Dr H Reflections

Broken lives and wounded hearts ∙∙

Broken lives and wounded hearts ∙∙

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! – Psalms 22:6

Isaiah 48:17-22

17 This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.

18 Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.

20 Yet even now, be free from your captivity! Shout it to the ends of the earth! The LORD has redeemed his servants, the people of Israel.

22 There is no peace for the wicked, says the LORD.

There is a major societal trend towards what is been termed a throwaway culture. Items used once or for short are discarded. This model is characterized by four words: take, make, use, and throw. Thrift stores, some independent and others operated by corporations, can be found all over the United States. These stores specialize in reselling items that their owners no longer want or need.

In American culture, it’s common to discard useless, broken, or out-of-style items and reject damaged goods.

Tragically, many people on Earth are seen as damaged goods. They are characterized by wounded hearts, broken spirits, and fractured relationships. When faced with broken marriages or relationships, people often choose to walk away instead of working to repair them.

While society tends to view broken things as worthless and despised, the perspective of the Father is different. He seeks out those who are wounded and broken and is in the business of renewing human souls, with a motto of “Redemption and Transformation Found Here.”

The Father takes pleasure in transforming the tragedy of broken lives and wounded hearts into something far better. He has no rivals in this remarkable endeavor.

The Scriptures use a metaphor to describe these difficult and hopeless situations in which individuals may feel like worms or poor in spirit. When our lives are shattered, and our hearts are deeply wounded, we often grapple with significant self-esteem issues, feeling inadequate, unworthy, and even shameful.

Psalms 22:6 But I am a worm, not a man; people insult me and despise me.

David’s words convey profound feelings of insignificance, vulnerability, and contempt.

REFLECT & PRAY

The LORD is near to those who are brokenhearted; He saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalms 34:18

Father, thank You for your comforting presence. You draw near to each child of the King who is hurting and feeling broken. Repair my wounded heart and help me to know and experience the joy of Your salvation more and more, day by day.

INSIGHT

In the kingdom of God, our Heavenly Father uses our broken lives and wounded hearts to draw us closer to Him. He lovingly beckons us, yearning for us to listen and come to Him so that He can make us whole. Sadly, we often become consumed and preoccupied with our own brokenness and feelings of unworthiness. We fail to hear his voice and respond to His gentle call.

The deepest, most profound need of every soul is inner regeneration and transformation. We may try to drown out the pain by keeping ourselves busy, avoiding His call, and ultimately feeling empty and inadequate. This often leads to a cycle of self-blame, despair, emptiness, inadequacy, and darkness, where we fail to recognize that true restoration is within our reach.

God’s healing touch is powerful and transformative. By embracing His call, we can break free from the chains of despair and step into the light of His love and grace. Let us open our hearts to His voice, allowing Him to mend our spirits and lead us to a life filled with hope, joy, and divine purpose.

Matthew 5:3 God blesses those who know what it is to be poor in spirit and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

The Greek word translated as “poor” is ptochos. It comes from the Greek verb ptosso, which means to crouch or cower like a beggar. It refers to those who are poor and helpless, in abject poverty, utter helplessness, or complete destitution (Zodhiates).

The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their total spiritual destitution and need for God. The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. They readily acknowledge and confess their spiritual bankruptcy (ESV Notes).

Although there may be anguish, sorrow, rejection, mistreatment, weeping, and far more dire conditions in this present world, the children of the King will ultimately be blessed forever because the Father’s kingdom belongs to them. The somewhat distressing conditions are not “good” in and of themselves. However, they make the children of the King aware of their need for the Father. Within each human being, there is a vacuum that the Father alone can fill. The poverty in view is not physical or material. It is the poverty of the spirit. Those who are poor in spirit are humbled before the Father, fully aware of their spiritual impoverishment.

The Father is ready and able to break the cycle of the past and make everything new.

When we reach a breaking point, many earnestly seek the Father more sincerely. When we come to the Father with shattered lives, He alone can take broken and wounded hearts and make them whole.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

True inner transformation begins when we take our eyes off ourselves and stop ruminating on the past. By recognizing our profound need for the Father, we can refocus our lives on Him. Our brokenness marks not an end but a new beginning, a life dedicated to walking with Him.

When we place the Father at the center of our lives, a remarkable healing process unfolds from the inside out. He molds us more and more into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, gradually shaping us into who He intends us to be. As a result, things start to align and come together in ways that are far beyond our imagination. The Father’s nature remains constant, and His mercy is unfailing.

