Tag: God

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The look on his face

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 67.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us. (Psalm 67:1)

Our faces communicate much about how we’re feeling. We can express approval, displeasure, joy, or grief with just a glance. I can wrinkle my brow, grin, purse my lips, or roll my eyes, and you’ll ask, “What?” But you know. You know in that moment that I’m concerned, amused, thoughtful, or exasperated.

In biblical thought, God’s shining face is a look of approval. Do you imagine God looking at you with pride, or with disappointment? Is he glad to hear from you, or does he roll his eyes? Do you picture him smiling or frowning?

I hope you picture the Lord with a big grin on his face. He made you, he loves you, he’s proud of you, and he wants to be with you. He came to be with you, to be your Savior, to adopt you as his child, and secure a place for you with him forever. I believe he’s very fond of you, and you can see it on his face!

Take a day and notice people’s faces. What does their face communicate? What do you think is on their mind? What are they thinking? What’s their mood?

Think again about God’s face? Your faith in Christ means he looks at you as he looks at his own son: with love, pride, approval, and joy. Your Father loves you, and you can tell by the look on his face!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Just like silver

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 66.

For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried. (Psalm 66:10)

I found these fascinating words in a little commentary on this psalm: “Silver is pure enough when the refiner can see his image in the molten metal.”

You know how silver (and gold) is refined, don’t you? You heat the metal up until it is a liquid. Once that happens, any impurities will also melt and rise to the surface. The refiner skims all of that off, leaving the pure silver beneath. It now reflects the refiner’s image.

The analogy is powerful. God tests and tries us like precious metal. He heats up our circumstances, allowing temptation, crises, difficult people, and unexpected expenses into our lives. He does all that to bring us to repentance and dependance on him. His forgiveness purifies us from our failures, shame, guilt, and all the stupid things we’ve done. And then guess what? You can see him reflected in our lives. Pretty cool, huh?

Now when we’re going through it, it’s not so cool. It’s hot. It’s hard. It makes us want to wail, “I’m melting!” But it’s worth it. Who else can take our mess and make it magjificent?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

There’s another lion

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Mike van den Bos on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 57.

My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts (Psalm 57:4)

David wrote these words when Saul was pursuing him, intent on killing him. Hiding in cave, David whispers a prayer for God’s mercy as he feels surrounded by lions.

David has faced lions (and bears) when he was tending sheep. Having killed those predators, he knew he could handle Goliath.

But this was different. These were people bent on his destruction. They were relentless. They tested David’s faith more than ever.

David doesn’t despair. Instead he sings. He sings God’s praises as if he’s already been rescued.

How did he do that? I believe he remembered another lion, the Lion of Judah. His Lord never changed, no matter what the enemy threw at him. God got him through it before, and God would get him through it again. He’s in the cave, surrounded by lions, and he’s singing about his victory.

One day Daniel would be there. He actually got a good night’s sleep because that same divine Lion sent an angle to close the mouths of all the others.

I’m big into visualizing my prayers. I love this picture of the Lord, because you never know when you might have to face lions.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Shifting your burdens to him

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Marcin Simonides on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 55.

Whether you got a lot of things on your plate or a lot of things on your mind, this promise from Psalm 55 is powerful and comforting:

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:12)

As I ponder those words, I can’t help but wonder, “How exactly does one do that?” What does it look like to cast your burdens on the Lord?How do I go about shifting a burden from my life to him?

I’ve thought of a few practical ways to do that.

Confession. That’s the obvious one, right? If we confess, he is faithful to forgive. He arranges the ultimate trade: Jesus takes the burden of our sin on the cross and gives us his righteousness through faith. Bonus: his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Repentance. Not so obvious here. To repent is to turn, to do an about face from sin and follow Christ. The burden is now on his to lead you in paths of righteousness.

Prayer. Talking it out with God means that at least one other will share your burden. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

Do it together. When we gather for worship as a church, we remember that we don’t do this alone. We do it as the body of Christ. We’re called to bear each other’s burdens. You help others cast their burdens on the Lord simply by being there for them. They are there for you, too.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Moving from doing to being

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 50.

When something goes wrong, the first thing we ask ourselves is, “What do I need to do?”

The AC’s not cooling the house. The car engine is making an unusual noise. A patch of grass in the yard is dead. An electrical outlet in the house isn’t working. There’s always something to fix.

In Psalm 50, God’s not looking for more ritual. He’s concerned about the relationship. He doesn’t need more sacrifices. The people offer up plenty of those. Instead,

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
    and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

Rituals have a way of making us feel like we’ve done enough. Receiving God’s gifts with gratitude, faithfulness, and trust reminds us that’s he’s done enough. Here the psalmist helps us move from “what do you want me to do?” to “who do you want me to be?”

