Tag: bible

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Words from the heart

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Luke 6.

“What’s on your mind?”

Sounds like a good question. But a better question would be, “What’s in your heart?” At least that’s what Jesus says.

“Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45 ESV)

“The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Luke 6:45 NIV).

If you want to know what someone really cares about, just listen. Listen to their words. Pay attention to their vocabulary. Do you hear what they’re saying? What we say just never comes from our mouths. It’s not about what we’ve learned. It comes from deep within. It comes from our hearts.

  • Does every sentence begin with “I?” Guess who is the most important person in their life?
  • How frequently do they mention money, purchases, or possessions? They’ve revealed the identity of their God.
  • Have they told you about everything they can’t stand, won’t tolerate, and absolutely hate? A lot of anger escapes in their words.
  • Admission of worry, concern, and doubt reveals fear.

It’s not all bad. Sometimes our words reveal beautiful heart-held truths.

  • Does the speaker ask a lot of questions? They care a lot about you.
  • Words of gratitude flow from those who know the one who gives them life, and breath, and everything. They have a close, personal relationship with the provider.
  • What if they obsess about the hurts and needs of others? Perhaps they see people as Jesus did: sheep who need a shepherd.
  • Do you hear joy in their words? Do they see the hand of God in the most difficult of situations? Their hearts are attuned to the one who truly holds our lives in his hands.

Here’s your assignment. Listen carefully to what another is saying. What do you hear that’s coming from their heart?

Posted in mathematics, Through the Bible Devotions

Just do the math

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Antoine Dautry on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Luke 2.

In his gospel, Luke mentions a man name Simeon who is waiting to see the Messiah. “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). In faith, he knows he’s immortal until he puts eyes on the Savior. Imagine what you could do with a promise like that!

I’m a math guy, but I never considered that Simeon did the math when he went to the temple on the very same day when Joseph and Mary showed up with Jesus.

The shepherds who saw and heard the angelic announcement and praises about the Christ’s birth had told everyone what they had experienced (Luke 2:17). News like that spreads quickly.

Simeon was righteous and devout (2:25). He knew the Old Testament statute that after circumcision, a woman would come to the temple with her son in thirty-three days for purification (Leviticus 12). The Spirit of God, working through the Word, gave Simeon a good idea of when the Messiah would show up at the temple. This was not an accidental encounter. God had arranged for this meet-up a long time ago.

I’m smiling as I write this. My undergraduate degree was liberal arts, but I majored in math. Years later, God led me to the seminary to prepare for pastoral ministry. To some, math and ministry appear to be thousands of miles apart. For me, they are next door neighbors!

I cut my math teeth on algebra in eighth grade. I helped all my friends get through ninth grade geometry. Functions, trigonometry, and calculus all made sense to me in high school. From statistics to topology, God prepared me for graduate study in theology. By God’s grace, I love numbers almost as much as I love him!

I know enough about math to know that you can’t calculate when Jesus will return. I also can’t assume that the little bit you have won’t go a long way, as it did with the feeding of the five thousand. My age may be a finite number, but nothing about God is. The concept of infinity simply leads me to worship the eternal God and look forward to eternal life.

Math got me some awards and college scholarships in high school. Math prepared me to help my daughter excel in high school calculus. Math gives me the chance to tutor my home-schooled grandsons. Math gives me perspective when people try to use statistics to their advantage. Math reveals a creator who numbers my days, knows the how many hairs I have on my head, and constantly gives more than I ask for or imagine.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Lessons from Habakkuk on Sin and Judgment

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Habakkuk.

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
    and you will not hear?
Or cry to you “Violence!”
    and you will not save? (Habakkuk 1:2)

Habakkuk’s displeasure with God sounds familiar. Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t God do something about the violence, wickedness, and injustice going on all around us?

It’s a great question. Why doesn’t God do something? Why does he seem remote, aloof, and unconcerned about our situation? From our limited point of view, there are two answers. Either God doesn’t care, or God can’t fix it.

God’s response is shocking. He’s assembling the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to sweep through and put an end to the horrible behavior and inexcusable idolatry of God’ people.

Well, that’s one way to deal with the problem, isn’t it? Let’s bring in an even great evil. Let’s burn down the house because the roof leaks. Cut a hole in a shirt to get rid of a stain. Trade in the car for a new one because the brakes are squealing. Put the TV on the curb because of an offensive word from a person in one episode of one TV show.

Would you consider any of those things be an overreaction? I would. Fix the roof. Remove the stain. Repair the brakes. Patch the roof. Watch a different TV show.

