genesis – Waite for it…

What a ridiculous prayer

Posted on April 16, 2026 by William Douthwaite

How bold are my prayers? Do I pray for what I think God would be willing to give? Or do I go out on a limb with a ridiculous prayer for grace and mercy? Will I go to bat for someone undeserving of anything but his wrath? Am I willing to ask for something I don’t — and never could — deserve?

Abraham prays with boldness and humility in Genesis 18.

Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” (Genesis 18:27,28)

From a place of extreme humility, Abraham isn’t shy about challenging God’s plan to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. His bold prayer originates from the dust and ashes of someone just as sinful, just as deserving of God’s wrath. He is not afraid to confront God, negotiate with God, and call God out on matters of justice.

“Maybe there are a few good people there.” Sure, keep dreaming Abraham. I know you care about your nephew Lot. He chose to live in Sin City, remember? His wife will look back and be turned into a pillar of salt. His daughters will use him to bear children who will torment God’s people for generations to come.

50? 45? 30? 20? 10 righteous people? If you can find that many, God will step back. He doesn’t. There wasn’t. God’s judgment is perfect, just, righteous, and appropriate. He knows what’s going on. He knows what he’s doing.

Abraham’s humble yet bold prayers remind me of something Paul wrote in Romans 8:34. There we read that Christ “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” The one who humbled himself and became a servant boldly goes to bat for us, as deserving of God’s wrath as any sinner in scripture. Forget about fifty righteous or even ten. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). We’re only spared because he took the full wrath of God on our behalf, “wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).

Both Abraham and Christ remind me that humility and boldness in prayer go hand in hand.

Through the Bible Devotions

Familiar lyrics

Posted on April 14, 2026 by William Douthwaite

Where did you come from, where did you go?
Where did you come from, Cotton-Eye Joe?

If you’ve been to a wedding reception lately, you’ve heard and possibly danced to “Cotton Eye Joe,” along with “Shake It Off,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” and “Cuban Shuffle.”

But did you know these lyrics came from the bible?

“The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?'” (Genesis 16:7,8)

Hagar gets caught in the middle. She’s a maidservant Sarah picked up in Egypt. It was her idea for Abraham to have a child with Hagar since Sarah wasn’t able to have children (so far). Abraham goes along, Hagar has a son they name Ishmael. The two women end up despising each other, so Hagar runs away to escape the abuse.

That’s when she encounters God. He asks, “Where did you come from, and where are you going?”

Hagar knows where’s she from. She’s running away. Where is she going? God only knows.

And that’s the key. God says, “Go back home. It won’t be easy, but you’re going to have a lot of descendants, more than you can count.” God knows exactly where this is headed. He sees her and he sees her future.

He sees our future, too. No matter where we’ve been, our future is in his hands. Those are good hands. Strong hands. Gracious hands. Reassuring hands.

It’s okay to take a look back, to see how far you’ve come. God helps us catch a glimpse of where we headed. We can trust him to take us places we could never go ourselves.

Through the Bible Devotions

Ask hard questions

Posted on April 13, 2026April 14, 2026 by William Douthwaite

God took Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” (Genesis 15:5-8)

So one moment Abram takes God at his word. But the next, he’s got a question: “How can I be sure?”

I think it’s interesting that faith and doubt go hand in hand. Faith doesn’t always displace doubt. Zechariah wanted assurance that an old man could still have a son (Luke 1). Gideon wanted some fleece signs (Judges 6). The apostle Thomas wanted to see the resurrected Christ with his own eyes (John 20). Mary wondered, “How can this be, since I am a virgin” (Luke 1)?

Well, that’s a relief. My questions don’t negate my faith. I can still ask God, “Are you sure?” “How are you going to do that?” “Are you serious?” “You want me to do what?”

Actually, doubts and questions are a wonderful sign of faith. You know God loves you so much you can ask him anything. Anything. He knows. He knows you have questions. He knows you have doubts. He knows his commands and promises are out there. Way out there. He knows it’s not going to be easy to trust him. It doesn’t bother him at all.

