and your dreams. In fact, no one cares about you more than he does.

Your tears are precious to him. He loves to hear you laugh. In response to your worries, he says, “I’ve got this.” When you are so angry you could spit, he reassures you, “Been there. Done that.”

Best promise of all? It’s at the end of the bible: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). He knows. He cares. He comforts.


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.