Clearly their sin was beyond repair. Their sin and idolatry called for extreme measures. Like foreign invasion. Destruction. Exile.

Bottom line: don’t challenge God unless you are willing to hear some hard truths about your sin, his holiness, and judgment.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

God’s got a lot of pieces

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by T.J. Breshears on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Nahum. Chances are you haven’t read the Old Testament book of Nahum for a while. Or ever. I’ll do my best to pique your interest.

The Old Testament book of Nahum begins with a list of God’s attributes

  • Jealous
  • Avenging
  • Wrathful
  • Slow to anger
  • Powerful
  • Indignant
  • Angry
  • Good
  • A stronghold

Interesting. Is that how you think of God? If so, do you find it easy to talk to him? I think most people either think of God as a nice guy or aloof and detached. You either love God and what he’s doing, or you’re disappointed and wonder what he’s up to. You like him or hate him. He’s either your safe place, or your worst nightmare. It’s a challenging dichotomy.

Nahum challenges us to think of God in terms of all his attributes. Not just love and forgiveness. Not just righteousness and justice. Not just kindness. Not just wrath.

Instead, the whole package.

A friend of mine said it was like one of those huge cheesecakes you bought at a big box wholesale food store. Sixteen slices of cheesecake all different. God is like that whole variety pack. You never get just slice or attribute. You get the whole thing. Wrath and mercy. Justice and grace. Forgiving and avenging. A whole bunch of opposite traits that compliment each other, comprising a God who isn’t so easy to comprehend.

So how will you (I) respond? Run from a wrathful God? Or run to a stronghold God? Avoid a jealous God? Or pursue a good God? Try to assuage an angry God, or be thankful that he is “slow to anger?”

Yeah, I know. We don’t have God all figured out. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be. He’s way more powerful than we know. And he is far more personal than we realize.

In Nahum, God cares about what the nations are doing, not just people. He sees the big picture. And he knows our personal challenges. It all matters to him.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A basket of fruit

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nataliya Melnychuk on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Amos 8.

“This is what the Lord God showed me: behold, a basket of summer fruit” (Amos 8:1).

Old Testament prophets have great object lessons. Amos’s “basket of summer fruit” reminded me of one of my high school youth group’s favorite games, “Fruit basket upset.” (Yeah, this is how we had fun back in the 1900’s.)

We arranged our chairs in a circle, one fewer than the number of youth there. Everyone picked a fruit to identify with, including the person in the middle of the circle who started without a chair. That middle person would then call out two or more of the named fruits. Those fruits would have to exchange chairs, as the person in the middle attempted to steal one of their seats. The person left in the middle without a chair would then shout out fruits.

Every once in a while, the middle person would call out, “fruit basket upset!” which meant everyone had to leave their seat and find another. The ensuing chaos was hilarious.

A basket of summer fruit actually sounds delicious. Imagine strawberries, cherries, and ripe peaches. Add in a few blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and you’ve got a wonderful bowl of fruit.

Fruit doesn’t last long in the biblical world with no refrigerators. In other words, time’s up. It’s the end of a season, and God’s judgment for a nation that has gone bad with injustice and greed is just around the corner.

There’s an interesting contrast here. Are our lives more like Amos’s summer fruit or the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)? On any given day, it could be either. When our greed gets the best of us, we don’t worry much about the needs of others. When the Spirit moves us, though, we bear the fruit of love, kindness, and goodness, as well as other Godly qualities.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Can I have your attention?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Amos 4.

Through Amos, God declares, “I sent famine and hunger, drought and thirst, blight and mildew, sickness, and destruction…Yet you did not return to me” (Amos 4). Now what? “Prepare to meet your God!” (4:12)

I can’t help but wonder, “What does it take to get someone’s attention?” Or better, “What does it take to get my attention?” And then, “Does God always get our attention with bad things? Couldn’t he communicate through blessings, too?” I’ve got lots of questions and lots of thoughts.

When bad stuff happens, and bad stuff will happen, I usually blame someone other than God. From greedy CEOs to corrupt government to lousy neighbors to aggressive drivers to a liberal agenda to self-absorbed people in general, God’s not the problem. They are. (Whoever they are.)

God’s not even on the radar. I am constantly talking to, listening to, thinking about, teaching about, praying to, and actively questioning God. But when life gets tough, I look for someone to blame. Blame God? No way. Not me. God is great and God is good, right?

Okay, so when good stuff happens (and if I’m paying attention, there’s so much to be grateful for), I give God credit. I say, “Thank you.” And then I get on with the rest of my life without much thought.

So back to my original question, “What does it take to get my attention?”

