faith – Page 4 – Waite for it…

Closer than you think

Posted on August 2, 2025 by William Douthwaite

Some “through the Bible” thoughts from Isaiah 59.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1).

The hearing aid business must be doing very well. They take out full page ads in the local paper. I get robo-calls and lots of direct mail from a variety of vendors. I’m in that age group. Everyone my age has some hearing loss. At this point, I’m not aware of my need for assistance.

I am shorter than I used to be. For most of my adult life I was five foot ten inches. Somewhere I lost an inch. Now I’m only 5′ 9″.

So it’s only natural to think that the eternal God, the ancient of days, may have lost a step or two. At the very least, he’s not as quick to respond as we would like.

I love how Isaiah addresses this. “Behold…” in other words, “Look…” God’s reach is as long as it’s ever been. His hearing is just fine. He’s not the problem. You are. Your sin, your failures, your mistakes, your disobedience, and your dishonesty has created distance between you and God. At a distance, objects look smaller than they really are.

So does God.

Like a young child who wanders ahead of the parents, we don’t realize how far we’ve strayed until we need divine assistance. Then all of a sudden we wonder why God seems so far away. Guess what? He never moved. You did. And I did.

It happens at the beach. You’re out in the water having a great time. You look up and realize you’ve drifted far from your beach umbrella and cooler.

It happens at sporting events. You thought you had good seats. But the players seemed so small from where you were sitting.

Younger kids often look through the wrong end of binoculars. Everything looks so small!

How often do you look at God through the wrong end of the binoculars? How small and remote is your view of God?

Only scripture can turn the binoculars around. In the bible God is bigger than the seas, mountains, rivers, creatures, weather, trees, and hailstorms. He overcomes trouble, storms, hunger, fatigue, doubt, and death. Impressive. Much bigger than we think or imagine.

We can’t get close to God. But he comes to us. Jesus comes to make the impossible possible. God with us!

Through the Bible Devotions

Beyond ritual to relationship

Posted on August 1, 2025 by William Douthwaite

Some “through the bible” thoughts from Isaiah 58.

“Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58:5)

This whole chapter (Isaiah 58) is convicting. In it, Isaiah challenges us to look at our worship practices. Are they nothing more than ritual? If there’s no horizontal dimension to our spiritual lives, our worship isn’t worship at all. In other words, if our devotion doesn’t affect how we live with others, we’re not worshiping God. We’re just going through the motions.

When love for others is paired with love for God, we get it. He graciously provides food for our souls and an eternal home, and uses us to provide others with physical nourishment and homes. Worship isn’t just about me and God. It’s about God and us, those who intersect our lives every day.

How can you keep your spirituality from becoming nothing more than ritual? Reading this chapter of Isaiah is a good wake up call for those us of, like me, who find that ritual is easier than relationship. The problem is, ritual leaves you further from God. God promises to be closer when we pay attention to each other.

Through the Bible Devotions

Let him set the pace

Posted on July 30, 2025 by William Douthwaite

Some “through the Bible” thoughts from Isaiah 52.

You shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 52:12)

In context, as God promises to redeem, restore, and return his people from exile, the journey will be different from the Egyptian exodus. There’s no hurry. You’re not running for your lives. God goes ahead of you and God’s got your back. There’s no need to rush when you’re surrounded by God.

I paused at those words because it’s hard to slow down. We rush through life, impatiently waiting for microwaves, traffic lights, package delivery, return on investments, food at a restaurant, someone to finish up in the bathroom, pain medication to kick in, popcorn at the movie theater, and the dog who must stop at every mailbox post.

I believe one characteristic of a mature faith is letting God set the pace. That could mean waiting to see what he’ll do. It might mean obeying a clear instruction without delay. Don’t get out ahead of God. Don’t lag behind either.

What’s that look like? Well, for one thing God is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6). At the empty tomb, the angel told the women, “Go quickly and tell his disciples that [Jesus] has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). Jesus said, “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). But one fruit of the Spirit is patience (Galatians 5:22).

Once the Israelites got out of Egypt, God set the pace, leading them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. When he moved, they moved. When he was still, they set up camp and stayed put.

i guess you just have to pay attention. Where do you see God at work? In what situations does he seem to be taking his good old sweet time?

When you are walking or running or biking with someone, it’s proper to let the slower set the pace. That way you always stay together. That’s good advice for followers of Jesus, too.

Through the Bible Devotions

What if God’s behind it all?

Posted on July 25, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 45.

