Posted in Devotions, Lent, Ministry

2020 Lenten devotion #8 – Water into blood (part 2)

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jack Anstey on Unsplash

“Thus says the Lord, ‘By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.’”

Moses has a huge task ahead of him. He is to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let God’s people, a nation of slave-laborers, to go free. Moses knows this will not go over well with the sovereign of Egypt. Pharaoh will need a little convincing. The first of ten plagues on Egypt will be turning the waters of the Nile into blood.

That sounds disgusting, doesn’t it? No water to drink, no water to wash your clothes in, no water for bathing. All the water is now thick, red, blood. It clots. It stains. It turns your stomach. Some faint at the sight of blood. Some scream in horror. The thought of a thick red substance trickling from the tap would be enough to convince me to comply with whatever a prophet of God demanded!

We are so blessed to have access to fresh, clean water in our homes. There are too many places in the world where clean water is not readily available. The same rivers from which you draw water for drinking and bathing are used for laundry and toilets. The water you walk hours to obtain is laden with dirt and disease. But you have no choice. For better or worse, that is the only water available to you.

In scripture, paradise (Eden) was found near rivers. Life giving water flows through the city of God in Ezekiel and Revelation. Jesus invites the thirsty to come to him and drink. There is nothing quite like a tall cool drink of water when you are thirsty. There is nothing like the life-giving water of Jesus to quench your soul’s thirst for his grace, either.

Thank you, Lord, for the water that quenches my thirst. Amen.

Posted in listening, Ministry

What else?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Juri Gianfrancesco on Unsplash

A few years ago my wife had to take a class at her work on how to talk to patients (she’s a nurse practitioner). It stressed the importance of asking open-ended questions. For instance, ask, ‘What else can I do for you?” rather than “Is there anything else I can do for you?” The latter invites a simple yes or no. The former draws out more information and communicates more care.

Ever since she shared that with me, I’ve been more aware of that principle. I immediately notice when I hear a doctor, nurse or anyone ask a closed-ended question. I always think, “Weren’t you there for the class?” I also work very hard to remember to ask, “What other questions do you have?” “What else can I do?” “What do you need right now?” More often than not, the answer is, “Nothing.” But at least I gave them the chance.

I made a post-death pre-funeral home visit today and carefully worded my questions to the family. “What other questions do you have?” “What else do you need to know?” Each and every time I asked, I learned more about what to include in the memorial service, a little more about the deceased, and allowed the family to express a little more grief.

I remember some of my market research training from years ago. You always ask, “What else?” Several times, until you have heard all that the speaker wants to share. Asking the right questions can make you a much better listener! I wish I had known about this earlier in my career.

Posted in Devotions, Lent, Ministry

2020 Lenten devotion #7 – A bridegroom of blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by GoranH on pixabay.com


“At a lodging place on the way the Lord met [Moses] and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, ‘Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!’ So he let him alone. It was then that she said, ‘A bridegroom of blood,’ because of the circumcision.” (Exodus 4:24-26)

God has come to speak to Moses in the burning bush on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3:1-4). Though Moses doesn’t think he’s up to the task, God insists, equipping and empowering him to go and speak to a hard-hearted Pharaoh.

Before the mission can commence, though, Moses’ wife Zipporah must circumcise their son,  prompting her to call her husband a “bridegroom of blood.” For some reason, Moses had not circumcised his son, but his wife knew they weren’t going anywhere until they took care of that part of God’s covenant. Moses cannot assume his role as leader and law-giver of God’s people unless he and his family are compliant with the covenantal law themselves. For Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro for whom Moses tended sheep, her marriage just got a lot messier as her husband took on his role as leader of the Hebrew people. Both her marriage vows and God’s promises involved a bit of blood!

In our roles as spouses, parents and believers in the Lord, we must always apply God’s commands and promises to our own lives before we impose them on others. We must understand the depth of our own sin and the abundance of his great love for us before we communicate that with others. 