My conclusion? The grace of God. It’s not challenges. It’s not blessings. It’s not success. It’s not failure. It could only be God’s relentless pursuit of my heart through family, classmates, friends, employers, employees, critics, fans, and strangers I’ll only meet once in my life. God gets my attention through people who put up with me, listen to me, ignore me, irritate me, praise me, and insult me. God always spoke through people. I guess he still does.

Go figure. Ultimately, God sends his son, Jesus, a person, to talk to us, to get our attention. He was direct, compassionate, no nonsense, and merciful. He fed, healed, fished, sailed, walked, slept, ate, and drank to get their (my) attention.

“Prepare to meet your God.” If you won’t pay attention, he’s coming. He’s coming to you. He’s coming in the flesh.

Want to meet him?

You may not have a choice.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Ugly grace

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Liza Summer on Pexels

Some “through the bible” thoughts from the Old Testament book of Jonah.

After Jonah is thrown off the boat, swallowed by a fish, and spit up onto the beach, we find out why he didn’t want to go to Nineveh in the first place. Jonah says to God, “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster” (Jonah 4:2).

God’s grace is wonderful when applied to our lives. It’s harder to swallow when he’s gracious to someone else, someone we know deserves to be punished.

I find it hard to understand how God could forgive people who have done atrocious things. This struggle reveals a shocking self-righteousness, as if there was nothing very sinful going on in my life.

The truth? I’m much more sinful than I realize. The ugliness of the cross reveals the ugliness of my sin, which Christ took on himself. Rather than thinking of myself as less-needful of grace, I’m need to be reminded I’m less deserving of grace than I thought.

The Jonah in me needs a regular reminder of God’s unlikely yet very real grace, mercy, and steadfast love.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I’ll just have a salad

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Daniel 1.

When Daniel and his friends are taken in to exile, they are quickly selected for education and training, to work in the king’s palace. Rather than the usually fare of food and wine, Daniel asks that they be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. In a place far from his home and family, he has little control over his destiny. This small request is a way of sidestepping food that may have been an offering to an idol. It is one small corner of his life where he can still have control and still be faithful.

After ten days, Daniel and his friends are in better health than any of their classmates. They also surpass the wisdom and abilities of all the other magicians and enchanters in the kingdom. In a sense, they become better Babylonians than the Babylonians!

In this account, a physical habit has a spiritual benefit. Their choice of foods becomes a way of being faithful, of demonstrating their trust as they obey the statutes of God.

So I’m wondering: What other physical habits benefit someone spiritually?

  • Closing our eyes to pray. Shutting out visual distractions heightens our other senses, helping us focus on both speaking and listening. The folding of hands brings us fully into that moment.
  • Walking in the morning heightens my awareness of the creation around me, which reveals God’s glory and power.
  • Some will fast to escape the habitual shopping for, preparing, eating, and cleaning up after meals to focus on prayer.
  • When I enter a church that burns incense, the aroma seems to say, “This is a sacred space.” The smell of candles and wine proclaims that reality, too.
  • Some of my best devotional thoughts have come to mind while walking or running.

Those are just a few things that come to mind. As people with both bodies and souls, our physical and spiritual selves are vitally connected.

Next time: how does spirituality affect our physical lives?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

A night with an angel and lions

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Jonathan Cooper on Unsplash

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Daniel 6.

First, a summary of the classic Sunday School story. Then, some unorthodox thoughts that come to mind.

When other officials fail to dig up any dirt to discredit Daniel, they decide they will use his faith against him (Daniel 6:5). They set him up, getting the king to establish an ordinance that no one can pray to anyone else but him for the next thirty days. The penalty? Offenders will be cast into the den of lions (6:7).

When Daniel deliberately disobeys and prays to God has he always did, the king has no choice but to throw him into the den of lions, wishing him the best: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” (6:16).

The next morning, Daniel is safe and sound, explaining, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me” (6:22). It’s not that the lions weren’t hungry. Those who conspired against Daniel, along with their wives and children, were immediately torn apart when they were thrown to the lions (6:24).

Wouldn’t you like to spend the night with an angel? I would. Perhaps I need to consider what radical faithfulness would look like for me, so that I could have that opportunity.

In the same vein, wouldn’t it be great to spend the night with lions, especially knowing that they wouldn’t harm you? We used to line up early for feeding time at the Philadelphia zoo, eager to see the lions sink their teeth into some large slabs of beef. How great would it be to stroke their manes and hear them purr?

Daniel got to experience both of those things by simply giving God thanks on a regular basis. That simple spiritual habit was not only courageous and faithful, but resulted in a night he would never forget!