Just trust him enough to ask. He wants to hear from you. He wants to hear your questions. He wants to walk with you through your doubts.

Do you trust God enough to ask him hard questions?

After teaching a class, I usually ask, “Any questions?” If there’s silence, I wonder, “Was anyone listening?” I’m not the greatest teacher. And you’re all not ideal students.

Humor me. Just ask.

Through the Bible Devotions

A faith journey

Posted on April 12, 2026 by William Douthwaite

I was today years old when I learned some things about Abram I had never thought about before (from Genesis 12).

When the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country…and go to the land I will show you,” it wasn’t the first time he spoke those words. According to Acts 7:2-4, God gave him those instructions when he was in Mesopotamia. In Genesis 11:31, the family only made it to Haran. The Lord gives them another nudge, and they finally settle in Canaan (12:5). I wonder why they didn’t go the whole way the first time?

The Lord said, “Leave…your people” (12:1). Abram mostly did, but took his nephew Lot with him (12:4). Lot would trouble later when Abram had to give him part of the land (13:5-9), and later when Abram had to rescue him from captors (14:16). Maybe he should have left him home.

Then, when there’s a famine, Abram goes to Egypt to find food. While there, Sarai acquires an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar, whom she would hate when Abram fathers a child with her (16:1). Maybe they should have trusted God to provide for them in Canaan.

Even though childless, Abram believed God’s promise to make him the father of a great nation. He’s the poster child of faith: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (15:6). But rather than a heroic faith, Abram had a growing faith. Abram made some questionable choices, but always circled back to square one, built an altar, and called on the name of the Lord (12:8; 13:18). His actions had consequences, but nothing can derail God’s plans. And along the way, Abram learned how to trust God.

Through the Bible Devotions

Why are you so upset?

Posted on April 10, 2026 by William Douthwaite

When I get to Genesis 4, I have so many questions.

What was wrong with Cain’s offering?

Why was Cain so angry? (Even the Lord asks, “Why are you angry?”)

Was Cain angry at God or at his brother Abel?

Why did Cain’s anger escalate to murder? Did he set out to kill his brother? Or did his anger get out of control?

I’ve got three clues from scripture to help me understand.

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did” (Hebrews 11:4).

“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (1 John 3:12).

“Woe to [these ungodly people]! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion” (Jude 11).

So Cain had more than just anger issues. He rejected God. His response both to the Lord and Abel stemmed from unbelief. Cain is numbered with Balaam and Korah, who foolish rebelled against God.

The first sin is disobeying God’s instruction, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17). From there, things progress from bad to worse. The next recorded sin is murder. No wonder Cain’s offering was unacceptable. His life was on a trajectory away from God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Every Old Testament sacrifice pointed to Christ, the sacrifice for sin. If worship is about you rather than him, you’re missing the point.

Through the Bible Devotions

Who are you talking to?

Posted on April 7, 2026 by William Douthwaite

“And God said…” (Genesis 1:3)

Who is God talking to?

“The earth was formless and empty” (1:2). There’s no one else around.

Who is he talking to?

I daily walk by people who seem to be talking to themselves. But then I see their AirPods or ear buds and realize they are talking to someone on the phone.

Others aren’t on the phone. But they still have much to say to someone (or someones) living in their mind. You know, that little voice that won’t shut up.

Or they are talking to themselves, just as we do sometimes. I’ll tell myself to keep quiet, keep walking, just listen, let it go, ignore them, just smile, be kind, take a breath, etc. You know what I mean.

On the one hand, you could say God is talking to himself. A triune God is never wanting for some to talk with.

On the other hand, God doesn’t make small talk. When he speaks, something happens. In the verses to follow, God speaks and there’s light, sky, land, plants, fish, birds, and animals. His word is creative. God can speak to nothing at all and suddenly something exists.

So if you talk to yourself, it’s okay. Just think of it as being created in the image of God. Or being like Jesus, by whom and through whom all things were made.

Or maybe you’ve got one of those voices that makes things happen. You motivate and encourage. You teach and explain. You persuade and lead. The world is different, better after you’ve spoken.

