Category: devotional

Have you ever aced a test?  When you got it back with a big 100 written at the top of the first page, it felt so good.  When I was little I used to think that meant I knew it all and didn’t need to learn anything else about that subject.  I was so naïve.  All it meant was I knew everything the teacher asked.  I thought of this while reading Colossians 2.  Verse 10 says, “We are complete in Christ.”  Complete.  That’s a big 100.  That means every character defect and every flaw has been corrected and every excellence developed.

How can this be?  I still make mistakes, lots of them.  I am a natural born sinner with selfish traits I have yet to discover.  Yet I am complete in Christ.  Paul, the self-proclaimed Pharisee of Pharisees, the law keeper of law keepers, through much pain and effort to be complete, finally discovered that no matter how hard he tried, there is only one way to completeness.  It is “in Christ.”

Being “in Christ” does not mean we cease to be human.  But we do cease to be only human.  In II Peter 1 we are told we actually participate in the divine nature of Christ.  This does not mean will stop making mistakes and sinning. We are saved.  We are complete in Christ and under the cover of His love, grace and continued forgiveness we grow.   The walk is not about never tripping and falling.  The walk is about the goal, the direction, the progress and getting up.  All the while we journey with Him we are complete. Awesome.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 31, 2008.

Photo by Denys Nevozhai.

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA

Surely the first and most important thing a parent must teach their child is obedience.  Obedience saves lives.  Obedience keeps children safe from harm. While doing so one of the most important lessons a parent needs to learn is to make only necessary rules and as the child grows and so should the rules decrease.  This is the way God treats us.  The commandments are only there to keep us from harm and the more we mature in understanding the less we need to be reminded of them.  We grow from living by rules to living by principles.   And the more mature we become in that mode, living by principles becomes second nature.

God’s entire design for us is to do no harm and to receive no harm.  Living in His kingdom is just that simple. There are no secret handshakes.  There are no code words.   As we open ourselves to the indwelling Spirit, we grow.  We cannot help it anymore than a plant could not grow in fertile soil with ample water.

There is no special club to join.  God does not call us to membership.  He calls us to citizenship.  The difference is huge.  Membership is all about belonging to a special privileged group.  Citizenship calls us to responsibility and service toward everyone.   Just as my town is populated by a multitude of diversity so God’s kingdom is populated by a vast array of humanity.  Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3.

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 25, 2008

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

 

 

I have some dear friends from California trying to find my house.  The problem is cell phone service. They are within 10 miles but we cannot keep contact so I can guide them here.  We keep losing our connection.  We talk for about 10 seconds in spurts and then they are gone.  How happy I am that our connection with God doesn’t depend on some electronic device.  We never have to start our prayers with “Can you hear me now?”

The psalmist wrote, “If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.”  It is true God is everywhere.  He is even in us.  One of Christ’s great themes was God’s desire to dwell in. We are the sanctuary where God loves to dwell. That certainly creates all kinds of thoughts about our thoughts, what we read and what we watch.

My friend just called again.  He stopped and used a landline.  Now that we have a good connection we know where to meet.  Good connections are important between people and good connections with God are most important.  The truth is we always have a good connection, but often we become such strangers to God we barely hear or understand that still small voice that is giving us directions.  He gives the best directions.  His directions fail not to take us to His throne room.   Now that is totally awesome.  There we will find the source of all things good.  There we will find the peace and wholeness we have been searching for all our lives.   All my friend will find tonight is pizza and I hope good company.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 20, 2008

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

In the Education/Psychology department where my wife and I both teach, on a fairly regular basis we select one or two members of our college staff to honor for their faithful service.  As faculty we are very aware we could not do our job if there were not a host of unseen workers taking care of the physical plant, the technology needs and other necessary things.  To honor them we invite them to our department and feed them.  The menu is planned and each of us is assigned one of the ingredients.  Being the most challenged of our team I am usually assigned something fairly simple like bringing the salad dressing.  Today was an honor day.  At breakfast this morning my wife said to me, “You do remember this is your day to bring salad dressing.”  Obviously I got a strange panicked look and she knew what was coming next because she said, “I already have it in the basket.”  Phew!!   She knows me.

Several years ago I heard a sermon entitled, “Before We Ask He Hears.”  It was one of the best sermons I ever heard.  (I sat there wishing I had preached it.  Preachers are that way.  They want to be the one that preaches all the good stuff.)  One night in Africa thieves stole the wheels off our car.  We were devastated because we could not afford to replace them.  The very next day we got a check in the mail (mailed over two weeks before) for the exact amount of money needed to replace the loss.  Don’t ever try to tell me He doesn’t know and provide what we need before we even need or ask.

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 10, 2008

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

Term papers are due in my classes.  Oh you should hear all the excuses  .”It’s all done. I just need to dress it up for you so it looks nice.”  And on and on they go.   I just shake my head and say, “Okay, slide it under mydoor before you go home for the holiday.”  I have a colleague who tells me I am enabling slothful habits that will not serve my students well in the real world of work.  He is probably right. To be truthful I do it more for me than for them.  It isn’t worth the hassle to hear the pathetic lies.  For once I want to hear a student say, “Hey, I was neglectful and lazy. Can you give me a break?”

I wonder how often we lie to God?  We make up all kinds of reasons for our sins when the truth is we do them because it is fun or easy.  If it is hard for a student to get away with a lie to a teacher, just think how stupid it is to try to lie to God.  I once had a teacher who told me I had to begin my prayers by praising God.  But what if I don’t feel like praising Him?  What if I am genuinely angry at Him for some earthly horror?  I have come to believe God is hungry for honesty.  I believe He is more put off by false expressions of devotion to Him than by our venting our genuine frustrations. I doubt if He can really help us until we come clean.  If we are angry with Him, just tell Him so.  He will not strike us dead with a lightening bolt. He will most likely say, “Finally an honest soul.  Now I can help.”

