The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Thursday, January 14, 2021.

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3:22

Always Full

One of my friends has an electric car. It is an absolutely great car. It has all of the gadgets, the bells, the whistles, and everything else you’d expect in that kind of car. One day we were going for a ride, and let’s just say it didn’t go as well as I had hoped. You see, we went out to run some errands, and I found out there is a trick to electric cars. You have to charge them.

You see, my friend’s wife had been driving the car the day before, and when she got home, he forgot to put the car on the charger. So when we got in the car and started driving around, the car had a charge, but it wasn’t fully charged. After a little while, we noticed that the charge indicator was getting lower, and lower, and lower. The more we drove around, the more we focused on that charge indicator because what we didn’t want to do is run out of charge and have to push the car home. Luckily, we had just enough charge in the battery to get home.

Friends, luckily for us that God does not work like an electric car. You see, an electric car has a battery that holds a certain amount of charge, and when the charge is depleted, the car stops running. It doesn’t take into account where you are or what you are doing. When the battery is done, it is done. It does not matter what is going on with you at the time. The car is done. Unlike the car, God doesn’t have a battery. His love never runs out, never leaves you stranded, and never needs to be recharged. It is because God has that much love that we will never be left stranded, left alone, or wondering how we will make it. Unlike the car, God is always full.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Wednesday, January 13, 2021.

No, in all these things, we are more than conquers through him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Still Winning

I had the dubious distinction of being on a high school football team with a perfect record. I call it a dubious distinction because we had a perfect losing record. That’s right. We practiced, suited up, and showed up for every game, and managed to lose each of them. We lost some by a little, we lost some by a lot, but we managed to lose each and every one of them. While we lost every game we played, it was still one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Now, at the time, I will admit I was highly disappointed with our record, but not anymore. That year, I had a whole lot of fun, made lifelong friends, and learned that you never give up. That year, I learned how to work hard in a lost cause, pick up your brother when he is down, and that your brothers will pick you up when you are struggling as well. That year, I learned in losing that the record is not what makes you a team, but it is what gets you into the playoffs. That year, I learned that you can lose and still win.

Friends, very often in life, we think we are losing when we are actually winning. As people of faith, we can look at the world and sometimes wonder where God is. We can see evil seeming to win, the unrighteous seeming to prosper, and we wonder if our faith is making a difference at all. We have to remember that as long as we have the love of God, we are still winning. We are winning because we are keeping the faith. We are winning because we aren’t giving up. We are winning because, in little ways, every day, we are learning, growing, and helping the world be a better place. So don’t look so much at the wins and losses, because as long as we have the love of God, we are still winning.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Willliams

Here is the Daily Dose for Tuesday, January 12, 2021.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Be Different

Super Bowls are known for two things, mediocre football, and great commercials. In 1984 one of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials was released to great acclaim. That year, Apple Computer purchased a 1-minute ad for just over $ 1 million, which is still remembered by most people who saw it. The commercial depicts a post dystopian society where everyone wears the same thing, does the same thing, and looks the exact same except for one brightly colored person running loose with a hammer trying to break the mold.

What has always struck me about the commercial is how well it depicts real life. In real life, it is so easy to go along to get along. Without any thought, we can simply be like everyone else, dress like everyone else, and do what everyone else does. All of us can simply fit into the world, get by, and have an unremarkable life. The problem is, we were not made to be unremarkable. We were made to be different.

Friends, if you are going to be different, it starts with your mind. The world is designed to put you on autopilot. The world wants to make our decisions, influence, or direction, and ultimately make sure we stay within a safe and predictable range of actions. As believers, we are called not to fit into the world but to make waves and change the world. So today, get off autopilot. Start to think differently so that you can be a part of the change that the world needs.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Monday, January 11, 2021.

By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. John 13:35

Evidence

I love watching courtroom dramas. My favorites are the Law and Order franchises. It is not uncommon for me to get sucked into a Law and Order marathon for hours on end. The episodes that I enjoy the most are where the lawyers have to make a circumstantial case. Those are the cases where there is no direct evidence of the crime, but there are enough bits and pieces that the jury can assume who is guilty.

It is those circumstantial cases that got me thinking about followers of Christ. The other day I was driving by a fender bender on the side of the road. There wasn’t a lot of damage, but the people who had been in the accident were going at it like both cars were totaled. Most amusing to me was one car had a Jesus fish on it and the other one a bumper sticker that said, “Jesus Saves.” It gave me quite a chuckle that these two Jesus followers were about to tear each other’s heads off over a minor traffic accident. All of the evidence was there, but I think their actions could have gotten them acquittals on being followers of Jesus.