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, there is no shadow of turning with You;

You change not, Your compassions, they fail not as You have been. You forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning, new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided – Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endures, Your own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯3-20-3

Gratitude or not? ∙∙

Gratitude or not? ∙∙

Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough? – Numbers 11:22

Numbers 11:1-11

1 Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the LORD heard everything they said. Then the LORD’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, destroying some people in the camp’s outskirts.

2 Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the LORD, the fire stopped.

4 Then, the foreign rabble traveling with the Israelites began to crave the good things of Egypt, and the people of Israel also began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed.

5 “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted.”

6 “But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!”

8 The people would go out and gather it from the ground. They made flour by grinding it with hand mills or pounding it in mortars. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil.

9 The manna came down on the camp with the dew during the night.

10 Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the LORD became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated.

11 And Moses said to the LORD, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people?”

How much does it take for us to have enough and be grateful?

When asked, “How much money is enough money?” John D. Rockefeller replied, “Just a little bit more.”

Rockefeller might ultimately be best known for the sheer magnitude of his wealth. In 1902, an audit revealed that Rockefeller was worth approximately $200 million, starkly contrasted against the United States’ total national wealth of $101 billion that year. His net worth during the final decades of his life would undoubtedly position him among the wealthiest individuals in history.

In many respects, Rockefeller reflects the insatiable desires within our own hearts – whether fixated on something specific or driven by a nebulous yearning for “more.” Yet, in reality, “more” is never truly sufficient.

There is a superior path – cultivating gratitude.

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others” (Cicero).

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual” (Thoreau).

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer” (Maya Angelou).

“O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!!” (Shakespeare).

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around” (Willie Nelson).

“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.” (Karl Barth).

The Father desires more than our gratitude for what we possess; He wants us to be thankful for everything. King David grasped this lesson early in his life and embodied it. His insights are scattered throughout the Psalms, offering us a window into his practice of unwavering thankfulness.

Psalms 73:25-28

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

As we grow older, the vitality of our youth gradually diminishes, replaced by fatigue and waning strength that comes with aging. Mobility becomes limited, and chronic pain and frustration may set in. It’s easy to become disheartened, discontent, and eventually bitter, leading to a demanding and ungrateful attitude. We may find ourselves grumbling and resentful, spiraling downward until the Father opens the eyes of our hearts to recognize what we’ve become.

In the midst of our dissatisfaction and resentment, we often hurt those around us, especially those closest to us. Thus, our forgiveness must extend not only vertically but also horizontally. Once we gain this awareness, we can confess and seek forgiveness. We must ask for forgiveness from those we’ve wronged on our path to despair.

REFLECT & PRAY

Wanting more in and of itself is not inherently wrong. In fact, yearning for more of the Father is truly wonderful.

Father, how I long to have a heart like David’s, filled with immense love and devotion to You. I am aware that nothing on this earth can fulfill me as You alone can.

INSIGHT

Complaining became the national pastime for the Israelites during their time in the wilderness. The more they complained, the more self-absorbed they grew. They were never content and constantly grumbled about the Father’s provision (Exodus 17:1-3). Despite the Father sending manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4), instead of rejoicing and being grateful, they wanted more. They pined for different food (Numbers 11:4). The Israelites constantly desired something more, something better, something else, or even something they used to have (Numbers 11:4-6).

Psalms 16 is a profoundly personal hymn of joy that highlights the Father’s goodness. David finds his delight solely in the Father, acknowledging that all the good in his life comes from Him. David expresses joy, praise, humility, and submission to the divine will.

David relied on the Father for safety, needing His constant care and oversight of all the good things that the Father had provided. For David, the Father was his greatest treasure and highest good.

Sadly, our longing, hungry hearts often lead us on desperate, futile quests for satisfaction. David shows us a better way to live. Instead of craving more things, wealth, power, or recognition, he realized that true contentment was not found “out there.” David discovered the secret and joy of being at home in the Father’s presence.

More than that, David indeed delighted in his closeness to the Father. The source of David’s greatest joy was being with Him.

Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 16:11 stands unmatched in its depiction of beautiful possibilities. It begins with the simplest of words. The path of life is a way of living that leads to life with the Father. It brings us into His presence and into eternity. The joys and pleasures David speaks of are utterly satisfying and endlessly varied, found in who the Father is and what He gives (Kidner).

The Hebrew word translated as “in your presence” is literally in your panim, “faces.” The sense is close proximity, companionship, care, and protection.

How can we ever be satisfied? What is enough? When we learn the art of gratitude, we will be satisfied. The Father is pleased when His children are content and offer Him grateful praise.

Isaiah 30:15 In quietness and trust is your strength.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯12-04-2

When clay talks back ∙∙

When clay talks back ∙∙

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ – Isaiah 45:9

How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid?” – Isaiah 29:16

Romans 9:20-21

20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”

21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?

