Q & A with Author Nick Harrison

I first met Nick Harrison maybe eight years ago at the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference (now the CLASS Christian Writers Conference). He had a gentle spirit that impressed me. As I began to peruse his catalog of books, I was even more impressed.

He was, and still is, an editor at Harvest House Publishers. Now a senior editor at Harvest, he has been there for twelve years. He has written ten books – five of which are devotionals. They have a richness and depth to them you might enjoy.

I asked him to join us here at The Spiritual Man Cave for a Q & A and he was gracious with his time. I hope you will stop by his website and pick up one or two of his books to use during your devotional time.

Thanks for joining us here at The Spiritual Man Cave, Nick. We appreciate your time.

I’m happy to join you, Lee. The internet has opened up so many great opportunities for people to connect.

You have written a number of fabulous devotional books that use insight from saints of old, including His Victorious Indwelling: Daily Devotions for a Deeper Christian Life, and Magnificent Prayer: 366 Devotions to Deepen Your Prayer Experience. Obviously you think it is important to read and contemplate what saints of old had to say about the faith. Why is that?

To be honest, I just think these men and women from ages past had a depth to them we don’t often find today. They knew God and when they wrote, their words were packed with authority that remains today. 

Is there one story or quote that stands out to you from one of these two devotional books?

I’m a quote junkie, so to speak. It would be hard to find just one that stands out. Usually when I read a quote and it produces an “aha” moment in me, I assume it will do the same in my readers ... and it usually does. I can almost randomly select a quote from one of my books and find that it still speaks fresh truth to me.

I enjoy finding quotes from men and women who may be lesser-known Christians from the past. Many people have heard of Andrew Murray, Charles Spurgeon, and Hannah Whitall Smith; but how many have heard of Englishman George Wigram? He was foundational in the early days of the Plymouth Brethren.

Here’s a quote from my book “His Victorious Indwelling” that epitomizes the sort of thing I want my readers to understand about their riches in Christ. Wigram wrote: “You would not be easily startled by events if you saw all that you have in Christ to enable you to meet everything calmly.”

I like quotes like that for needy people, because I’m a needy person. I need to hear that I have everything I need in Christ to meet the challenges in my life.

Here’s one (also from “His Victorious Indwelling”) from John Newton, best known now for “Amazing Grace.” He wrote, “When first we enter into the divine life, we propose to grow rich; God’s plan is to make us poor.”

So many of our troubles come because we don’t understand that God uses events in our lives to bring us to the end of ourselves so we must depend fully on Him. When we realize our poverty, we’re ready for His spiritual riches.

Here’s a quote by Dwight Moody that I used in “Magnificent Prayer”: “Spread out your petitions before God, and then say, ‘Thy will, not mine, be done.’ The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me.”

That’s a lesson I’ve learned too. God has chosen a life for me that has exceeded my hopes and dreams. And when I trace it back to one life-changing event, it was when I was in a place I had no business being and I prayed, “Lord, help me. Get me out of here. And if anything good ever comes out of my life, I’ll give you the glory.”

He did get me out of that situation and set me on the right path, so I truly do give Him the praise. I know where I’ve come from and I know what God has given me in terms of my family, my calling, and my relationship with Him. God has chosen the best for me. It’s no wonder one of my favorite Scriptures is Psalm 16:6, which reads “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”

My new book (as yet untitled) will be out January 1 and once again I refer back to some of the wonderful writers of old. The book is about the promises of God and here are a couple of quotes that urge us to claim God’s promises in our lives:

“Is Christ yours? Then His promises are yours.” –Andrew Bonar

“Thank God, none of those promises are out of date, or grown stale. They are as fresh and vigorous and young and sweet as ever.” –Dwight Moody

“The Bible is a Book of precious promises; all the way we have to travel, they seem to be like a series of stepping-stones across the stream of time, and we may march from one promise to another, and never wet our feet all the way from earth to heaven, if we do but know how to keep our eyes open, and to find the right promise to step upon.” –Charles Spurgeon

Good stuff there!

*****

Come back tomorrow for Part 2 of the Q & A with Nick Harrison during which he discusses his own daily devotional time as well as offering some practice tips for us to implement.

What Really Matters

NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide driver Josh Wise is relatively new to the faith, so when you speak with him, it’s almost as if you can sense spiritual truths coming to life inside of him.

When I caught up with him via telephone shortly before the 2012 season, we had an interesting conversation about the truth found in the book of Ecclesiastes.

In December of 2011, during the off-season, Wise sat down to read Ecclesiastes and it put the pressures of the sport into perspective for him.

