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21 Connect: Day 4 – The Owner’s Manual

Today’s chapter examines the role of the Bible in our culture and how there is a movement to diminish the importance of Scripture. Many are quick to find ways that unloving and graceless misapplications of biblical texts have done harm, while dismissing the incredible positive impact this same book has had on history. Commandments against murder, stealing, and lying are the basis of our legal system. The teachings of Jesus lived out by His early followers radically changed the status of women and children. Biblical stories and characters flow throughout great literature and art. Much of the true humanitarian work in medicine was born out of biblical conviction.
Pastor Tim Keller had this insight about Scripture.

If the Bible really was the revelation of God, and therefore it wasn’t the product of any one culture, wouldn’t it contradict every culture at some point? Therefore, if it’s really from God, wouldn’t it have to offend your cultural sensibilities at some point? Yes, it should. If the Bible is the revelation of God, then it follows that this volume contains insights into my spiritual and emotional DNA that only the Designer can fully explain.

Tim Keller

An engineer can look at a design problem and provide a solution. He or she designed the product and knows where the problem exists and how the solution can be implemented. A software designer can look into the code and find the offending bug that wreaks havoc. The designer knows how the program works. I believe that to be true about my design. God knows how my software is written and how to keep it virus free and functioning normally. I capitulate that “normal” may look a little different for me than it does for you, but that is my design.

Psalm 139 was part of the beginning premise of this book. In that text David writes about how we are formed. Keep in mind that he wrote about the miracle of conception and life centuries before sonograms and the advanced knowledge of DNA:

You watched me as I was being formed in utter
seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
Psalm 139:15

Look at the language that David uses when he writes about how life is formed in the womb, using a word that the ESV translates as “intricately woven.” The Hebrew word can be translated to variegate, which means to weave with multicolored threads. The word suggests the complex patterns and colors implemented by an embroiderer.

David could not have used a more apt illustration for the complex beginning of life than the handiwork of an embroiderer.

According to Carl Sagan, a single human chromosome (a DNA molecule) contains 20 billion bits of information. But what does that mean? What if all this information were written in an ordinary book in contemporary language?

Twenty billion bits are comparable to about 3 billion letters. If there are roughly 6 letters in the average word, the information contained in a single human chromosome is equivalent to about 500 million words. The average page of printed text contains approximately 300 words, which translates to
roughly 2 million pages. Assuming the average book contains 500 or so pages, the information contained in a single human chromosome adds up to more than 4,000 volumes.

Sagan goes on to conclude, “It is clear, then, that the sequence of rungs on our DNA ladders represents an enormous library of information. It is equally clear that so rich a library is required to specify as exquisitely constructed and intricately functioning an object as a human being.”

By the way, Carl Sagan was an astronomer and atheist, and he believed this all happened by chance. And yet that same information led former atheist Francis Collins to come to faith in Jesus as he studied the human
genome.

As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God’s language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God’s plan.
Francis Collins

For me, I have found that no volume addresses the most fundamental questions of humankind as completely as the Bible.

Why am I here?
Do I have a purpose?
Is there anything after death?
Is there a God?
Can I know God personally?
Is God a loving or vindictive force?
Why is there pain and suffering if God is loving?
How can I find happiness?

These questions are honestly examined in the Bible, through words and interactions in the stories of the people struggling with those same imponderables. People like you and me. The Bible does not sugarcoat the failings of the most revered biblical figures—it honestly explores evil, sin, consequences, suffering, and pain. It sets forth the basis for true justice for the poor and oppressed, something that people still seek today. I have found principles for success in marriage, parenting, work, leadership, and friendship. I see hope for the future when others say it looks bleak. I realize salvation requires nothing to be sacrificed, other than my unwillingness
to confess my need. Today I will meditate on this verse.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
2 Timothy 3:16

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly.

I welcome your comments, thoughts, questions, concerns, and praises. Let’s talk!

March 23, 2020
21 Connect: Day 3 Busyness is Not Next to Godliness

My personal belief is that one of the biggest and most damaging mistakes that the church makes with new believers is not teaching clearly and continually what happens when
you put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It seems that we too often get young Christians immediately into studies and activities, suggesting that change can happen only when you are trying hard and concentrating on the spiritual disciplines.