Friends and disciples of Jesus Christ have clear instructions on how we are supposed to live our lives. We aren’t told to get bumper stickers, Jesus fish, or even wear crosses around our necks. Jesus told us that people will know that we are his disciples by how we love one another. Every day we have the chance to show that we are followers of Jesus not by what we wear, how we adorn our vehicles or the jewelry that we put on. Every day, we get to create evidence to prove us guilty of following Jesus by loving others. Take some time today to build a case against yourself.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Friday, January 8, 2021.

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it. Proverbs 8:11

Try This

If you are above a certain age, you remember “The Pepsi Challenge.” The Pepsi Challenge was a long-running marketing campaign by Pepsi comparing their soda to other sodas. The challenge was straightforward. Participants were asked to take a blind taste where they would be given a cup of Pepsi and a cup of another soda and asked to pick which one was better. Every time, at least in the commercials, the person would pick Pepsi. But there was something very interesting about the choice of picking Pepsi.

What was always interesting is how many people would say that before they tried the test, something else was their favorite drink, but now it was Pepsi. They came into the taste test with a favorite in mind, but their minds changed when they tried something new. When we try something new, it always has the potential to change our minds. Sometimes we have done the same things for so long that we no longer even try new things.

Friends, now is the time to try wisdom. When we try wisdom, it will sometimes force us to try new things, sometimes give up old things, and occasionally show us that there was always better available. So today, take the wisdom challenge. Try something new, and see if it may actually be better than what you have always done.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. Proverbs 6:20

I’m Sorry and Thank You

All teenagers have one thing in common, they know everything. There is magic that occurs on your thirteenth birthday. On that day, you know everything. You know right from wrong. You know how things should be. You know that the old ways are for old people, and your way is better. You know exactly how the world works and that your decisions are the best way to go forward in any circumstance. Most of all, you know that your parents no longer know anything. That is until you get out of your teens.

As we get older, we begin to see a strange thing. We begin to see that when we were teenagers, we didn’t know anything. We didn’t know how the world worked. We didn’t really have a full concept of the complexities of navigating life. We didn’t really understand what it took to make a living, shoulder responsibility, and have to deal with the consequences of being wrong. As we age, we look back and realize that maybe, just maybe, mom and dad knew a thing or two that we didn’t, and our lives could have been easier if we have listened to them.

Friends, as we get older, we realize we owe our parents two things: an apology and a debt of thanks. We owe them an apology for not listening to them. We owe them an apology for all the trouble they rescued us from that would have been avoided if we have just listened to their advice and counsel. We owe them a debt of thanks because, while we knew it all, they cleaned up our mistakes, gave us room to learn, and only occasionally said, “I told you so.”  So maybe today is a good day to tell your parents if they are still here or even if they have transitioned. I’m sorry and thank you very much.

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Monday, January 4, 2021.

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30

Ready! Set! GO!

Happy New Year!!!

I am excited about the new year, and I hope you are as well. I am not excited because of how 2020 was and all that we went through. I am excited because I believe that every new year the Lord gives us is a new opportunity that the Lord is giving us. The turning of the calendar is always an indication that God is not through with us yet, and there are new opportunities on the way.

The thing about new opportunities is they often require something different of us. New opportunities may require more work, more faith, more patience, more effort, and new things that we have not considered. The great thing about opportunities requiring more of us is that we have more to give. You may think you are at the max of your capacity, but the good news is God will increase your capacity to reach the opportunity that is waiting for you.

Beloved, I want to start this year off with a word of encouragement. I want you to know that you are well able to handle what is ahead this year. I want you to know that there will be mountains, there will be valleys, there will be triumphs, and there will also be tragedies. No matter what comes, you are well able, you have the capacity, and God has you right where you need to be. So to paraphrase the beginning of every race, READY!! SET!! LET’S GO!!

The best is yet to come.

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Monday, December 14, 2020.

Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Time Off

Every now and then, you hear a sermon that convicts you. You are listening to the words, and you feel as if God is speaking directly to you. That happened to me yesterday. I watched the online broadcast of St. Paul Church in Oxon Hill, and the pastor was talking about rest. As he talked about the health consequences of a lack of rest and how many of us, even during a pandemic, are working ourselves to death, it felt like he had been watching my life and was talking directly to me. It really rattled me. K Tok

Full disclosure, I was the preacher that I was watching. When I wrote the sermon, I was not thinking about myself or my life, but when I heard the sermon, I realized that God was trying to get my attention, not just speak to my congregation. God was reminding me that burning the candle at both ends, hustling all the time, and trying to pack more and more into every day was not his will for my life or for anyone else’s life.

Friends, many of us have been living life out of balance for the last few months. We are trying to keep pace at work, keep up at home, keep kids on track, and keep our life plans together all at the same time. We are also stressed by the news, worried about the future, and making TikToks just to try and seem normal. These are not normal times, and it is time to get some rest. All of us could use a little time away from it all to rest, relax, and rest before the new year. So I will be taking a two-week vacation from writing the Daily Dose to get some rest. So I will see you all on January 1, 2021. Until then, get some rest.

If you want to see the sermon that convicted me click here. https://www.stpauloxonhill.org/sermons/single/reset-your-rest/

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Friday, December 11, 2020.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

When on vacation, I am not a really adventurous person. Give me a beach, a pool, and someone who will drop off food and a coke at these places, and I am good. The only thing is, when you go on a group trip, everybody does not see vacation the same way. A few years ago, my buddies and I went on a vacation together. We all needed a chance to relax and recharge, so we booked the flights and went on vacation. While I had my typical pool, beach, and food plan, one of my buddies had something else in mind. You see, he is an adventurer, and he planned an adventure day for the whole crew.

The next thing I know, we are on a rickety bus headed into what can only be described as the jungle. As we get there, my buddy is explaining that we are going on an adventure hike. What sets an adventure hike apart from a normal hike is that on an adventure hike, there may or may not be an actual path along the way. We might, from time to time, have to improvise. So as we are hiking, we come to an old wooden rope bridge. As I walked up to the bridge, I realized that this was going to be a life or death situation, and no matter how adventurous we wanted to be, this was a bridge too far. So we turned around and went back to the bus and returned to the resort.

On the way back to the resort, I started thinking about the bridge that we were going to go across that day before we turned back. When that bridge was built, it probably was sturdy. That bridge had probably gotten people across that valley before. The problem was it was meant to be a temporary bridge that had taken on permanent use. I wasn’t willing to risk my life or that of my friends on something that was going to be here today and gone tomorrow. Unlike that bridge, the word of God is permanent. It is not here today and gone tomorrow. It stands forever. It can be used generation after generation, time and time again, to get us from where we are to where we want to be. So today, take a minute and evaluate what you are building your life and trusting your loved ones too. Is it here today and gone tomorrow, or is it the word of God that will stand forever?

Be Blessed,

Rev

The Daily Dose with Dr. Daryl L. Williams

A Word every day to get you on your way!

Here is the Daily Dose for Thursday, December 10, 2020.

The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time, I will do this swiftly. Isaiah 60:22

All Of  A Sudden

If you have ever been to the Department of Motor Vehicles in any state, you know that it can be quite a long affair. No matter what you are going to the DMV for, you know there will be a long line. You know that you will be asked to take a number, and then you will sit and watch the counter waiting for your number to come up. You also know that you don’t have time for this and that if they would just open all of the windows, this would go a lot faster. We all sit there wondering why “they” won’t just hire enough people to fill all the windows and get people in and out of here in a reasonable amount of time since nobody wants to sit here waiting.

One day while sitting at the DMV, the most amazing thing happened to me. I was “patiently” waiting for my turn when all of a sudden, all of the windows opened up. All of a sudden, they were calling person, after person, after person to the windows, and people were getting in and out. I was absolutely amazed. When I got to the counter, I had to ask the person assisting me what happened. How did there suddenly become all these new windows open? She told me that they had been in a staff meeting, and then their supervisor released them. Everybody was now available to serve people.

As I walked back to my car with my new driver’s license in hand, I realized that sometimes waiting on God can seem like being at the DMV. We see God moving, but He seems to be going way too slowly. We wonder why He just won’t open up a window and pour out the blessing we need. We don’t realize that God opens windows when He is ready to open a window, but when he does open a window, everything changes. When God opens a window, all of a sudden, a little becomes a lot, small becomes big, and what you have been waiting to see suddenly becomes a reality. So take heart. You may be waiting, but God, in His time, will open the windows, and everything will change.

Be Blessed,

Rev