Tag: grace

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Instead of

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Mariana Medvedeva on Unsplash

Some “through the Bible” thoughts from Isaiah 61.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me…
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit (Isaiah 61:1,3).

What do you think of those restaurants whose menus announce, “No substitutions?”

  • “Can I get a side salad instead of the vegetable medley?”
  • “Could you give me a baked potato instead of the smashed garlic potatoes?”
  • “I’m gluten free. Can I get celery instead of the pita chips?”
  • “I’m vegan. Do you have Beyond meat?” (at a steak restaurant, lol)

Burger King was the chain who conditioned us to think we can have it our way. John Wanamaker supposedly said, “The customer is always right.” Plenty of “Karens” have led us to believe we can bully our way around a “no substitution” world.

On the other hand, God is all about “instead of.”

  • Joy instead of gloom.
  • A beautiful outfit instead of a black suit for a funeral.
  • A smile instead of a frown.
  • Life instead of death.

This world offers little. God offers so much. Grace instead of shame. Forgiveness instead of condemnation. Renewal instead of expiration. Fresh instead of stale. Victory instead of defeat. The old has gone; the new has come!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Perfect Peace: Mindfulness in Isaiah 26

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Isaiah 26.

“You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3)

I paused at this verse in Isaiah because it spoke of the mind. How many times have I read that Christian faith is not something to engage your intellect but a truth to touch your soul? I’ve often read that the longest distance is from the brain to the heart. The gospel is more than information about Christ. It’s the foundation of a relationship with him.

That’s all good and valid, but what about Isaiah’s image of a mind stayed on God?

  • When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).
  • Paul wrote about being transformed by “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2).
  • Paul also encouraged believers to have a mind like Christ, which he described as humble, obedient, and sacrificial (Philippians 2:5).
  • Paul also reminded his readers that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Want to get inside the head of God? You can in Christ.
  • Paul also comes down hard on those with “minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19). Instead of that, “Set your minds on things that are above” (Col. 3:2).

In so many ways, scripture tells me to get my head in the game. It challenges me, “What were you thinking?” It directs to me to grow in both grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). It reminds me to consider, “What’s my mindset today?”

I can wrap my head around this. I am a logical thinker. This makes sense to me. Am I anxious, worried, upset, or unsettled? My mind needs a reset. At any given moment, what’s on my mind? Probably not the things of God. I need a reset. I need to refocus. I need to redirect my thinking.

How do I do that? I remember that Christ is the cornerstone. The prophetic and apostolic scriptures are the foundation. I build my life on those truths rather than circumstances, current events, financial news, the well-intended opinions of others, and my own limited understanding.

My mind will never stay focused on God. My desires, the world, and Satan himself continually distract me.

But I can pursue mindfulness. Being mindful is more than being in the moment. It’s about being mindful of God’s love, grace, truth, and authority over this moment.

You can trust him, depend on him, and be stay your mind on him. In return your get shalom shalom, that is, perfect peace.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I’ll never again complain about lunch taking so long

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Duncan Sanchez on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 91.

While in Texas, we took four grandchildren to lunch at Panera last week. Tw o of them had bowls of soup, one had the macaroni and cheese, and the fourth went with grilled cheese.

I couldn’t believe how slowly they ate! It took every bit of forty-five minutes for them to enjoy a nice relaxing lunch. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve just never seen anyone eat a potato chip in six separate bites. I grab a few and pop them in mouth. Rather than a whole spoonful of soup, which wasn’t that hot, the olders scooped very small amounts of soup with their spoons. Mac and cheese? One small noodle at a time. Unless she decided to eat that noodle in three bites.

We weren’t in a hurry, had lots of things to talk about, and enjoyed our time together. Afterwards, we headed towards a Target to pick up a few things. As we approached the turn in, I saw two banged up cars waiting for the police to arrive. A minute sooner and it could have been us. I said, “I’ll never again complain about lunch taking so long.”

The psalmist writes

He will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11,12)

Forget about a guardian angel. I’m thankful for a bunch of them taking care of me. And here’s the fascinating thing. Most of the time, I’m not even aware of their presence and protection. The bad stuff that could have happened doesn’t. So I go on with my life, oblivious to their efforts.

In the bible, angels sing, deliver messages, praise God, fight battles, and take care of us in ways we can hardly understand. Thank you, Lord, for letting us linger over lunch.

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

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

Is good enough good enough?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on pexels.com

Yeah, I’m still at it. Here’s another “through the bible” devotion from Job 1.

