Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Anyone can do that

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 7.

We can do so much.

Doctors, surgeons, hospitals and medicine can cure diseases. Infertile couples conceive in vitro. We grow meat in labs, view atoms in microscopes, travel in space, light up dark rooms, and fly through the skies. I can have anything I want delivered to my home by tomorrow.

So what do we need God for?

Pharaoh’s sorcerers and soothsayer priests can do all the tricks Moses can. They can turn a staff into a serpent, make a hand leprous, and turn water into blood (Exodus 7:11,22). So Pharaoh isn’t concerned about Moses’s God at all (Exodus 7:23).

I think it’s interesting that so many pursue power, knowledge, influence, and adoration. In other words, we try to be gods. We try to be what we think a god ought to be.

The truth is, other than doing a few tricks, we don’t know much about being gods. What’s God like? The only way to find out is to get to know Jesus. In Jesus, God became like us so that we wouldn’t settle for cheap imitations, but the real thing.

What kind of a god is Jesus? Merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Instead of a few science fair projects, try being like that.

That’s right, no one comes close.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Did you hear that?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 6.

A long time ago, I discovered that most people aren’t listening. Young or old, I learned that it’s best to say their name and get their attention before you ask or tell them something.

If I say, “What do you want for supper, John?” I’ll probably get the response, “Huh?”

But if I ask, “John, what do you want for supper?” I’ll hear, “Pizza!” (Or whatever they’re hungry for.)

So why aren’t you listening?

There are plenty of reasons you’re not listening. You’re on your phones, scrolling through whatever. You’re working on something else that demands your attention. You’re distracted by another voice or some noise.

Moses had some good news. He passed along God’s promises to bring the people out of slavery in Egypt and bring them back to the land he promised to Abraham. But “they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery” (Exodus 6:9).

I think they heard what Moses said. It just didn’t sink in. The people were despondent. They were exhausted. They had no hope. So Moses’ words were just noise.

Don’t let God’s promises be little more than noise in your life. When you come across one, insert your name at the beginning, and listen.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Hardened and softened

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Felicity Tai on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 4.

Some recipes call for softened butter. Others need butter that has been hardened in the freezer. It just depends.

Moses’ initial assignment is to go to Pharaoh, perform miracles, and tell him to release the Israelites from bondage. Then God tells Moses, “I will harden [Pharaoh’s] heart, so that he will not let the people go” (Exodus 4:21).

It’s not a big deal to harden someone’s heart. It doesn’t take divine power or authority. Push back comes naturally. That’s just the way we are. I don’t think I’m rebellious, but I don’t want someone telling me what to do.

When Jesus says, “Love your enemy,” “Pray for those who persecute you,” and “Forgive” over and over, my first reaction is, “Yeah, I’m not going to do that.” Isn’t that a hardened heart?

The real miracle is when God gets through and changes a heart. His promise to Ezekiel is, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Do you know what softens a heart? It’s when Jesus says, “You’re forgiven,” “I don’t condemn you,” or gives me yet another chance. That’s what grace does. It melts away our guilt, shame, and fear, opening us up to his love.

I think it’s interesting that God can use a hard heart or one that’s been thawed to accomplish his purposes.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Excuses, excuses, excuses

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 3 and 4.

Everyone needs a collection of excuses.

  • I didn’t know.
  • No one told me.
  • I forgot.
  • It wasn’t me.
  • It wasn’t my fault.
  • I didn’t get the message.
  • My phone was dead.
  • I thought it was at a different time.
  • Someone took it.
  • My dog ate it.
  • My mom didn’t wake me up.
  • Everyone else was doing it.

It’s fun to make a list of excuses you can use when you’ve messed up, forgot to do something, or don’t want to do something. Take a moment and add another twelve or so to my list. You’ll be more than equipped to handle anyone’s demands and expectations.

You’ve got to hand it to Moses. He’s got the guts to offer up excuses to the Almighty God.

“Who am I?” I’m don’t have the resume or experience to bring Israel out of Egypt.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there with you.”

“What if they ask me your name? I don’t even know your name.”

“I am who I am.” Just call me, “I am.” (Yahweh)

“What if no one will believe me or listen to me?”

Just wait till your staff turns into a snake. Or you hand becomes leprous. They’ll believe you.

“I’m not eloquent.”

I know. I made you, complete with mouth, ears, and eyes. I know what you can do.

It’s kind of like a reverse interview. Moses is trying to convince God to not hire him. Too bad, Moses. I mean, “Congratulations! You’ve got the job!”

Posted in Stories

The aisle seat

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash

With my boarding pass in hand, I kind of smiled and said, “I think you’re in my seat.”

The woman’s confused look turned into annoyance when I explained, “I’m in seat C; A is the window seat.”

“You mean I have to sit by the window?”

“You don’t like the window seat?”

When she shook her head, I said, “Okay, I’ll take the window seat.”

Once I settled into my seat, my wife mouthed, “I can’t believe you did that!”

A few days ago, I had used some of our accumulated airline miles to upgrade our seats to a comfort plus row where we were across the aisle from each other. After five hours from Hawaii to Los Angeles, a little extra room would be nice on the next flight home.

I shrugged and texted her, “I thought I should be nice.”

After takeoff, I folded down my tray table and did a little bit of journaling. I glanced up when a bump and an “Ow!” came from the aisle seat. The beverage cart had slammed her funny bone in just the right agonizing spot. I tried to keep a straight face as I got back to my writing.