The following illustration is a slightly altered excerpt from “The Hammer, the File, and the Furnace” by Samuel Rutherford.

In the midst of severe trials and heartaches, Rutherford proclaimed: “Praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace!”

Consider this. The hammer is a practical and essential tool, especially when nails need to be driven into place. With each strike, the hammer drives the nail deeper as the hammer’s head pounds and pounds.

However, if the nail had feelings and intellect, it would give us another side of the story. To the nail, the hammer is a brutal, relentless adversary. The hammer is an enemy intent on beating it into submission through relentless pounding. This perspective is understandable but overlooks a crucial point: both the hammer and the nail are controlled by the same craftsman. It is the craftsman who decides which nail to strike and which hammer will do the job.

This decision is the sovereign right of the carpenter. When the nail remembers that it and the hammer are in the hands of the same craftsman, its resentment fades, and it submits to the carpenter without complaint.

Heartaches and disappointments are much like the hammer. They come in various forms: unmet expectations, lingering illness, unexpected loss, unachieved dreams, broken friendships, rebellious children, stubborn habits, or fractured relationships. These heartaches may come suddenly or gradually, but they are inevitable.

Undoubtedly, if nails could feel, they wouldn’t “enjoy” being struck by the hammer. But does it make sense for a nail to resent the hammer’s blows?

The same is true of the children of the King. The Father has the right to decide whose head will be hammered next, how hard, and for how long. For all practical purposes, although we are but nails, we are His nails.

As difficult as it may be to believe at times, the Master knows what He’s doing. He is working out a plan created in and for eternity. The Father knows our breaking point. The hammer blows are designed to reshape us, not ruin us. Our value to Him increases the longer He lingers over us (Rutherford).

REFLECT & PRAY

Common clay is simply part of the dry ground, the dirt, that the Father separated from the waters at the dawn of creation.

Father, it is so very human and natural to wrestle with this. Encourage and help me to remember that I was made from the dust of the earth. Help me not to forget that You are fashioning me into what You desire and that one day, I will finally become what You intended all along.

INSIGHT

Do we forget who is the clay and Who is the Potter? Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, “Stop, you’re doing it wrong!” (Isaiah 45:9)?

Do we genuinely believe that the Father lacks intelligence or wisdom? Is there any reason to think His planning is flawed, unfair, or insufficient? Does He need more power or ability to accomplish His goals? Absolutely not; such thoughts are absurd!

Finding peace of mind and understanding in this matter can be extremely challenging. However, any child of the King is capable of achieving it, though it often involves significant inner conflict and struggle. Despite our wish for things to be different, the Father is the Potter, and we are merely the clay designed to be shaped into whatever He wants. Thus, the solution is simple yet complicated.

Each child of the King must recognize that the Potter is indeed the Potter. The final decision in the shaping process belongs to Him, not to us.

If we momentarily indulge in wishful thinking and imagine ourselves as the potter, we might think we could take control. Yet, until such a time comes, it is wise to remember that pliable clay bends while hard, brittle clay breaks.

One more thing: clay, by its very essence, is inactive, passive, and lifeless. It doesn’t engage in mud fights with other clay, nor does it get rambunctious or toss itself around. It doesn’t cause rockslides or muddy, clear, sparkling water for amusement or spite. Essentially, clay just lays around. It is utterly torpid.

However, when placed in the hands of a potter, it becomes something else. It is fashioned, molded, and shaped into something new. It acquires a new form, meaning, purpose, and value.

The potter is the one who crafts and determines what kind of vessel the clay will become. Some pots turn out to be very beautiful and ornate, while others, not so much. The New Living Translation is notably straightforward, even stringent, in its interpretation.

Romans 9:21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?

Children of the King can find peace when they embrace the fact that the Father is shaping them into the vessel He desires. Although the process is challenging and, at times, painful, it ultimately leads us to fulfill our true purpose. We become what we were born to be and do.

With thoughtful reflection, common sense, and wisdom, we can realize that the Father, as the Sovereign Lord, is orchestrating everything according to His grand design. He is the Lord God Almighty, and we are merely dust from the earth. Yet, we are His dust.

Praise the LORD! For the Lord God omnipotent reigns (Revelation 19:6).

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 4-10-1

The einstein

The einstein

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. – Ephesians 4:16

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So, we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

For over six decades, scientists and mathematicians grappled with an elusive geometry problem: creating a shape that tiles a surface without repeating patterns. This mysterious shape earned the name “einstein tile” (from the German ein = one + stein = stone).

