Category: Through the Bible Devotions

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

More names for a smooth transition

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Chronicles 23-27.

More names? Oh, yeah, and lots of them. King David’s reign is coming to an end and his son Solomon is ready to assume the throne of Israel (2 Chronicles 23:1). So David gets his house in order, and the write of Chronicles chronicles all of it for us.

David organizes the Levites for all the work in and around the temple Solomon will build. He organizes the priests to offer up the daily sacrifices. David organizes the musicians, gatekeepers, treasurers, and military divisions. Every name is recorded. Everyone knows their job.

When I was getting ready to retire from full-time pastoral ministry, there were a lot of lists to leave behind for my successor.

  • I updated the membership database.
  • I made sure every member was properly assigned to an elder, and made each elder had a current list of their assigned families.
  • I left a list of all the children and youth members for the youth directors.
  • I complied a list of all the homebound members and the last time I had visited each.
  • I arranged for the welcoming of new members, one last confirmation class, a few baptisms and a funeral.

Just like David, I tried to tie up all the loose ends as new leadership came on board. It turned out to be a larger task than I imagined. Which is why it takes up five whole chapters in 1 Chronicles. I had a lot of that information in my head and on my calendar. I downloaded it all to the church office.

I did a good job. I only got one or two phone calls over the next year about things I forgot to write down for someone else. I’m sure David did a good job, too.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Name after name after name

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Chronicles 1-9. (1 Chronicles? Yep.)

One of the more time consuming administrative tasks in a church office is keeping records of congregational membership and official acts. Weekly updates reflected the transient nature of the community. Families joined, members died, couples got married, moms gave birth, youth were confirmed, young and old were baptized, families moved away or joined other churches, and individuals moved, changed phone numbers and email addresses. We constantly updated the membership database, a spreadsheet to record the changes, mailing lists, and a directory for the congregation.

From time to time I would look through the list of names. Some brought back wonderful memories. I didn’t remember some. A few joined and left within months. Some disappeared without a trace. A small collection of names were charter members.

This information came in handy. A mother came in one day to get a copy of a misplaced baptism certificate so her son could enroll in a parochial school. Another was surprised that they were not an official member of the congregation. The lists highlighted those who hadn’t been to worship for a while, who had stuff going on in their lives.

The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are not action-packed. They are endless lists of names, from Adam to the flood to the exile and back again. Yes, my eyes glazed over as I skimmed the pages til I got to the words, “So all Israel was recorded in genealogies” (1 Chronicles 9:1). This was their version of membership records.

Those who returned from exile needed to connect with God’s people of the past. They needed to know they belonged. They were blessed to be a part of a chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and a people belonging to God. We’re blessed to be a part of those people, too, saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Imagine page after page of names, including yours.

And maybe someone you will tell about the Savior.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Where’s my bible?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Josiah was a good king.

That’s saying a lot, since his grandfather Manasseh and father Amon were kings who did what was evil, worshiped idols, and brought on Judah the certainty of God’s judgment.

Josiah ascended to the throne at the age of eight. When he was twenty-five, he initiated repair of the temple.

Guess what they found?

Hilkiah the high priest said, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:8).

I’ve always thought it amazing that they could lose their bible, which would have been the Pentetuech (the first five books of our bible). Clearly it hadn’t been read in a long, long time.

Imagine someone asking, “Where is your bible?” And you have to say, as you rummage through boxes of books, “I know it’s around here somewhere.”

In some churches I go to, most people have a bible with them. In others, hardly anyone does. I wonder why?

In some churches they project the bible passages on a screen. In others, they print out the readings in a handout. So I guess it’s not essential to have a bible with you at a worship service.

But it’s helpful. Here’s why:

You can easily read the context of a passage of scripture. Context is so important. The before and after of a verse makes a verse come to life!

  • You can underline, circle, highlight, and make a note in the margin to read later.
  • You can look at other notes, highlights, circles, or underlines you’ve made in the past.
  • You can quickly look at other verses that come to mind or are mentioned in a sermon or by a teacher. Yes, you can do this digitally, but I find it easier to do with paper pages and a thumb to keep my place.

I find it amusing to imagine a couple scrambling around, trying to find their bible so they can leave it out on the coffee table when the pastor comes to visit. Have to make a good impression, right?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Fifteen more years

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Carl Tronders on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 20.

What would you do if you knew when you would die?

When King Hezekiah gets sick, the prophet Isaiah tells him to get his affairs in order. It’s terminal. He’s going to die.

After Hezekiah prays and weeps, Isaiah comes back and says, “Good news. God is going to give you fifteen more years to live!” (2 Kings 20:6). As a sign to Hezekiah, God makes the sun’s shadow move backwards. Yes, Hezekiah, it’s for real.

How would you live if you knew you had fifteen more years ahead of you? I think that much time makes the question a little harder to answer. It’s one thing when the doctor says, “Three to six months,” or perhaps another year. Fifteen years is a long time.

Would it take you fifteen years to get through your bucket list? Or would you coast until you got to the last year to tie up loose ends?