That was my struggle for forty years before I realized a simple truth. Dramatic change took place the moment I made that faith commitment to follow Jesus. Scripture tells
me that when I decided to become a follower of Christ, the following things happened immediately:

I was given a new identity.
I became a new creation.
I received the gift of the righteousness of Christ.

I struggle with that concept because I am not always righteous in my behavior. That may well be the biggest understatement in this volume. Here is the amazing theology of the gospel: God sees me as righteous and worthy because of my relationship with Jesus. Nothing I have done or ever will do could earn that righteousness. It is a gift of grace because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

I was changed completely when I put my trust in Christ as my only hope for salvation. I did not have to struggle with futile performance to change. I was changed that day. But it has taken me forty years to know Him better, never realizing I had been carrying around the key to that kind of relationship since day one.

Now I see a different picture. I see Jesus standing at my side and explaining that I am completely changed. I see Him telling me that my sins are forgiven and I can quit relitigating past mistakes. I see Him explaining to me that all of those things that used to be true about me are no longer true. I see Him repeating that, because I tend to nod my head without really believing it. Jesus explains to me that no matter what the accuser might say, those things that used to define me are dead and buried at the Cross. I see Jesus telling me that I have the Holy Spirit to comfort me and provide an unshakable source of strength.

He reminds me gently that I don’t have to grit my teeth and try harder to win favor and please Him. He tells me for the ten
thousandth time that sin does not have power over me anymore.

And I see His demeanor being just as patient and kind as the first time He told me that truth. I hear Him remind me that power over sin is looking to Him for my strength and not trying to fight it with my busyness and resolve.

I see Jesus looking deeply into my eyes and tenderly expressing (again) that it is my trust in God that pleases Him. No other works are required. My faith is what pleases Him according to God’s Word. Nothing else. I picture Jesus embracing me and saying, “Relax. Rest. Let Me love you and then, out of that rest and love, you can love others. Quit making it so complicated, Dave.”

I have a hard time putting my full weight on those truths. Today I want to meditate on these words from Jesus.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30, NLT

What a wonderful thought for such a time as this.

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly.

March 22, 2020
21 Connect: Day 2 – Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Stinking thinking is “a bad way of thinking, that makes
you believe you will fail, that bad things will happen to you,
or that you are not a very good person.” Actually that pretty much
describes my junior high experience.

We all fall victim to stinkin’ thinkin’, but it is particularly
distressing for a follower of Christ. Christians feel an even
bigger sense of failure. They think, If I can muster up more
faith, prayer, study, or general busyness for Jesus, I can overcome this malady, right?

I have to admit that I am afflicted with some degree of
stinkin’ thinkin’. There is a spiritual war happening
with an enemy who delights in my doubt and shame. The
culture contributes a tsunami of unbiblical images and words.

How can I overcome this daunting challenge?

Paul has the perfect antidote to stinkin’ thinkin’ in his letter
to the church at Philippi. The letter is written to encourage
believers living in a culture that was often hostile to faith,
not unlike the times we live in now. Paul penned this uplifting missive of hope while he was suffering for his faith in a Roman prison. But Paul did not let his circumstances defeat him, and he did not want the Philippians to lose their joy because of opposition.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—
rejoice!
Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about
anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what
you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you
will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we
can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and
minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4 : 4 – 7

Those are wonderful words for sure, but then Paul gets to the kicker in the next verse, pinpointing what can stand up against (or take down?) stinkin’ thinkin’.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and
right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about
things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4 : 8

That is holy positive thinking! Write that reminder on a card. Make it the wallpaper on your device. Write it on the palm of your hand. Stick it on a mirror or the refrigerator. Do whatever you need to do, in order to have these words handy when you find your mind drifting toward stinkin’ thinkin’.

I love how The Message unpacks this even more:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by
filling your minds and meditating on things true,
noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—
the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly;
things to praise, not things to curse.
Philippians 4 : 8 , MSG (emphasis added)

Today, consider how you will pivot from false accusations to truth. How you plan to switch your thoughts from negative to noble, from angry to gracious. How you can consider the best and not the worst.