“In the world that we’re trying to make it in as race car drivers, it seems like there’s so much that matters,” Wise told me. “You’re getting pulled in different directions, but the cool thing about Ecclesiastes is, it was saying none of that really matters. God is what matters—loving him and walking with him in everything you do.”

[You can read more about Wise in my new NASCAR devotional book called “Racin’ Flat Out for Christ” – available in both print and e-book.]

I had a similar experience recently with the book of Isaiah. As I worked my way through it, I was struck by the number of instances in which the prophet speaks about God’s mercy (Isaiah 12:1, 30:18, 43:25, 57:15). The book has its share of warnings as well, but mercy doesn’t mean a lot without the possibility of judgment. Reading about his mercy in this context gave me a deeper appreciation for it.

Have you been studying a book in the Bible that has made an impact on you? Share away in the comments.

Jonathan Edwards On Rising Early

Usually, when you hear a Christian say he rises early every day, he does so because he wants to spend some time alone with God. That may have been a byproduct of rising early in Jonathan Edwards’ life, but he rose early for a different reason:

Edwards usually rose at four or five in the morning in order to spend thirteen hours in his study. In his only diary entry during his early years in Northampton he wrote, in January 1728, “I think Christ has recommended rising early in the morning, by his rising from the grave very early.” The discipline was part of a constant, heroic effort to make his life a type of Christ. He began the day with private prayers followed by family prayers, by candlelight in winter. Each meal was accompanied by household devotions, and at the end of each day Sarah joined him in his study for prayers. Jonathan kept secret the rest of his daily devotional routine, following Jesus’ command to pray in secret. –Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George M. Marsden (p. 133)

Edwards was a young pastor in Northampton, so much of the thirteen hours he spent in his study was probably devoted to church business, but we shouldn’t miss the fact that his devotional life wasn’t limited to twenty minutes in the morning. Instead, he modeled his day on his understanding of the Scriptures, leading his family in prayer and taking frequent opportunities throughout the day to converse with God.

How different might our homes look if we, as men, rose early every day to meet with the Almighty, then led our family in prayers and devotions at mealtime, and then ended each day with our wives in prayer? Writing as a single person, this makes me want to model my own life in such a fashion so that if/when I do get married, it would make for an easier spiritual transition. And even if I never marry, my soul would be the better for it.

I’m a work in progress when it comes to my daily devotional routine. How about you?

The Privilege of a Quiet Time

Photo: Public Domain

Three quotes to reorient your way of thinking on this Monday morning about personal devotions:

“Rose early to seek God and found Him whom my soul loveth.  Who would not rise early to meet such company?” –Scottish clergyman Robert Murray M’Cheyne (from his journal in 1834).

“Perhaps we should stop talking about being ‘faithful’ to have a quiet time with God each day, as if we were doing something to earn a reward. It would be better to talk about the privilege of spending time with the God of the universe and the importance for our own sake of being consistent in that practice.” –Jerry Bridges, “Transforming Grace”

“A quiet time is a tremendous privilege you’ve been given. The creator of the universe has invited you to spend time with him every day. Imagine if your favorite actor, musician, singer, or athlete asked you to spend time with him or her every day. Would you say, ‘Sorry, I don’t have time for you’? Of course not!” –Rick Warren

On Rising Early to Pray

I’m working my way through the 40-Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer (which you can receive for free via email from BibleGateway).

On Day 3, here’s what Bonhoeffer has to say about Mark 1:35, which says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”

This order and discipline must be sought and found in the morning prayer. It will stand the test at work. Prayer offered in early morning is decisive for the day. The wasted time we are ashamed of, the temptations we succumb to, the weakness and discouragement in our work, the disorder and lack of discipline in our thinking and in our dealings with other people – all these very frequently have their cause in our neglect of morning prayer. The ordering and scheduling of our time will become more secure when it comes from prayer.

I definitely find this to be true in my life. How about you?

We can draw a number of other implications for our devotional life from Mark 1:35 as well.

1. Jesus rose very early, while it was still dark.

The previous day had been a busy one for Jesus. Starting at sundown, he healed “many” and cast out “many” demons (verse 34), but he got up early anyway. We do not know what time he went to bed, but generally speaking, it would seem that we need to go to bed early enough to rise early the next morning so we can spend time with the Father before the cares of this world creep in. 

2. Jesus went to a desolate place to pray.

If Jesus desired, or needed, a private place to pray, how much more do we? Bible commentator Matthew Henry makes this point: “His retirement to his private devotion; He prayed, prayed alone; to set us an example of secret prayer.”

3. Jesus prayed.

And here’s Henry’s take ... I love this: “Though as God he was prayed to, as man he prayed. Though he was glorifying God, and doing good, in his public work, yet he found time to be alone with his Father; and thus it became him to fulfil all righteousness.”

How does your early morning prayer routine compare or contrast? Personally, mine needs some work.

Meditating Day and Night

Here is one of the cards I've been meditating on lately.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

A few years ago I drove down a side street and saw a friend of mine who was out for one of his routine walks. He didn’t see me, mostly because he was flipping through index cards as he walked.

He was in the habit of writing Bible verses on those cards and carrying them with him so he could refer to them throughout the day.

Seeing him with his index cards in action prompted me to do the same. During my morning devotions I began writing down verses that either encouraged or challenged me. And then, like my friend, I began meditating on them day and night.

Here are a few places I use them:

1. Walking. I walk a mile several times a week, often listening to music on my iPod. But before I hit play, I work my way through five or ten index cards – usually containing the most recent verses I’ve written down.


2. Drive-throughs. Whether I’m banking, picking up a prescription or waiting for food, I always have a few minutes to kill while sitting in a drive-through. It’s the perfect time to read and think about the verses on my index cards.


3. Waiting rooms. When I’m getting my car fixed or waiting for my doctor, I work my way through my index cards several times with plenty of time to spare to read the book I brought with me.


4. Lunch. I don’t always do it, but I try to work my way through my index cards before I go back to work after lunch.


5. Meetings. As a sportswriter, I often have time to kill in the press box or before I interview a player or coach. What better time to pull out my index cards to reorient my mind?

You probably have several stretches during your day in which you have several minutes of downtime. Use it to meditate on God’s Word.

Free Bible Devotional Material for Men

Photo: Evelyn Giggles

If you are looking for a way to jumpstart your devotional life, BibleGateway.com is a great free resource.

Here’s just a taste of what you can subscribe to via email on their website:

• 40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer (daily devotions throughout the Easter season)
• Devotions for Leaders
• Spurgeon at the New Park Street Chapel: 365 Sermons (daily devotions)
• Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle: 365 Sermons (daily devotions)
• Tabletalk Devotions with R.C. Sproul (daily devotions)
• NIV Devotions for Men (delivered every Thursday)
• Men of the Bible (delivered each weekday)
• Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening (delivered daily)

You can also sign up for:

• A verse of the day (in up to five different translations)
• Bible reading plans

To sign up via email, visit this page.

Defining Devotion

Noah Webster
Photo: Public Domain

Words fascinate me.

That’s why I was taken by the way the word “devotion” is defined in Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. A blog called Metro Moms published a post about these definitions a few years ago. I thought it would be interesting to address these definitions from the male perspective:

A solemn attention to the Supreme Being in worship; a yielding of the heart and affections to God, with reverence, faith and piety, in religious duties, particularly in prayer and meditation; devoutness.

Recently I confessed to a friend that I was dreading the next couple of weeks because I’ve worked my way up to the book of Ezekiel during my morning devotions. Ezekiel has always been a difficult book for me to grasp. I often find my mind wandering as I’m read it. True devotion would mean giving solemn attention to God with a heart that yields to him while I’m reading his Word – even the parts that are hard to grasp.

Prayer to the Supreme Being. A Christian will be regular in his morning and evening devotions.

While there is a sense of duty, and devoutness in these definitions, I get the sense that being regular in our morning and evening devotions should be done more out of love for the Father than anything else. If his grace doesn’t cause us to yearn to meet with him regularly, something is wrong. As men, we often show more devotion for much lesser causes – sports, movies, fishing, the pursuit of a woman, to name a few.

Ardent love or affection; attachment manifested by constant attention; as, the duke was distinguished by his devotion to the king, and to the interest of the nation.

There we have it – be definition, devotion is ardent love or affection, manifested by constant attention. For those of us who are married, we surely exhibited this definition as we pursued the woman we wanted to marry. For many of us who are single, myself included, it hasn’t been for a lack of effort. We’ve sent flowers. We’ve pulled out chairs and opened doors. We made an effort because our love compelled us to.

When is the last time you felt that way about approaching your time alone with God?

New Devotionals for Men

Periodically, I’ll let you know about new devotional books for men. Here are few that have been released in 2013. This is for information purposes only since I haven’t read them.

• “Meditations for the New Father: Christian Encouragement during Your Child’s First Year” by Doug Spangler (Crosslink Publishing / print version only, no e-book available). The title is self-explanatory. 114 pages, no reviews.

• “LIVE NEW” by Kurt Libby (Amazon Digital Services, Inc. / Kindle version only, no print version available). According to the book description on Amazon.com, it is “a 31 day life trajectory experiment written for men that have decided to follow Jesus but are frustrated with the lack of real change in their lives.”

