Tag: Jesus

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

That sounds familiar…

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ashlyn Smith on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from 2 Kings 4 and 5.

Elisha does impressive miracles in 2 Kings.

  • He brings a child back to life (2 Kings 4:32,35).
  • He feeds a whole bunch of people with just a little bit of food (4:42-44).
  • He heals a person from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14).

Hmm. Who does that remind me of? Jesus? Yep.

I don’t remember who pointed this out to me, but the John the Baptist – Jesus dynamic was foreshadowed by the Elijah – Elisha pairing. It’s a fascinating parallel. Not an exact parallel, but interesting. There is also a similar dynamic with Moses and Joshua (preparation followed by conquest).

Remember when Elisha prayed for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (2:9)? Elisha does about twice as many miracles as Elijah. Double, indeed.

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

Somebody’s hero

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Esteban López on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Judges 3.

As they put down roots in the promised land, God’s people get into a cycle of unfaithfulness, repentance, and deliverance. They drift into idolatry, God lets enemies torment them, they cry out for help, God sends a judge to deliver them, after which they will drift into idolatry. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. God’s patience seems to be infinite.

The judges God raises up are an interesting bunch. Each is an example of personal Spirit-filled heroism. Many have a memorable quality. Ehud is left-handed, an uncommon trait among fighters of that time (Judges 3:15). Shamgar uses an oxgoad to kill six hundred Philistines (Judges 3:31). Gideon has the fleece (Judges 6:36-40). Samson exhibits superhuman strength (Judges 14:6).

Few people think of themselves as heroes. Most of the time, they’re just doing their job. But when you’re there at the right time in the right place, you might just be someone’s hero.

From Jesus’s point of view, heroes were always the least and the last. His heroes were children, servants who simply did their jobs, and sometimes those who did nothing but listen to him teach.

Every judge reminds us that Jesus is our deliverer, our ultimate hero.

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 church, Devotions, Through the Bible Devotions, worship

Why does someone have to get hurt?

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Tom Jur on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Genesis 4.

As soon as people began to worship God, worship began to separate people. Cain and Able both brought an offering to God in Genesis 4. But their style of worship was different. Cain brought produce from the farm; Abel brought something from his flock. Because God had regard for Abel’s offering but not for Cain’s, there is post-worship anger, gloom, assault, and murder (Genesis 4:8).

Not much has changed. Worship styles vary from church to church. There is gloom, despair, and agony when some congregations grow and others shrink. Worshipers openly criticize, discredit, and attack each other. And along the way, someone usually gets hurt. That’s what happens when “people [begin] to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26).

Jesus himself got caught up in a worship system that had plenty of room for laws, sacrifices, rituals, and priests, but little room for God. He was the one who ended up getting hurt and ultimately killed.

But that changes everything. The Lamb who was slain is on the throne in Revelation where everyone is on the same page, giving him “blessing, honor, and glory” (Rev. 5:13).

I suppose there’s a lesson to be learned here. Rather than focusing on what someone else is doing for worship, put the blinders on and let the Lord be in the spotlight. Listen to his word, receive his gifts of grace, and respond as someone who has been abundantly loved by loving others.

Posted in holy week

Thoughts on Good Friday: not much to say

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash

None of the gospel accounts have much to say about Jesus’s crucifixion. All simply state, “They crucified him.” (Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:33; John 19:18)

The evangelists recorded conversations that took places at Jesus’s arrest, trials, and conviction. They recount seven things Jesus said while on the cross. But the description of the crucifixion is minimal: “They crucified him.”

Artists, writers, and film directors spend a lot more time depicting the driving nails through flesh, screams of agony, and the struggle to breathe.

Maybe it was too horrible to write about. They had seen too many crucifixions and just couldn’t stomach saying anything more than those few words. Or it could be that the word “crucified” said it all. There was nothing more that needed to be said.

Posted in holy week

Tuesday of Holy Week: Trick questions

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Do you like trick questions? Riddles like these are fun to think about and figure out:

  • What goes up but never comes down?
  • How can someone go twenty-five does without sleep?
  • What has a head and a tail, but no body?

(See the end of this post for answers.)

On Tuesday of Holy Week, Pharisees, Sadducees, and a lawyer have trick questions for Jesus. Their questions are fashioned to embarrass Jesus, to cut into his popularity by getting him to say something they can use against him.

  • Should we pay taxes to Caesar?
  • Who are you married to in heaven if you’ve had more than one marriage in this life?
  • What is the most important commandment in God’s law?

Jesus is good at this game. He should be. He wrote the rules. His listeners were impressed. Jesus knows what he’s talking about.

  • Pay your taxes and give to God, too.
  • Don’t worry about it. Marriage is for this life, not the next.
  • Here is a short list of commandments to worry about: Love God and love people.

Lots of people have told me they are looking forward to that day when they get to ask Jesus some questions. Questions like

  • Why didn’t you prevent bad things from happening?
  • Why didn’t you answer my prayer?
  • Why did you create insects I don’t want in my house?

From what we know about Jesus, he’ll probably answer your question with a question like:

  • “What did I tell you?” (That is, “What’s in the bible?”)
  • “Don’t you trust me?”
  • “Who do you think I am?”

Those are not trick questions. And I’ll bet you already know the answers.

Answers: Your age; people sleep at night; a coin.