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings (Isaiah 45:1)

For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me. (Isaiah 45:4)

I am the Lord, and there is no other,
    besides me there is no God;
    I equip you, though you do not know me…
I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:5,7)

In these verses, Isaiah writes about a king, Cyrus, who has not even been born yet. Two hundred years from then, the armies of the Medes and Persians, under Cyrus, would defeat Babylon and restore God’s exiled people to their homes. Cyrus doesn’t know God. He knows little if anything about the one true God of Israel. Yet God uses him. God is behind it all. There’s no one else making these things happen.

Could it be that God is behind current events, working out his plans for his people? Absolutely. What if today’s headlines really about what God is doing in the world? Faith opens our eyes to that reality.

God is not limited or deterred by unbelief, rebellion, selfishness, and greed. It’s a good thing that God isn’t dependent on our faithfulness and obedience. He wouldn’t get much done, would he?

I believe we tend to forget about God when we read or hear news. We tend to leave him out of the equation. What if we began with the assumption that God has a hand in whatever was happening? What if we believed he is involved in history, science, economics, government, entertainment, artificial intelligence, and space exploration? What if God’s connected in some way to crime, violence, scams, human trafficking, natural disasters, and pandemics?

Interesting questions, huh? Challenging questions for sure.

Remember, he’s not a God apart from our world. He’s incarnate. He’s a part of our world, fully immersed in every human endeavor.

And there is no other.

Through the Bible Devotions

Do you carry your god, or does your God carry you?

Posted on July 24, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 46.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
    all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
    carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
    and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
    I will carry and will save. (Isaiah 46:3-4)

Those who lavish gold from the purse,
    and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
    then they fall down and worship!
They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
    they set it in its place, and it stands there;
    it cannot move from its place. (Isaiah 46:6-7)

I find this justaposition of ideas fascinating. On the one hand, you have the one true God of Israel, who promises to carry his people just as he always has.

On the other hand, a metalworker fashions a god someone carries around from place to place.

Which kind of god would you rather have?

What’s your daily carry look like?

A phone, for sure. (That’s kind of a god right there, isn’t it?) Keys. A water bottle. Wallet. My dad always carried a handkerchief and a pocket knife. Most women have a purse full of essentials. A briefcase or a backpack? All the stuff that gets us through the day.

God’s daily carry is you. And me. He carries our burdens, anxiety, sin, and us through this life and into the next.

Through the Bible Devotions

A few more years

Posted on July 22, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the Bible” devotion from Isaiah 38.

Hezekiah is one of Judah’s better kings. According to the writer of Kings, “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done” (2 Kings 18:3). He purged idolatry from Judah and restored worship of the one true God. When threatened by the Assyrians, he turned to God for salvation.

When an illness threatens his life, Hezekiah also turned to God. He prays, “O Lord…restore me to health and make me live!” (Isaiah 38:16) God hears his prayer and gives him fifteen more years of life.

However, during those fifteen bonus years, his son Manasseh is born, arguably one of Judah’s worst kings, doing evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 21:2). He assumes the throne at age twelve, and undoes all the good his father did. Because of his actions, God declares he will bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 21:11,12).

Would things have turned out differently if Hezekiah had not lived those fifteen additional years? What if Manasseh had not been born? What if another son had become king and continued Hezekiah’s spiritual reforms?

Early on in my ministry in Florida, a ninety-year old member fell off a stool while having his picture taken for a church directory. He was in serious condition, but recovered and lived fifteen more years. However, over the next fifteen years, his son and daughter became embroiled in disagreements, hearings, and lawsuits about the care of their parents. At one point, seven different lawyers were involved as the courts decided who would get power of attorney, guardianship, and control of the assets. In the end, I believe the lawyers ended up with most of the estate. Sure, he lived to one hundred and five years, but the family conflict continues twenty some years later.

There’s got to be a lesson somewhere in this. We pray for health, healing, and long lives, not knowing what will happen down the road. Sometimes, God grants our request. But sometimes he doesn’t. Did you ever stop to think that the latter might be better?

All of that gives you a lot to think about. But don’t overthink it. God knows the number of your days, and has a purpose for short and long lives, from conception to last breath. Be grateful for today. Enjoy his daily morning mercies (Lamentations 3:22,23).

Through the Bible Devotions

The fear of God: more than a command; an experience

Posted on July 19, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the Bible devotion” from Isaiah 29.

And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:13-14)

I wonder how much of this is true about me? Do I fear God because someone told me I should fear him? Is my fear of God “a commandment taught by men”?