For six weeks during Covid isolation I preached sermons to an iphone on a tripod. I felt like I was talking to no one. Or simply to myself. It was a very strange feeling. I have no idea who heard my words. That feels like such a long time ago.

What happens when someone speaks God’s word?

Advent devotions

Love, hate, and a really nice coat

Posted on December 7, 2024 by William Douthwaite

“Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him” (Genesis 37:3,4).

Joseph’s special robe reminded him of his father’s love and his brothers’ hate. I’ll bet he had mixed feelings every time he put it on.

Many years later soldiers would mock Jesus by putting a purple robe on him. Jesus came into this world as the ultimate expression of God’s love, and yet he was the object of intense hate.

Isaiah rejoiced that the Lord had clothed him in garments of salvation and robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). Paul writes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). That outfit is a reminder of God’s steadfast love, but also a magnet for hate in this world. Jesus told his disciples, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Mark 13:13).

Joseph is a type, or a shadow, of who Christ will be. Joseph will not only be hated, but beaten, betrayed, and sold into slavery. Through that, though, he was able to save his family. Second only to the Pharaoh in Egypt, he fed his family and kept the Messianic line alive. Jesus was hated, beaten, betrayed, and crucified. But through it all he saved his people.

The cross declares that we are dearly loved. But that truth will also bring hate. Through it all, we will proclaim Christ in our words and lives. And by the grace of God, more will be saved.

By the grace of God, Joseph’s coat gets an ornament on our Jesse tree.

Devotions, neighbor, neighborhood, Through the Bible Devotions

The new neighbor

Posted on July 19, 2024August 22, 2024 by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 34 and 35.

We try to be good neighbors. You know, friendly, keep an eye on each other’s houses, keep the yard looking nice, and pick up trash. Smile.

Most of our neighbors are like that. But not all. Some yards are kind of trashy. Some throw garbage into vacant lots. Some don’t seem to know how to smile. a few are kind of scary looking.

Jacob’s neighbors weren’t fond of him when he brought his family back to Canaan. After Simeon and Levi avenged the abuse of their sister Dinah, Jacob feared attacks from the locals (34:30). But the locals were afraid of them and avoided them (Genesis 35:5).

I guess that’s ok. But I’d rather the neighbors bring me a plate of cookies. I’d want to introduce myself (and my dogs) and get to know them (and their dogs). Let’s exchange smiles rather than scowls.

If kid’s won’t even knock on your door at Halloween, you might want to give a wave or crack a smile once in a while.

Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions

A sure thing

Posted on July 1, 2024August 22, 2024 by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 15.

When I bought a house, I signed a mountain of documents assuring the mortgage lender that I was who I said I was, knew what I was buying, and understood how much I would be paying each month for the next thirty years. It was intimidating to say the least.

But that’s nothing compared to what Abram has to endure as God confirms the covenant.

So God says to Abram, “You will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky” Abram believes. So far so good.

The God says, “I brought you here so you can possess this land, too.”

But this time Abram asks, “Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” (Genesis 15:5-8)

If you only knew what you were asking, Abram! God instructs him to round up a cow, a goat, a ram, a dove, and a pigeon. Abram has to slice the big animals in two, and then he has to chase away circling vultures from the carcasses. When Abram falls asleep, he has a nightmare about God himself, appearing in the darkness as a smoking oven and a flaming torch, moves between the butchered animals to say in ancient covenant language, “I guarantee it.” Anyone else might have added, “I swear to God.” But I guess that doesn’t work when God is the one who is speaking.

Everything comes with a guarantee, right? At least for the first thirty days after a purchase. When I bought a cheap toaster, the Walmart cashier asked if I wanted the extended warrantee. It cost nearly as much as the toaster. No thanks.

So it’s only natural to ask God for some kind of assurance. That is, until you get to know him. When you look back in scripture and in your own life and see what God has done, you learn that faithfulness is one of his character traits. You can trust him. Plus, it’s not as messy.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: