It’s better to meditate on what God’s word actually says, but it can also be useful at times to meditate on what God’s word does not say.

Here’s what I mean. Recently, I borrowed my wife's Bible and happened upon a note (from a Beth Moore Bible study I believe) she had handwritten beside Philippians 4:6-7.

This is how the verse appears in Scripture:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is how my wife's note, casting the verse in the negative, appears:

“Do not be calm about anything, but in everything without prayer and without humility, without any thankfulness, do not tell God what you need.  Then, you will not have any peace, nor understanding or clarity, so your heart will be open to all and your mind will be like the sea tossed to and fro by the wind.”

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It’s 11:09 p.m. Thursday night. Finally all is quiet, except for some gurgling from my refrigerator and the quiet whirr of the ceiling fan. After a day filled with trilling phones, competing music from three different offices, and chattering voices over the roar of air conditioning, my ears are still ringing. But now, I can slow down. I can sit in silence. I can think.

We live in a world filled with noise—and distraction. It’s a rare moment we’re allowed to steal away to somewhere quiet where our minds can rest and be refreshed. In fact, our bodies even fight it. Since constant stimulation is as close as a flip of a radio knob or buttons on a remote or cell phone, many of us give in to the temptation to keep our minds buzzing and our thoughts tightly-wound.

It’s not uncommon to look to your left and right at an intersection and see your neighbors with cell phones glued to their ears. As soon as they step into their cars, the silence compels them to grab the phone and “make use” of the time—although the calls are actually used to “pass the time.” I’m so guilty of this too.

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I’m speaking this weekend on following God when expectations going array.  Like what happens when plans you foresaw tank, or prayers go unanswered?  Did God do something wrong, or maybe you did something wrong? 

Much of my preparation has been spent with records of Jesus’ biological family, imagining what it might’ve been like to stand in their shoes.  And as I’ve pondered the implications of following God for them, let alone believing He is somehow good, I’ve been floored.  Take for instance, premarital pregnancy, but then being told by an angel not to sweat it because you’re carrying the Savior (marked paraphrase)…or imagine watching the boy you potty trained bleed to death on a cross…these are outrageous and absolutely unprecedented.  And either Christianity is a crapshoot and we’re wasting our time on a fable, or it’s the most unexplainable miracle to hit earth, and we’re invited to partake.

If you’ve got ten minutes and the interest, I’ll paste some excerpts below.  At first, they’ll likely be a familiar, topical read, but beyond that I hope you’ll find meatier areas of engagement.  What might it have been like to be present at these scenes?  What were the costs of following, and where was the hope of gain?  Grace be with you.

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There's a new book out about the stupefying of America and the basic thesis is that we're growing dumber because we're unwilling, or unable to pay attention and focus on one thing at a time. What do you think of this thesis? (excuse me a moment, my cell's ringing and it's important; not that you're not important, but you know, it's just polite to answer). Now, where was I? O yes, I was saying that there might be a connection between the cracks in our productivity infrastructure and our attention bearing capacity (a moment please, someone's tweeting and LOL, it's hysterically funny. I mean who eats oysters and pickels for breakfast anyway?).

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