Tag: faith

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Making the rounds: Samuel judges Israel

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 7.

Pastoral ministry was my second career. With a math degree in hand, I programmed computers for a few years before I went to seminary.

Once parishioners got wind of my background, they assumed I’d be able to give them technical advice when their devices malfunctioned. While they wanted me to have solid theological credentials, they also wanted me to diagnose a printer that wouldn’t print, wifi that wouldn’t connect, or some malware that paralyzed a laptop.

Eventually, when someone asked, “Can I ask you about something?” I’d reply, “I hope it’s a bible question.” They would chuckle and ask me how to find a downloaded document on their computer.

I never did it, but I’m convinced that if I taught a Sunday School class on how to use your smart phone I would fill the room.

Everyone knew that the Lord spoke to Samuel and established him as a prophet. So Samuel “went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places,” as well as his hometown of Ramah (1 Samuel 7:16,17).

I would have gone to see Samuel when he was in my town. I love hearing from people who have spent time with the Lord. You can tell when someone spends time with God in the word and in prayer. Those folks see the world differently. They see God at work in both joy and heartbreak. Their gentle faith, contagious hope, and genuine love fill any room they’re in. Their conversation isn’t about them. It’s either about you or Him.

I’m thankful for folks like that. I hope you get to know some, too!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

It’s not a weapon

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Maxim Hopman on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 4.

In a classic Seinfeld clip Elaine asks her boyfriend Puddy, “So is it a problem that I’m not really religious?”

Puddy answers, “Not for me.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not the one going to hell.”

And just like that, faith is weaponized. I’m right and you’re wrong. I’m in; you’re out. I’m on the winning side; you lose. Heaven or hell.

Israel tries to weaponize their faith and lose big (1 Samuel 4:10,11). They assume that if they take the ark of the covenant into battle, they will win. Sorry, guys. The ark is an object of worship, not war. The presence of God is effective in spiritual warfare. But if you’re goal is to use God to hurt someone, think again.

Israel tries to use God and they lose. They lose big. They lose the battle and they lose the ark.

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but …against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

If you are using your faith, your God, or your salvation against other people, you’ve bought into a lie. The fight isn’t physical. It’s spiritual.

Stop attacking and start loving.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

More than a memory

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Judges 2.

It only took one generation. The people were serious when they promised, “We will serve the Lord” and got rid of their foreign gods (Joshua 24:22,23).

I turn one page in the bible and read, “There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. The sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals” (Judges 2:10,11).

How could that happen? Did no one tell them? Or weren’t they listening? It was probably a combination of both. The powerful accounts of crossing the Jordan on dry ground and watching the wall of Jericho fall were interesting and inspiring. But it wasn’t their experience.

I don’t fully understand my father’s experience of being away from home in the South Pacific for eighteen months during World War II. In a similar way, my grandchildren will never know what it felt like to watch the Twin Trade Towers collapse on September 11, 2001. The youngest of my grandchildren will look at pictures one day and ask, “What were you wearing a mask?” They didn’t live through the uncertain times of a pandemic.

That reality sounds sad until I remember that His story is different than history. The biblical accounts of God at work open our eyes to see him at work in our lives. As we gather for worship and live out our faith in the world, it becomes our experience, too. It is our story.

Someone is always watching you, learning from you. They might be related. They might not. Let them see someone affected by the God who was, and is, and always will be. Let them see someone who loves because they’ve been loved.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The day the manna stopped

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Joshua 5.

A whole generation has grown up in a world with smart phones. Apple sold the first iPhone in 2007, so anyone born after that has never seen a world without the pocket technology we use every single day.

Manna kept a nation alive for forty years. God faithfully gave his people this daily bread, just as he promised. A whole generation grew up on manna. They never knew life without it.

Then one day, the manna stopped.

“The manna ceased on the day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land” (Joshua 5:12)

They would never eat manna again.

I wonder if anyone would miss it. Before long, I am sure folks would be telling stories of the manna they ate when they were kids. Just like we talk about foods we ate growing up you can’t get anymore. Like Swanson’s TV dinners, Carnation breakfast bars, Hunt’s Snack Pack pudding cups, Jello pudding pops, and Bazooka bubble gum.

No more manna? The good news is that the produce of a land filled with milk and honey was amazing.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Strong and courageous

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Pixabay

A “through the bible” devotion from Joshua 1.

Are super powers easy to come by? Sometimes it’s accidental. A radioactive spider bit Peter Parker, and he became spiderman. Gamma radiation turns Bruce Banner into the Hulk. A medical experiment turns Steve Rogers into Captain America.

For others, it’s intentional. With some cash and some smarts, Bruce Wayne is Batman and Tony Stark becomes Ironman.

It helps if your parents are gods (Thor, Aquaman) or from another planet (Superman).

For the record (and for those who care), I enjoy both Marvel and DC superheroes.

Underdog ate a Super Energy Vitamin Pill for his superpowers. (I watched Underdog a lot when I was a kid. I just learned that this was edited out of the cartoon in the 80s and 90s so as not to encourage drug use.)

Three times in the first chapter of Joshua, God tells him to “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6, 7, 9). A few moments later, the leaders of Israel address Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (1:18).

Sounds like they want (need) a superhero.

Don’t you think Joshua was under a lot of pressure? After all, there was no one like Moses, who saw God face-to-face. He is a tough act to follow.

When someone says, “Be brave,” it’s usually when they are going to stick a needle in your arm or you have to get on the bus by yourself or some guy in a robe asks, “Do you take this man (woman)…”

But when God says, “Be strong and courageous,” it’s because “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (1:9). It’s not just a command. It’s a promise.

