Tag: faith

Posted in Advent devotions

From Stump to Savior: An Advent Devotion

Posted on by William Douthwaite

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1,2)

Where I live in Florida, winter means cooler temperatures, but certainly nothing like the cold I’ve experienced when I lived further north. The temperature might dip below freezing one or two days in January or February. When it does, all the leaves fall off my Hibiscus, Mandeville, and Bougainville plants.

That’s my cue to get to work. I cut everything down to the ground and fill up bags for the trash guys to haul away on Wednesday.

Within a week, though, small green shoots with leaves will begin to grow from the stumps I left behind. As the weather gets warmer those shoots will grow inches overnight until a new vine is reaching towards the sky. I gather the new vines and use some twine to keep them close to the backyard fence.

It’s not a wintry blast of cold air that freezes God’s people in the Old Testament. It’s the loving discipline of the Lord for his people who have forsaken him to worship idols. Foreign nations and kings destroy and disperse God’s people.

When God decided that someone with a heart like his needed to be on the throne of Israel, he chose David, the son of Jesse. Not only would David be king, but his descendants would always be king over God’s people.

But once a pagan ruler exiles the people to a pagan place far away from Jerusalem, there doesn’t seem to be much hope. All that’s left to hold onto is the promise that “a remnant will return (Isaiah 10:21). And “there shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,” a king descended from David infused with the Spirit of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1,2).

This is a messianic promise. That shoot would not be just any king. “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32,33).

That’s right, it’s not over till it’s over. God has the final word, and his word becomes flesh to rule and reign over his people. From that dead stump of disobedient and unfaithful people would come the one who would save his people from their sin, overcome death, and defeat the adversary, Satan.

When Jesus is born, a fresh green shoot starts to grow from the stump of Jesse, rooted in the promises of God. All that Jesus comes to be and do results in life, growth, and fruit. And guess what? By grace, you’ve been grafted into his family by faith. This isn’t just his story. It’s yours. You are part of God’s family.

In the song “Made for More,” Josh Baldwin sings, “I know who I am ’cause I know who You are.” Did you ever stop to think what a wonderful Christmas gift it is to know who you are? By grace you’ve been adopted into his family by faith.

If you’ve forgotten your identity, don’t just get out your wallet and look at your ID. Remember the shoot that comes forth from the stump of Jesse!

Since it’s December and Advent, I thought it would be fun to write some devotions for the season. Some decorate a Jesse Tree in the month leading up to Christmas, so I thought it would be interesting to write about the symbols that hang from its branches to remind us that Christ’s coming begins a long time before his birth in Bethlehem. In fact, we know that God had that day on his calendar before creation. “[God the Father] chose us in [Jesus Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:4,5).

When I searched online for a list of Jesse Tree symbols, I found many variations. These devotions are based on one list I found from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota. You can find more here: mlc-wels.edu/publications/the-jesse-tree.

I really want to up my readership, so please share this post with anyone you think might be (or needs to be) blessed by some Advent devotions!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Get some rest

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Shane on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Kings 19.

The puppies and small grandchildren who run around our house seem to have limitless energy. They run full out until I tuck them into bed. That’s when they crash and immediately fall asleep.

After the fire of the Lord consumes Elijah’s sacrifice and he slaughters the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:38,40), Jezebel threatens his life (1 Kings 19:2).

After a day’s hike in the desert, Elijah prays, “Lord, take away my life” (19:4). I’ve had it. I quit.

He falls asleep and wakes to find an angel encouraging him to eat. After a second nap and meal, he takes a forty-day trip to a mountain called Horeb. Here, God speaks to him in a low whisper instructing him to anoints kings and a successor to be prophet in his place (19:15,16).

I think this is a great example of what we would call “self care.” Of course, it’s God who provides the physical and spiritual restoration. It was a great day on Mount Carmel. But even a prophet crashes when the adrenaline wears off. We weren’t designed to run full throttle forever. We were created needing rest. Without it, we get sick or our bodies break down. So will our souls, unless we take some time to rest.

Never feel guilty about taking care of yourself. Never feel guilty when God sends someone else along to care for you. He knows you need it.

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.