• “Eavesdropping on God: One Man’s Conversations with the Lord Book One – Shouts of Joy” by David Jeffers (Amazon Digital Services, Inc. / Print version only, no e-book available). A 30-day devotional in which a pastor invites readers to listen in on his conversations with God as he struggles with common problems.

Luther’s Remedy for Joyless Prayer

Martin Luther’s barber, Peter, had a question about how one should pray.

It says something about Luther that his barber would be willing to ask him such a question, doesn’t it? Apparently, they spoke about spiritual matters while engaged in a common earthly matter – which is often the best way.

Here’s Luther’s response, written in 1535:

Dear Master Peter: I will tell you as best I can what I do personally when I pray. May our dear Lord grant to you and to everybody to do it better than I! Amen.

First, when I feel that I have become cool and joyless in prayer because of other tasks or thoughts (for the flesh and the devil always impede and obstruct prayer), I take my Book of Psalms, hurry to my room, or, if it be the day and hour for it, to the church where a congregation is assembled and, as time permits, I say quietly to myself and word-for-word the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and, if I have time, some words of Christ or of Paul, or some psalms, just as a child might do.

You can find the rest of his response in multiple books, including one called “Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings” published by Augsburg Fortress. Google has indexed his entire response as well.

Luther’s humility is admirable, isn’t it? He wants his barber, and everybody else, to exceed him in prayer. He admits to being cool and joyless in prayer. And he admits to being distracted. Can you relate? Me too.

I love how he didn’t depend on himself to jumpstart his prayer life. He didn’t try harder, or make promises to himself that he couldn’t keep. Instead, he turned to the Psalms, the Ten Commandments, the Apostles Creed, various New Testament passages, or the church to get back on track.

The Book of Common Prayer and The Valley of Vision have been the two most common resources I have used when my own prayer life needs a boost. Although, I have to be careful about falling into the trap of believing my prayers must sound so eloquent that I do not leave room for the most basic cry: “Lord, help me.”

What do you do to get back on track when your prayer life has been cool and joyless?

What's a Spiritual Man Cave?

Photo: James Emery

man cave: A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition, away from the rest of the household in order to work, play, involve himself in certain hobbies, activities without interruption. This area is usually decorated by the male that uses it without interference from any female influence. –Urban Dictionary

I never had a tree house as a kid, but I had multiple “forts” – hiding in washing machine and dryer boxes or sheets stretched from one end of my grandmother’s living room to the other, creating snow caves in my front yard, or sneaking away to large bushes a couple of blocks away that provided cover from the outside world.

As a bashful overweight kid, I was hiding from ridicule. If I could squirrel away somewhere, I was free to dream, think, and read unhindered. The old sticks and stones adage wasn’t true for me. Words hurt, and I sought an escape.

Your story might be a lot like mine, or maybe it isn’t. Maybe you just gravitated toward hideaways, forts, tree houses, and the like because you needed to get away from something else. You needed a place to pull away or to dream or to pretend – free from ridicule, or as Robert on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” once called them, dream squashers.

As we get older, tree houses and forts aren’t all that cool anymore. So we build man caves in our homes. Some view this as a failure to mature, but I don’t necessarily believe that is true. I believe God wired men with the need to pull away on occasion. Jesus certainly felt the need when he walked this earth.

As men, we don’t admit it, but our egos bruise easily. We need a place to lick our wounds so we can recharge. Batman had his cave. So did the young men in “Dead Poets Society.” In fact, movies are rife with caves used as places of refuge. So is literature. But in addition to licking our wounds and recharging, we also need a place to meet with God, and others, who can rebuild us spiritually.

David was forced into a cave, fearing Saul would kill him. He wrote at least two Psalms (Psalm 57 and 142) in a cave, where he poured out his heart to God. After the apostles watched Jesus ascend into heaven (Acts 1), they returned to Jerusalem and entered the upper room – which, “was either a room in the temple, or in the house of one of the disciples, where this holy company was accustomed to meet” (Adam Clarke’s commentary).

Enter the Spiritual Man Cave – a blog where you can find refuge from the world while going deeper in your devotional life. That is the focus of this blog. As such, I’ll do interviews with the authors of men’s devotional books, and book reviews of men’s devotionals. I’ll also be writing about spiritual journaling and sharing stories about how saints of old spent their devotional time.

Subscribe via email or RSS feed, and stop back often. Tell your male friends, your accountability partner, your men’s group, or anybody else who might benefit from a few minutes in a spiritual man cave.