Would you still try to take care of yourself? Or would you cancel the gym membership you don’t use and eat whatever you want? For a while – exactly fifteen years – you’re immortal.

At what point would you begin to sweat? When would you start to worry about your demise? What would you think about in year fifteen? After all, you don’t know how you’ll die, just when.

I believe it’s better not to know. The psalmist prays, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Embrace your mortality, accept the uncertainty of life and death, and make the most of today.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Outnumbered

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Piret Ilver on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 6.

It’s a terrifying moment. The armies of Syria are surrounding the Israelite city of Dothan. That’s all Elisha’s servant can see. But Elisha can see more.

“Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). After Elisha prays, “The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16).

This is definitely one of my favorite bible verses. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or even just whelmed, I remember this verse. I remember that God is always more than anything this world has to offer. He is always more than any earthly threat. He is more.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told his disciples to stand down. When the disciples want to fight the mob, led by Judas, Jesus tells them to stand down. “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).

In any situation, God is always more. Stronger, faster, and smarter. More dependable, knowledgable, and creative. He’s more merciful, forgiving, and loving. He is the ultimate expression of any bodyguard, defense, or security force.

God’s forgiveness always exceeds my sin. His compassion is more than my hurt. His presence is more than all the other people around me. His love is more than any other affection given me.

He is more.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

It’s not rocket science

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 5.

When Naaman is outraged when Elisha’s messenger instructs him to wash seven times in the Jordan to be healed of his leprosy, his servants wisely say, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?” (2 Kings 5:13).

Naaman is outraged because he wanted the prophet Elisha to call on God, wave his hands, and heal his chronic skin disease. But he has servants who really care about him. They point out how simple the cure is.

How often is there a simple answer to our problems? More often than we like to admit. Eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep, drink more water. It’s not rocket science is it? It rarely is.

It’s usually the little things that make the biggest difference. One philosophy says that if you improve 1% each day, you’ll be 37 times better at something in a year. One percent might mean one more minute doing something, one more repetition at the gym, one more step, one more page read, one more sentence written.

What if the answer isn’t something complicated? What if it’s something simple?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

That sounds familiar…

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ashlyn Smith on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 4 and 5.

Elisha does impressive miracles in 2 Kings.

  • He brings a child back to life (2 Kings 4:32,35).
  • He feeds a whole bunch of people with just a little bit of food (4:42-44).
  • He heals a person from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14).

Hmm. Who does that remind me of? Jesus? Yep.

I don’t remember who pointed this out to me, but the John the Baptist – Jesus dynamic was foreshadowed by the Elijah – Elisha pairing. It’s a fascinating parallel. Not an exact parallel, but interesting. There is also a similar dynamic with Moses and Joshua (preparation followed by conquest).

Remember when Elisha prayed for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2:9)? Elisha does about twice as many miracles as Elijah. Double, indeed.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Death in the pot!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash

It was a Wednesday night in the late winter or early spring. Our church hosted a soup supper before the midweek Lent worship service. We typically had three or four different soups each week.

One week, as I was ladling some delicious looking vegetable soup into a bowl, Ann (the cook) said, “I don’t think it’s very good.”

I replied, “You mean like ‘death in the pot’ stew?” When she gave me a puzzled look, I told the bible story of a concoction made from wild gourds in 2 Kings 4 that prompted the response, “There is death in the pot!” (2 Kings 4:40).

Fortunately, her soup was delicious, and the “Death in the pot” soup recipe merited a place in a church cookbook published a few years later.

In the scripture, Elisha tosses some flour in the soup to make it edible. A miracle? I suppose.

I like to think of myself as a decent cook. However, I’ve prepared a few dishes that needed prophetic intervention. I didn’t even like some of them.

As a pastor, some of my congregation members would prepare some food for me when I went to visit them. Not every meal or snack was palatable. I especially remember the time one homebound member graciously shared a meals-on-wheels with me. I didn’t get a chance to see the label on the microwavable tray before she heated it up, so I really don’t know what kind of meat I ate that day. With a polite smile, I ate what I think was mashed turnips along with the mystery meat. By the grace of God, she offered me a Klondike bar for dessert (what would you do for a Klondike bar?) and all was good.

No, they didn’t teach me this at seminary. Smile, nod your head, and mumble, “Mmmm. Good.”

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Don’t make fun of the prophet

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Céline Chamiot-Poncet on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 2.

The news got around quickly. Elijah had been swept up into heaven. Elisha has assumed his role as prophet.

The ridicule begins immediately. “Young boys came out from the city and ridiculed [Elisha] and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead!” (2 Kings 23).

More than just making fun of Elisha’s lack of hair, the boys rejected the prophet of God as well. Not a good move on either front. Elisha “Cursed them in the name of the Lord” (2:24). That’s kind of like a preacher yelling, “Go to hell!”

The Lord has Elisha’s back and “two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two of the boys” (2:24).

I didn’t see that coming! Neither did they. And I’m pretty sure no one made fun of Elisha after this. Don’t mess with God’s prophets.

The only other place bears are mentioned in scripture is Isaiah 59:11. “All of us growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.” Someday you’ll win bible trivia night with that fact.