Who’s riding shotgun? Jesus? You’ve got nothing to worry about. You can be strong and courageous!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Listen to him

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Deuteronomy 18.

Not sure how to fix, open, replace, decorate, or operate something? You and I find someone on YouTube who shows you how. I’ve learned how to disassemble my oven door to clean the glass, patch up holes in the wall, build a raised garden, compost, make sourdough bread, and replace a computer battery.

Apparently, the pagan culture of Canaan turned to divination, soothsayers, interpreters of omens, sorcerers, mediums, spiritists, and those who consulted the dead to figure out life (Deuteronomy 18:10,11). In his pre-conquest pep talk, Moses says, “Don’t do those things. God hates that stuff.” Instead, consult the Lord. How?

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

God spoke to his people through Moses who spent time in the presence of the Lord on Sinai and then passed along God’s instructions. Subsequently, God sent people – prophets – to speak for him. Each pointed to the ultimate prophet, Jesus, who physically embodied God’s word.

Many Christians have questions they intend to ask Jesus when they get to see him face-to-face. That’s a good thing. Lately, though, I’ve shared that Jesus may not answer all your questions. In the bible, Jesus answers questions with other questions or a story. I just want you to be ready for that.

Plus, when you finally do get to heaven, it’s going to be so amazing that you’ll forget all your questions. When Jesus asks, “Do you have any questions,” I’ll probably respond, “Never mind. It wasn’t important.”

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Persistent poverty

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Seyiram Kweku on pexels.com

A “through the bible” devotion from Deuteronomy 15.

In back-to-back paragraphs we read, “There will be no poor among you” (Deuteronomy 15:4) and “The poor will not cease to exist in the land” (15:11). So which is it?

What were the causes of poverty at the time of Moses?

  • A storm, blight, or insects wipes out a crop or decimates a flock
  • A family is left destitute when attacked and plundered by an enemy or robbed by a thief
  • A disease or disability makes it impossible to work.
  • An employer doesn’t pay wages (injustice) or an employee doesn’t do the job (laziness).

Many years later Jesus would say, “You always have the poor with you” (Matthew 26:11). There will always be someone without enough. There will always be someone who needs your help. It might even be you.

Old Testament law put safeguards in place. From not charging interest to a jubilee year when all debts are cancelled, all poverty should be short-lived.

Thirty-five hundred years later, we still haven’t solved the problem. There are still families without enough food to eat each day. There are still people who need assistance with basic expenses like shelter, utilities, and clothing. Jesus was right. There’s always someone. There’s always someone who needs help.

I have to remind myself that poor doesn’t necessarily mean unemployed, homeless, and begging on the corner. Poor can mean sharing a living space, only owning one or two outfits, unable to afford a car, and eating affordable, but unhealthy meals.

The temptation is to say, “Stay in school. Get a job. Stick to a budget. Stop wasting money on cigarettes and lottery tickets.” All of that is sound advice. And it puts all the responsibility on them.

But Jesus puts the responsibility on me (and you). “To the extent that you did it [food, drink, clothes, shelter] for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Maybe we always have the poor with us so we don’t forget about Jesus.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Take care of your soul

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on pexels

A “through the bible” devotion from Deuteronomy 4.

The monthly car payment fits into your budget. Sweet! Now, what about the maintenance and upkeep? What? A good rule of thumb is to set aside at least as much as the payment each month for things like oil changes, tires, tire rotations, filters, and cleaning supplies. Yikes. Those things add up quickly.

As he reviewed the law for the people, Moses said, “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

I know how to take care of my body. I know how to maintain a car. But how do I care for my soul? Souls get hungry, thirsty, and tired. My soul needs rest and sustenance, too. How do I do that?

Anxiety. Fear. Doubt. Worry. Panic. Restlessness. Impatience. Those could all be signs that my soul needs something. My soul needs to remember what God has done for me, the future he’s secured for me, and his mercies I’m experiencing today. When Jesus calls himself the bread of life, he invites us to come to him and drink, and is described as our Sabbath rest, he’s nothing less than a much-needed buffet for my soul.

Fix your eyes on him.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Want to see the pictures from our trip?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nathan Anderson on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Numbers 33.

I’m old enough to remember the days when friends would invite you over to see the slides from their most recent trip. For those not old enough to remember, slides were transparent photos you could shine a light through and project onto a screen so a room full of people could all see them. We do the same thing now but on a big screen TV or the little screen of a phone.

Not everyone found travel slides or photographs as interesting as those who took them. But they were an important record of travel. Once I get home, I begin to forget all the places I went and all the things I saw and did. I’m careful now to journal every day of a trip. Alongside photos, this has enabled me to remember trips to Alaska, Israel, Haiti, and most recently, Hawaii.

That’s what Moses does. “These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt…Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage” (Numbers 33:1,2). He writes down the places Israel traveled and camped from their departure from Egypt to their arrival Moab, on the east side of the Jordan River. It’s not exciting reading, but it’s an important chronicle of the journey.

Before my dad died, he showed me pages in a scrapbook that listed everywhere he went while in the United States Army-Air Corps in World War II. He kept a careful record of every school he trained at and every island and atoll he stopped in the south Pacific. I was able to locate all of the places using Google Earth. Some places are nothing more than half an island out in the middle of the ocean. Others are towns in the Philippine Islands. All of them were far from home.

I’m glad he wrote it all down. When his ninety-year old memory began to fail, his part of United States and world history remained intact. Just like the nation of Israel, who often forgot about God and the amazing things he had done for them.