The book of Job starts like this:

“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” (Job 1:1).

Was Job perfect? No. “None is righteous” (Romans 3:10). “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23).

So what kind of a person was Job?

What’s the difference between being “blameless” and “sinless”? Here’s one explanation. Sin is vertical, blame is horizontal. Sinful is what you are like in the presence of a holy God. Blameless is about life with others. Think portrait vs. landscape mode.

Blameless? Everyone thought of Job as a good guy. But Job still needed God’s grace as much as anyone else.

No criminal record. Perfect attendance. Excellent credit score. Employee of the month. All lab results normal. Most likely to succeed. 4.0 GPA. A horizontal righteousness, blameless and upright in the eyes of most.

Angry. Jealous. Holds a grudge. Bitter. Lips honor God; heart is far from him. Selfish. A vertical unrighteousness in the sight of the one whose opinion counts.

Some of us claim that we don’t care what others think of us. That’s a lie. Of course we care. We work hard to look good horizontally. Do we care about what God thinks of us? Probably not as much as we care what others think of us. How much effort goes into that vertical relationship?

Good enough or God’s enough? That’s a good question, isn’t it?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

I just called to say, “Hi!”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by yang miao on Unsplash

As a parish pastor, I made a lot of phone calls that must havemade people feel guilty. As soon as I said, “Hi!” they responded with answers they thought I wanted to hear.

  • “Don’t worry, Pastor, I’m still sending in my contribution.”
  • “Don’t worry. We still pray everyday.”
  • “Don’t worry. We’ve been traveling. We’ll be there this week.”
  • “Don’t worry. We watch the livestream each week.”

I called to see how they were doing. Just the sound of my voice brought out the self-justification heavy artillery. It was a gospel call. I just called to say, “Hi!” They heard the law.

A widow in Zarephath gets a bottomless bowl of flour and jar of oil from Elijah. But as soon as her son gets sick, she fast forwards to the worst case scenario. “You have come to me to bring my wrongdoing to remembrance, and to put my son to death!” (1 Kings 17:18)

She feels guilty about something. Who knows what. It doesn’t matter. Suddenly, her worldview shifts from grace to karma. Who’s the bad guy here, Elijah or God himself? Who knows.

If you picture God as the one looking over your shoulder, ready to catch a misstep, you need to get to know God better. He’s the one looking over his shoulder, saying, “Are you coming?” He’s the one who invites us to follow him to green pastures and quiet waters. He never comes to condemn. Only to rescue us.

To illustrate this point, Elijah brings her son back to life. To illustrate this point, he brings us back to life, too. If a prophet or a pastor calls to say, “Hi!” it’s okay. You’re not in big trouble. You’re hearing the voice of someone who cares.

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

A second chance? Nope.

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Will Porada on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Numbers 13 and 14.

I’m not a golfer, but I got dragged into a scramble fund-raiser for our church about twenty years ago. When I arrived that morning, borrowed clubs in hand, they asked me how many mulligans I wanted to buy. “What’s a mulligan?” “It’s a do-over.” I think I they were selling a dozen for ten bucks. What the heck, it was for a good cause. Golfers will be amused to know I used them up the front nine. Our four person team finished last, not even breaking 100. It was the last time I played. I’m not a golfer.

Who doesn’t like the idea of a mulligan? A bad note, a lousy drawing, over- or under-cooked food, a false start. Whatever. Start over. Try again.

We like to think of God as someone who gives you another chance. That’s true to a certain extent. Grace is powerful. So are consequences. After siding with the unfaithful majority, the nation of Israel doesn’t get another chance.

The vote was ten to two. Ten spies said, “We can’t go up against the people of Caanan. They are too big, too strong for us.” Two, Joshua and Caleb argued, “Let’s go; we can do it!” (Numbers 13:30-31)

God is ready to ditch them all (14:12). But Moses steps in. Moses appeals to God’s abounding love and forgiveness. “Please pardon the iniquity of this people” (14:19).

The Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers” (Numbers 14:20).

They are forgiven, that is, God doesn’t obliterate them with pestilence and disown them. However, they will live with the consequences of their unbelief. They will not enter in to the land. Forty years later, their children will. But they will not.

Wait a minute. Isn’t he a God of mercy? Isn’t he abounding in steadfast love? He sure is. But he’s also your heavenly father. A father who truly loves his children disciplines them (Hebrews 12:6). How else are you going to learn?

A police officer might let you off with a warning. But a speeding ticket might be more effective in getting you to lighten on the gas.