 

Written by Roger Bothwell on December 10, 2008

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

 

On my way to work this morning I noted a gas station with the lowest price I have seen in years.  I therefore purposed to stop there on my way home.  On my way home I came to a Shell station with that same price so I stopped there.   I pulled in behind a car beside a pump and immediately another car pulled in behind me.  As I got out and went to the pump I then noticed a much smaller sign that explained the cheap price was for people paying cash. Since I was using a credit card I would have to pay ten cents more per gallon.  Since I was virtually parked in I paid the extra two dollars to fill my tank.  However I will never stop there again.

It isn’t that I don’t think they should have two prices.  I just think it should be clearly indicated up on the big sign.  I felt like I had been had. I wonder how many others felt like I did and if they also decided never to come back.  Was it worth it for Shell to get an extra two dollars from customers only to permanently lose them?  I don’t think so.

As a teacher I make a point of never trapping a student.  The class prior to every exam I tell them exactly what I will be looking for and where they can find that information.  In all of our dealings we must be transparent.  When Jesus first saw Nathaniel coming to Him, Jesus said, “Behold a guileless man.  A man with no deception.”   What a great thing to have God say about He can, can’t He?

Written by Roger Bothwell on November 20, 2008

Photo by Loek Janssen.

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

When our son left us this morning to fly back to California, (He’s a physical therapist and he came for a week to help his dad, me, recover from knee surgery) he commented on how well he sleeps when he comes here. He sleeps in his childhood bed.  His body must remember all the lumps and bumps and it loves it.  His bed will remain empty tonight as I stand in the doorway remembering the thousands of nights I slipped in beside that bed to watch him sleep and to give the last touch of the day.  My job was to care for him, now he cares for me though he did not know that last night I slipped in one more time.

Surely there can be no verse of Scripture more meaningful than I Peter 5:7, “He cares for you.”   By calling Himself the Good Shepherd Jesus wanted to assure us we were not alone amid life’s storms and dangers.  There is someone bigger, stronger and more attentive than we.   We never have to fear the mockery or ridicule of an Elijah-like figure when he poked fun at the followers of Baal.  “It came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleeps, and must be awaked.”   Our God is always attentive and notes our every sigh.

For reasons beyond our comprehension He must sometimes allow us frustration and suffering but if we will trust Him someday all will be clarified and we will know he was always there, always caring.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 24, 2008

Photograph by Martin Damboldt

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

It’s frustrating to find oneself waiting an hour or so in an airport and discovering that the airport Internet service costs almost ten dollars for a temporary connection.  Savvy travelers usually can save that expense by wandering about the airport to such places as the area in front of the entrance to the airport clubs for their exclusive travelers.  They often have free Internet service inside that leaks into the terminal.  Other good spots in the terminal are the entrances to airport hotels or the shopping mall areas where some businesses have Wi-Fi for their own business usage.

How grand it is to know there is no fee, ever, for a connection with God. You don’t have to snoop around by going to such places as churches, chapels or some glorious spot in nature.  However, we must admit some places seem more conducive for us to recognize God’s presence.    I have always loved Psalm 139:7-12, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hides not from thee; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

You don’t have to snoop around anywhere to find God.  The connection is always free and always available.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 12, 2008
Photo courtesy of  NASA.

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

A couple Canadian baseball teams give the World Series legitimacy. But what can we do about Miss Universe?  How do we justify that name?  It has been a long time since we have seen Miss Mars on the runway.  Considering the nearest extraterrestrial is at a possible minimum of four light years away it will be a quite a few generations before we will offend anyone with our all-inclusive name.

But wait each day we are visited by beings not native to our world.  ” For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11.  One of my favorite Bible stories is found in II Kings 6. Elisha was at Dothan and the enemy came to capture him.  Elisha wasn’t a bit worried because he can see something his servant cannot see.   Then Elisha prayed, “LORD, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”   What a grand story!   Obviously we are not overstating the issue to call this a universal story.

In As You Like It Shakespeare wrote, “All the world is a stage and all men and women merely players. They have their exits and entrances and one man in his time plays many parts.”   If he had only known, Shakespeare would have written, “All the universe is a stage and each of us plays a part.” Each of us is the protagonist in our drama, the drama, the greatest drama ever.

Written by Roger Bothwell on July 15, 2008

Photo courtesy of Pepper Mint (Creative Commons).

Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574

You would have enjoyed it as much as I did.  This morning at 11:30 a young man came into my room for class to begin.   He took his usual chair and looked around.  Something was wrong.  His usual cronies didn’t surround him. It was a new batch.  I started to laugh and he looked very puzzled until the light came on.   I had marked him absent from the class that had started at 10:30.   He was an hour late and now in the wrong class.

Ah the joys of being human.  I wonder how many times a day God laughs at us as we bumble our way through life.   I notice the older I get the more bumbling takes place.  Now that’s scary.   I used to have a Bible teacher in high school that told us God held us accountable for all our mistakes whether they were intentional or not.   Now that I am much older I don’t think so.  I would argue with the old stick in the mud.   I wish I could have followed him around for a day making a list of his failures.  While sins are mistakes, all mistakes are not sins.  Surely when Jesus was learning to be a carpenter he cut a few boards too short.   To err is human and Jesus was very human.

We must never allow religion to tyrannize us into being so fearful we are not perfect and thus lost.  That kind of thinking steals away the joy of living.  Instead let’s learn to laugh at ourselves and chalk mistakes up to experience.  And the longer we live the more experience we log.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 13, 2008
Spring of Life, 901 Signorelli Circle, St. Helena, CA 94574