The sound of pulled-back cellophane from the aisle seat was interrupted by a frantic, “Ew!” The fourteen dollar fruit and cheese plate wasn’t as fresh as advertised, featuring fuzzy blue mold and a little insect. Her sudden recoil soaked her lap with a diet soda. I was able to muffle a chuckle.

When my eyelids got heavy, I put my seat back and dozed off for a few minutes. Aisle-seat’s mother, in the center seat, jostled me, trying to adjust the reading lights and air blower. Neither one for the aisle seat worked. And for some reason, that seat wouldn’t recline.

I didn’t even try to hide my grin as I closed my eyes.

The first half of this story is true. The second half may have been a dream.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

What if the answer to your prayer is…you?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 3.

In the song “Do Something” Matthew West sings

I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?”
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”
He said, “I did, I created you.”

After Moses removes his shoes in the presence of God who is speaking from the burning bush, the Lord says, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people…and I have come down to deliver them…Come, I will send you” (Exodus 3:7-10). It’s all good news until that last part. In response to the cries of his people, God is sending Moses.

When Moses asks, “Who, me?” God replies, “Don’t worry, I’ll be there, too” (Exodus 3:11,12).

It’s an easy trap to fall into. I’ll send my prayer requests to God and then sit back as he takes care of me, my situation, and my friends’ needs. I’ll ask, seek, and knock because I know he can do it, I know he cares, and I trust him. I’ll call on him in the day of trouble, he’ll deliver me, and I’ll glorify him.

Well, it turns out that I’m not in the bleachers but on the field. I’m the hands and feet of Jesus. He alleviates hunger, loneliness, conflict, despair and grief through the church. That means me and people just like me.

So when you feel that nudge to call, visit, give, apologize, invite, or write to someone, don’t think, “Who, me?” Just do it. Let God do his thing through you and with you.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Thanks for taking off your shoes

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jordan Whitt on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Exodus 3.

One of my granddaughters recently challenged me, “Where are your socks?”

You see, she leaves her socks on when she takes off her shoes. She even sleeps in socks. I usually walk barefoot around the house.

There are some things best done in bare feet:

  • Walking on the beach
  • Yoga
  • Measuring your height
  • Swimming
  • Talking to God

When God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush he said, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). I don’t think they had socks back then, so I assume this left Moses in his bare feet.

Like me, you’re probably wondering why this is a thing. In Egypt, where Moses grew up, priests took off their sandals when they went into their temples. In eastern countries, worshipers take off their shoes before entering synagogues or mosques. It’s a symbolic way of acknowledging uncleanness or unworthiness in the presence of a deity.

Don’t you hit your shoe against the side of the car before you get in so you don’t get too much dirt or sand on the floor? Or imagine a parent saying, “Take off your shoes. I just mopped. Don’t track more dirt in here.”

Liturgical Christian worship usually begins with confession and absolution. Guess what? That’s just like taking off your sandals or knocking off some dirt before you step into a place of worship.

Lol. I want to go to a church someday where there’s a whole bunch of shoes lined up outside the doors.

Posted in coffee, Travel

Coffee farms and roasters

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We took a morning trip to Mountain Thunder coffee roasters, just up the road from the house we were staying at on the big island of Hawaii. It’s on a hillside in the middle of the Kona coffee belt on the western side of Mauna Loa.

When we arrived we were invited to try samples of the different roasts, including light, French, espresso, and a blend of light and espresso they called “black and tan.” Before our coffee education, we were just glad to drink coffee. Later, we’d understand the different roasts and flavors of each. In other words, we were just steps away from becoming coffee snobs.

The free tour explained the whole process, from farm to brew. This roaster bought coffee beans from many nearby growers, all of whom harvested by hand. We got to see where the beans were sorted, rinsed and shelled, roasted, and finally packed for sale. We learned a lot.

  • Light roast has more caffeine than dark, which is roasted hotter and longer.
  • Most coffee beans grow two to a pod. The pods which only have one bean are called “peaberry.” The $70 per pound price of peaberry meant no free samples of that roast. But we bought dark chocolate covered peaberry beans in the gift shop. A nice caffeine boost without drinking a cup of coffee.
  • Kona blends (10%) are more common and affordable than 100% Kona coffee. the Starbucks in the Honolulu airport served Kona coffee.
  • Other regions (Ka’u, Puna, and Hamakua) boasted about their superior beans and roasts. We enjoyed the coffee in those places, too. We’re not that snobby.

I looked but never found a place to try a cup of peaberry coffee. I just wanted to find out if I could taste the difference. After the tour, I tried the samples again and did taste a big difference between light and espresso roasts.

This was one of our must-do activities in Hawaii. We could have spent a whole day visiting the coffee shops and shacks that lined the roads around the island. That would be a very good day!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Just another amazing day

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 45.

You have to blame somebody, right? Your parents, noisy neighbors, politicians, the kids, lawyers, greedy CEOs, a spouse (current or ex), the liberals, the conservatives. Whoever.

Joseph says, “It was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:8).

After what his brothers did to him? They sold him to a passing caravan. He ended up as a slave, a prisoner, and finally got a decent job in Egypt working for Pharaoh.

But it wasn’t home. And it wasn’t his family. And it was out of his control.

But in hindsight, it was God. God was to blame. Or God gets the credit for working out a long range plan to save not just Joseph, but his whole family. In hindsight, it was only something God could do.

“Today” may seem to have little rhyme or reason. Purpose is often shrouded in everyday routines, chores, and appointments. What a blessing to stop and realize that God’s been working on “today” for a long time. It’s significant. It’s memorable. And it’s praiseworthy.