A DOSE OF GRACE

Identify any negative thoughts, images, or ideas you have. Then replace them with your reflections on the encounters, feelings, relationships, and moments today that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. Carry Philippians 4:8 with you and read it throughout the day. I think you might be surprised at the power of this word of grace as an antidote to stinkin’ thinkin’.

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly.

I welcome your comments, thoughts, questions, concerns, and praises. Let’s talk!

March 21, 2020
21 Connect: Day 1 – The Curse of Culture

Not sure how many of you volunteered for this trip but welcome aboard! Here is a prayer that I will start with each day.

Good morning God.

I believe that you know everything about me. I believe that you are everywhere that I am. I believe that you have a purpose for my life and for this day. I pray that you will show me your presence today. I pray that I will slow down, quiet my mind, open my heart and eyes and look for a postcard from You.

I am grateful that because of Jesus I can boldly ask You for tender mercies today whether it is a day of great joy or profound sadness. I know whatever my circumstances that You are there. I believe you are all around me. I know because of your grace that there is nothing I can do to lose your approval. So would you show me your kindness, your beauty, your power, your comfort and your love today?
I pray this in Jesus name.

Each day will represent a chapter from Waking Up Slowly with a “grace” challenge at the end.

Today’s topic is overcoming the cultural messages we are bombarded with daily. Our culture has Information Fatigue Syndrome and Christians are just as infected by IFS as the general populace. Three-quarters of adults now use a social networking site of some kind. The average time spent on social networking sites is a staggering 16 minutes per hour. The answer suggested by one publication is a Digital Detox. That is defined (and I am not making this up) as “a period of time during which a person restrains from using electronic devices so one can focus on social interaction in the physical world.”

You might remember those activities by such labels as “talking to people” or “interacting with humans”. We are the most connected culture in history and yet, at the same time, the most disconnected from God and one another. We can’t get through a dinner without furtively glancing at our smart phone just in case some “important” message arrives. The hard truth is we need to be willing to disconnect to be able to connect.

For many of us this is a real relational, emotional and spiritual issue. So how do we reconnect with God and each other? We need a transformation in our heart and minds. Paul prescribed this to the church at Rome.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

I love the way Eugene Peterson fleshes out this verse and the process of renewing our minds in The Message.

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1-2, The Message)

It so easy to get caught up in the negatives that deluge us in this difficult season. Today I am going to put down the device and thank God for every seemingly mundane, good thing that comes my way. A hot cup of coffee or tea. A green light on your way to the grocery to find toilet paper. A favorite song playing. Laughter. A smile from a friend or stranger. A tasty treat. A cuddly dog. A beautiful tree or flower. A blue sky. What is your list of small and overlooked daily mercies? As we read in The Message…”Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.”

The Grace Challenge…
Take a moment to reach out to others today. It becomes even more important now to reach out in personal ways even as we stay safely distanced. Today I will remind myself of this simple truth: The things I take for granted, countless others are longing to receive. As you focus on that truth, I think you will be amazed at how much work you and I need to do to transform our hearts and minds.

Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly.

I welcome your comments, thoughts, questions, concerns, and praises. Let’s talk!

March 20, 2020
The Primer for the Journey

A key premise for Waking Up Slowly is based on a beautiful Psalm of David. Psalm 139 is one of the most inspiring Psalms in Scripture. We don’t know when David wrote this stirring account of God’s indescribable attributes. Some believe he wrote it as a shepherd while gazing at the stars and the enormity of the heavens. Some feel he wrote it when he became king over Israel. As a more experienced human being myself (that is PC for old) it certainly feels like David had to have lived a little more life in order to write such a majestic dialog with God. But the truth is we just don’t know.

David made three observations about the greatness of God.

God knows everything about us.
God is everywhere we are.
God ordains everything about you.

If those statements are true about God then it should change how we go about our daily business.

The Psalmist writes that God knows my move and every thought. And I was concerned about the government snooping on me!

God, investigate my life;
    get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
    I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
    before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
    then up ahead and you’re there, too—
    your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
    I can’t take it all in!   (Psalm 139:1-6, The Message)

I don’t know about you but that is incredibly daunting for me. I think and do a lot of things that I would prefer to keep in Las Vegas mode. But David is saying the idea of a “secret sin” is a fool’s concept. I am known by my Creator and I am pursued by Him.