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

You’re forgiven. Now what?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by CDC on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 32.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity (Psalm 32:1,2)

I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. (32:5)

Forgiveness is an amazing thing. Life is good without shame, regret, and guilt hanging over your head. By the grace of God, all that is off the table when we’re forgiven.

Now what?

Your transgression is forgiven, your sin is covered, and the Lord doesn’t count any iniquity against you. What’s next?

In Psalm 32, David takes us to the next step.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (32:8)

We learn a lot from our mistakes. We resolve, “I’m not going to do that again,” “I’m going to think before I speak,” “I’m not going there anymore.” But we will. We’ll drift back into old habits, let our words fly, and make the same stupid mistakes.

I’m grateful for God’s instruction and teaching. I’m thankful he’s keeping an eye on me, to counsel me, and lead me in the way of life. A lot of things look good that really aren’t good for me. His scriptural guidance is always for my benefit and blessing.

Forgiven? Yes! Now go back to class.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Another look at the most familiar psalm

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by hani Pirzadian on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 23.

Here’s a few reflections on what may be the most well-known chapter of the bible.

“The Lord is my shepherd.” In an ancient culture, the job of shepherd was considered the lowest of occupations. It was the bottom rung, similar to an entry level position in the mailroom of a large corporation

That’s the job the Creator chooses to identify with. He chooses the minimum wage position in a world where everyone is scrambling to get ahead.

“I shall not want.” That could be confidence in God’s provision. Or it could be a choice, to be content with what God has provided. It’s not easy to put coveting aside in a world that continually markets new products.

“He restores my soul.” Soul restoration isn’t easy. It’s not just feeling better about yourself or about life. It’s about confession, repentance, and forgiveness. A restored soul is one drenched in God’s grace, covered in Christ’s blood, and restored to wholeness.

“For his name’s sake.” He doesn’t do this because of your performance or potential. He does it purely out of Fatherly goodness and mercy without any merit or worthiness in you or me.

“Through the valley of the shadow of death.” Death is not a destination. It’s just part of the journey. It’s not the end of the road. By the grace of God, it’s the doorway to life.

“I will fear no evil.” Evil will always be present. Fear will not be, not when we know the one who is with us.

“Your rod and your staff.” These are the weapons of the shepherd. They ward off predators. They also discipline us sheep when we get off the path.

“Goodness and mercy shall follow me.” The shepherd leads us, but his goodness and mercy bring up the rear, too.

“I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” That’s our home. There’s a place for us.

No matter how many times I read this psalm, there’s always something new to meditate on.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Facial recognition

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com

You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” (Psalm 27:8)

As a newborn’s eyes begin to develop, he or she will seek out the face of a mother or father. Their eyes will fix on your eyes. It’s is an amazing moment when our eyes meet for the first time, and we both smile.

I’ve been going to a lot of my grandson’s basketball games lately. I love it when one of the players gets the ball and looks into the stands to see if mom and dad are watching. Of course they are, and they’re shouting, “Shoot the ball!”

Some cell phones come to life with facial recognition. The phone sees your face and grants you access to all your apps. It’s an amazing part of the technology.

I was always taught to look at the person who was speaking to better understand what they were saying. It’s just part of being an active listener.

So it makes sense to seek God’s face. We want to feel connected, we love to know he’s watching us, it feels good to know that he knows us, and we don’t want to miss anything he has to say.

So if you feel your heart telling you to seek his face, do it! Listen, look at what he’s doing all around you, and connect with his promises.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The apple of his eye

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ion Fet on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 17.

“Keep me as the apple of your eye” (Psalm 17:8).

I’m sure I’ve glossed over that phrase dozens of times. I kind of know what it means, but I really don’t know what it means. Do you know what it means? Let’s find out.

It is actually a reference to the pupil of your eye. It’s small, round, and of great value. Your eyelids reflexively close if anything comes near your eye, protecting the aperture that lets in light. It is valuable, protected, and a treasured part of your body.

So if you’re the apple of God’s eye, you are treasured, valuable, and something that he’ll protect no matter what. This is one of the ways David pleads for God’s surrounding presence and powerful protection. Isn’t that a poetic way of submitting yourself to God’s loving protection in the presence of enemies?

How do we protect those things most valuable to us? We lock them away. We insure them. We keep them close to us. We install cameras and an alarm system. We ask someone to keep an eye on it. We put a chain on it, like a wallet. Or we just don’t let it out of our sight.

So this is like praying, “God, don’t let me out of your sight. Protect me like the most precious part of you.” God sees everything. Nothing escapes his eye. His eyes go way beyond the miracle of sight that we know. So the pupil, or apple, of his eye, is precious beyond measure.

And so are you and I. God treasures us as the apple of his eye, his most valued possession. He never lets us out of his sight. Nothing is getting close to us unless he allows it. He’s our personal bodyguard, security system, and guard dog all in one.