The New Testament image of Christ as the groom and his church as he bride is one way to understand his commitment to us and our salvation. He gave himself up for the church so “she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). He becomes a “bridegroom of blood,” sealing God’s covenant for us.
Jesus also reminds us to take care of the log in our eye before we worry about the speck in someone else’s eye. In other words, get your own act together before you worry about another person’s life. 

Great advice we can track all the way back to Moses!

Thank you, Lord, for being a bridegroom of blood to me. Let your commands and promises shape my life. Amen. 

Posted in Ministry

Snap, crackle, pop

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday I got to teach our preschool Sunday School class about the time Jesus restored a man’s hearing. We covered our ears to understand what it might mean to not able to hear. We moved our lips without making a sound, too.

The snack that went along with the lesson was Rice Krispies and milk. None of the students were big cereal eaters, so this was new experience for them. They got to hear the snap, crackle and pop when we poured on the milk. Great fun. Of course, they didn’t stop there. They took a big spoonful, opened up their mouths so I could hear the sounds in there, too. And that’s not all. We quickly went through a batch of Rice Krispie treats.

On the playground afterwards, I asked, “So what was our lesson about today?” Of course, their first answer is, “I don’t know.” So I asked, “What was wrong with the man?” “He couldn’t hear.” “What did Jesus do?” “He took care of it.”

Not a bad answer. Not a bad answer at all. No matter what, Jesus takes care of it. I’ll have to remember that!

Posted in Devotions, Lent, Ministry

2020 Lenten devotion #6 – Water into blood (part 1)

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Henry Be on Unsplash

“If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” (Exodus 4:9)

So Moses has to convince an entire nation, all of Israel, that he is to be their leader who will bring them out of slavery. Not an easy task.

No problem. God will give you a few tools, a few impressive feats to convince them. A staff that turns into a serpent. A hand that becomes leprous and then whole again. And water from the Nile that turns into blood. You got this Moses!

You had me at “staff into serpent.” You have that kind of power at your disposal? I’m all ears. When do we leave? What should I pack?

Well, maybe. How did he do that? Is this for real? In a world of lies, fake news and scams, who do you believe? Who’s telling the truth? Who should you listen to? We’ve got scripture, history and eyewitnesses to shape our faith. Israel had ancient legends, bedtime stories and desperate prayers. We still have our doubts. So did they.

One way or the other, God was going to deliver his people. It didn’t matter whether or not they believed. It didn’t matter if Moses had to pull out all of the tricks God gave him. These folks were not going to stay in Egypt. They were going home. And they would know that it was God who made all the travel arrangements.

Drops of blood on the ground where Jesus was flogged and where he was crucified testified to the power of God to save us. Travel arrangements, right? Because of that blood, we’ll get to go home, too.

Chances are you’ll pour out some water today and it will turn into coffee, tea, lemonade or soup. We take those things for granted, but it’s really amazing when you think about it. Maybe one of those things will remind you to recall the powerful things God has done and the travel arrangements he’s made for you for eternity!

Thanks for the tickets to go home, Lord. Amen.

Posted in Ministry

Another shrine in the neighborhood

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Yesterday’s shrine in the woods was nothing compared to this front yard Samson and I saw on our walk today. I first saw St. Francis, but then noticed Mary and her son Jesus, plus a few angels.

So I couldn’t help but wonder, who would decorate their front yard in this way? Shrubs, flowers and trees all seem to make sense. Statues and figurines just aren’t my style. I love the Madonna (and Jesus), just not on my front porch. I love angels, but prefer the real ones that no one sees. St. Francis was a wonderful servant of God, but no more so than many other unnoticed “saints” who fill our churches each week for worship and live out their faith in the world.

Statues just don’t do it for me. Give me the living, breathing people of God any day.

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lenten devotion #5: A day of reckoning

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash

Reuben answered them, “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen. So now there comes a reckoning for his blood” (Genesis 42:22).

Reuben and his brothers are in big trouble. All but one of them traveled to Egypt to buy some food. But now they are accused of being spies! They must leave a brother behind and bring their youngest brother back. They are convinced they are reaping the consequences of selling their brother Joseph to a caravan many years before. They don’t know he’s alive. They don’t know he’s standing right there in front of them. They think it’s their day of reckoning for his life. That day still haunts them after all those years.

I’ll bet all of us can identify some bad choices, decisions and sinful behavior that we believe we are paying the price for today. Getting into debt, words that destroyed a relationship or an arrest on your record. A lie, a purchase or a hasty decision you now regret. We know there will be a day of reckoning. Sometimes it feels like that day is today.

Never forget that your day of reckoning was that day when Jesus was nailed to a cross. That’s when God dealt with your sin. Jesus stood in for you and took the punishment. It wasn’t pretty. It was bloody. But it means that it’s over. Today might be hard. It might be painful. It might be a nightmare. But it’s not payback. It’s life.

We all have regrets. We all wish we could go back and do it differently. But we can’t. What a blessing to know that when it’s all said and done, God still loves us. He still cares, protects. preserves and blesses us. Yes, I will have seconds of his grace!

Thank you, Lord, for being there for my day of reckoning. Amen.

Posted in death

A shrine in the woods

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I (and Samson) have probably walked past this little shrine a hundred times. It’s about fifty feet off the road in an undeveloped lot next to a drainage ditch around the block from my house. I always knew there was something there on the tree, but couldn’t quite see what. Today we decided to take a closer look.

It’s there in memory of Justin, a twenty-three year old young man. A couple of American flags suggest he may have died in military service of our country. A rosary lets me know someone still prays for him. A solar-powered angel-light stands vigil at night. A small valentine sits right next to a small stone reminding us of the presence of angels. A small sign reminds us to count our blessings.

I’ve seen plenty of little shrines at intersections and curves in the road where crashes have taken the lives of loved ones. When words fail us, small crosses, stuffed animals, pictures, flowers and flags announce to the world, “We miss this person a lot.” These carefully erected shrines express a grief in ways that words can’t.

There is almost always a cross at the center of those shrines. A cross that reminds us of Jesus’ horrible death. A cross that reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death on the third day. The church may not be filled with all those who believe, trust or grasp for hope in Christ. But they are out there. They say it with a memorial that speaks volumes about their loved one, their faith and their Lord.

Posted in Devotions, Lent, Ministry

2020 Lenten devotion #4: Goat blood instead of Joseph’s

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“And Reuben said to [his brothers], ‘Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him’—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. “(Genesis 37:22)

“Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood?’” (Genesis 37:26)

“Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.” (Genesis 37:31)

Joseph’s eleven brothers are ready to kill him, throw him in a pit and tell everyone that a wild animal had eaten him (Genesis 37:18-20). They are so jealous and so tired of hearing about Joseph’s grandiose dreams that they are ready to murder him! And you thought your family was dysfunctional!

Reuben, the oldest and supposedly responsible, begs them not to shed any blood. He wanted to come back and rescue him later. Judah has second thoughts, too. Would it really do them any good to kill Joseph? Instead they stage his death, sell their brother to a passing caravan, and soak his robe in the blood of a goat. This would explain his disappearance to their father. 
A little blood is all it takes to solve their problems. They’ve gotten rid of Joseph and gotten away with his disappearance. Would they be able to sleep at night? Well, that’s a different story. 

A little goat’s blood will also save their skin a few years down the road. When they desperately show up in Egypt, Joseph will save his family by selling them some food. Good thing he was still alive!

You never know when that person you don’t like, can’t stand or even hate will be someone who will help you out someday. God has a way of using folks to provide, protect and preserve our lives. They despised and rejected Jesus, didn’t they? And he’s the very one who saved their lives!

Thank you for all the people who help me out Lord, especially your son, Jesus. Amen.