On the one hand, I am thankful for my parents, pastors, teachers, and friends who taught me to fear God. I’ve never been afraid of God, but I have a healthy respect for his power, which exceeds every nuclear weapon, cat 5 hurricane, destructive tornado, or devastating earthquake.

On the other hand, my fear of God is rooted in what I’ve been taught about him. I have not camped at the foot of a rumbling Mt. Sinai. I have not walked through a parted Red Sea or Jordan River. I have not survived in a desert with nothing but a daily supply of manna. I have not directly witnessed a miraculous healing or resurrection.

I’ve been taught these truths.

God won’t let us limit him to textbooks or lectures. He promises to “again do wonderful things with this people.” His work of salvation isn’t limited to the past. It’s happening right now.

When my faith becomes nothing more than lecture notes, God promises to do wonderful things. He’s more than anything the best communicators can tell us about him. He’s an active participant in my life.

Will I see it? Will I witness his power? Will I see what he can do? Will I fear him because I’ve experienced him? Because I know him?

I certainly hope so!

Through the Bible Devotions

Ask for a sign

Posted on May 4, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Isaiah 7.

When Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel stage an invasion of the southern nation of Judah, the prophet Isaiah relays a message from God: “Don’t worry about it.”

In fact, the Lord says, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God” (Isaiah 7:11). It can be anything. No limits. Just name it Ahaz, and God will put any doubts to rest.

Have you ever wanted a sign from God? Have you ever wished he would give you some kind of tangible indication that you were making the right choice.

I think all of us envy Gideon’s experience with God in Judges 6. He receives two definitive signs from God to affirm that he is the one who will save Israel. The first is a dewy fleece on a bone dry threshing floor in the morning. The second is the opposite, a dry fleece when the rest of the ground is damp with dew. He gets both. He’s the guy.

But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test” (v12).

An offer like that rarely, if ever, comes along. You can ask for something big. Or small. Whatever you need to confirm God’s Word.

Ahaz says, “No thanks.”

It’s not because Ahaz is super faithful and doesn’t need proof of God’s protection. It’s just the opposite. Ahaz doesn’t trust God. He will buy protection from Assyria, a bigger and badder bully than Syria and Israel put together. He doesn’t want a sign because he has chosen to reject God.

If you ask for and get a sign from God, you’re locked in, aren’t you? You’ve painted yourself into a corner. You might not like the answer. Too bad. There is no doubt what God wants you to do.

Plus, you’re off the hook. If something goes wrong, it’s not your fault. It was his idea.

I’ve had conversations with people who wanted my opinion on something. At least that’s what they said. But that’s not what they wanted. They knew what they wanted to do. They wanted approval or permission to escape accountability.

Requesting a sign from God is a dead giveaway that you don’t trust him or his word. It exposes a lack of faith or even rejection of God.

God wasn’t surprised. In fact, he says, “I’m going to give you a sign anyway.” By the time a virgin conceives and gives birth, my plan will be in motion.

This sign would come to complete fulfillment much later, when Jesus was born, God’s plan from before the creation of the world.

Through the Bible Devotions

Finding Sweet Sleep: Biblical Wisdom from Proverbs 3

Posted on April 6, 2025 by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Proverbs 3.

There is no shortage of advice on how to get a good night’s sleep. No screens an hour before bedtime. No eating or drinking a couple hours before. No caffeine after lunch. An evening workout. A warm bath. A good book. A cool room. A comfortable bed, pillow, and sheets.

Benedryl, melatonin, Ambien, Sominex, warm milk, almonds, high-carb snack.

Those are just the ones I’ve recently heard. I’m sure there are many more.

I came across this one in the bible:

If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:23)

Sounds good. What is the secret to that sweet sleep?

It starts a few verses earlier, in the encouragement to find wisdom and understanding.

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding (Proverbs 3:13).

The writer isn’t talking about any wisdom and understanding, but that which comes from trusting God, leaning on God, fearing God, honoring God, and following his ways.

My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck (Proverbs 3:21,22).

Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet (Proverbs 3:23,24).

A life rooted and built up in Christ, a faith firmly established in him, full of gratitude is safe and secure. You can rest easy and sleep well because you know he’s taking care of you.

I think it’s interesting that sleep has a spiritual as well as a physical dimension. It’s as much about resting your soul as it is getting rest for your body. In the bible, a soul thirsts, hungers, gets weary and needs rest.

How nice to know that God arranges for that. He’s faithful, powerful, wise, and understanding. His steadfast love endures forever. You don’t have to worry. You can rest easy.

And you can get some sweet, sweet sleep.

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