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting! (Psalm 139)

There are no secrets from God. There is no hiding from God. Our desire to keep those secrets and to hide from His presence results from our lack of understanding of His redemptive love for us. We think God will love us less when we sin. The uniqueness of grace for a follower of Christ is that God already knows everything about you and He loves you exactly the same on your best or worst day.

Don’t rush past that truth. Read it again.

God knows everything about you and He loves you exactly the same on both your best or worst day.

The Psalmist goes on to clearly proclaim that we are not accidents even if your parents might have said exactly that!

You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

We are known by God, We are watched over by God. We are ordained by God. You are not an accident nor am I. You are here for a reason. Henri Nouwen frames it beautifully.

“We seldom realize fully that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we were simply dropped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do.”

Everyday has the potential to do something or learn something that will alter someone’s life and even eternity. What an amazing thought that God can use someone like me for His purpose. I find that a remarkable example of His grace. But I forget that. I am known, cherished and ordained by God for His purpose. So are you. Every day matters and every moment matters.

Our goal over the next 21 days is to make that more real in our daily experience. Hope you join me on the journey.

March 19, 2020
Up for a 21 Day Journey Together?

My book Waking Up Slowly was written to be used as a 21 day journey to become more connected to God and one another. Since many of us just picked up some extra time I wondered if a few of you would like to join me on a three week quest? You don’t need to buy the book but if you want to here is the link.

I will post an excerpt each day with a quick devotional. I will ask for your comments on that day’s topic and how God is using this worldwide storm to bring us closer to Him. I noted in Waking Up Slowly that we are the most connected culture in history but arguably the most disconnected from God and one another. Our three week journey will cover actions and attitudes that cause us to become more or less connected to God. We will discuss things like fear, pride, gratitude, doubt, busyness, kindness, grace, regret, lack of forgiveness, and many more. Some topics will hit home more than others and you might choose to revisit those again after our journey. I don’t know how many of you will join me on this trip. I just feel like somebody needs it right now and I have the time. If you are already signed up to receive my blog it will be delivered by email. You can sign up today to be on the email list. The signup box is on the front page of the site. And I will link each day to my author page on Facebook. We launch our journey this Friday. Hope you join me!

March 18, 2020
Concerned? Of course. Afraid? No.

Watching the news about the potential impact of the Covid-19 virus is depressing and frightening. It is so easy to react with fear about the future. But I can’t get around a constant message from our Lord.

Do not be afraid.

Over 80 times you find the phrase “do not be afraid” in the Bible. Perhaps the most relevant example is when Jesus was preparing His followers for His departure. His words are a comforting balm for us today.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 12:27)

I am concerned about how this pandemic is affecting the world, our country and those I hold dear. But I am not afraid. Honest followers of Jesus know that suffering, hardship, and trials are a part of a fallen world and the refining process of His redeeming grace. Peter was addressing the attacks from the enemy but these words fit perfectly today.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. I Peter 5:10, NLT

Indeed.

One of my Dad’s favorite songs comes to mind. “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” was written in 1950 by a traveling preacher named Ara Stanphill. He wrote the song during a time of agony and extraordinary doubt in his life. Stanphill’s wife battled addiction and left him for other men. You could imagine the gossip that followed him in that era. In the depths of his sadness he began to hum a tune and the next thing he knew he was singing a song. He sang about not knowing what was in the future but knowing that God was with him every step of the way. He rushed to his piano when he arrived at his office and jotted down the words. I remember hearing Faron Young sing these lyrics on a scratchy vinyl record with my Dad.

I don’t worry o’er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I’ll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

I believe those words. I don’t know what is going to happen. I am concerned but not afraid. I am also a little peeved that I am more than old enough to be a part of the the high risk group. How did that happen? I will be smart about my health and the health of others. I will follow the directives of medical and political leaders. I will trust in the efforts of caring health professionals to get us through this. But I will put my hope in Jesus. Paul put it well in his letter to the Romans.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39, NLT)

My friend John Frost texted these words to me this week. “Fear is the virus. Faith is the vaccine.” He was not diminishing the risk or the need to be concerned. He was simply acknowledging what every Christian needs to affirm in this season. We do not need to be afraid. I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand.

March 15, 2020