In 2022, amateur mathematician David Smith made a breakthrough by discovering this elusive shape, which he fittingly dubbed “the hat” due to its resemblance to a fedora. Published in 2023, Smith’s discovery showcased an aperiodic 13-sided polygon that can completely cover a surface without gaps and without forming repetitive clusters.

This elegant and simple solution has finally put to rest a long-standing geometric puzzle.

Getting individual pieces to fit together correctly without gaps, overlaps, or repetition, as the new einstein fedora tile does, is not merely a conundrum for mathematics.

Just as the new einstein fedora tile fits together seamlessly without gaps, overlaps, or repetition, so too are the individual members of the body of Christ designed to work in perfect harmony. Each part, much like the tiles, is intelligently crafted to function together, creating a cohesive and unified whole. Just as the human body relies on its various parts to cooperate and perform their roles, the body of Christ flourishes when its members fit together and work in unison.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Since we all belong to each other, we should desire the welfare of each other” (Stanley).

Father, guide me to understand and embrace the role You have designed me to play in the body of Christ. Help me make the unique contribution You intended. Help me to “play nice” with all the other pieces.

INSIGHT

Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

The Greek word translated as “fit together” is sunarmologeo. This term means to connect or join components to form a unified whole, much like stones in a building. The idea of how different parts of the body integrate can be expressed in several ways, such as “the body parts interconnect,” “all parts come together to create a whole,” “to cause to merge,” or “combine to form one body.”

Paul introduced this term by joining the prepositional prefix sun – “with”andthe rare verb harmologeo, meaning “to join together.” According to Wuest, this suggests that the body is intricately framed and knit together by joints, each part fulfilling its own role and function.

Paul used sunarmologeo to describe the meticulous process of constructing with stones, a task much more painstaking in the first century due to the absence of mortar. Instead, ancient craftsmen would carefully cut and smooth stones to ensure a flawless fit between them.

If these ancient builders could arrange stones with such precision and skill, we can trust that the Father even more skillfully designs and places individuals within the body of Christ. This divine craftsmanship ensures internal unity and harmony among the children of the King, who are all recipients of His grace (Hoehner).

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Paul depicted the Church as a human body, with different parts coming together and maintaining inherent unity through the unifying force of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Paul now emphasizes the necessity of having diversity in a body for it to operate as one. Each part (such as the eye or the ear) must be willing to perform its own function and not seek to function in a role for which it was not made. The whole body cannot be a single part, or it would not be a functioning body. So it is with the church. Members with one gift should not repudiate that gift and complain that they do not have some other gift. The apostles were to function as apostles, the elders as elders (1 Peter 5:5), the deacons as deacons (Acts 6:1-6), etc.”

“The logic of 1 Corinthians 12:17 is compelling: nobody can function as all eye, all hearing, or all smelling. So, for the church to function properly, it must have different gifts and offices. In 1 Corinthians 12:18-20 Paul brings the believers back to the sovereign purposes of God. It is God who has organized the body in the way he wants it. The implication is that it is the same with the church; according to God’s will, it is composed of many parts, so that it may function as one body – the body of Christ” (EBC).

Paul extends this analogy by declaring, “You are the body of Christ.” This profound truth applies to every believer. Given that the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer physically present on Earth, any task the Father wishes to accomplish must be done through us. We are literally called to be the body of Christ, serving as His hands to do His work, His feet to carry out His missions, and His voice to speak on His behalf.

This represents the highest honor for every believer. Each of us is an integral part of the body of Christ on Earth (Barclay).

It doesn’t take an Einstein to be an einstein.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Without a firm foundation ∙

Without a firm foundation ∙

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? – Psalms 11:3

Psalms 17:3-15

3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say.

4 I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.

5 My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.

7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power, you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies.

8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

15 Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, the god of war. Romulus became Rome’s first king. In 27 B.C., Augustus became the first emperor of Rome. Augustus’ rule ushered in the Pax Romana, which resulted in two centuries of peace and prosperity. A vast, powerful empire flourished.

Despite its long and tumultuous history, the Roman Empire ultimately fell due to its own excesses and corruption. As the empire became increasingly bloated, it began to lose control over its provinces, and one by one, they slipped from its grasp. In September 476 A.D., a Germanic prince named Odovacar dealt a decisive blow to the Roman army in Italy, marking a regrettable end to the empire’s once-glorious legacy.

Historians continue to debate the reasons for Rome’s collapse. Several key factors include barbarian invasions, economic troubles, overexpansion, military overspending, government corruption, political instability, loss of traditional values, the division of the Empire between East and West, and the weakening of Rome’s military.

Ultimately, the foundation upon which the Roman Empire was built disintegrated, leading to its fall. The Roman Empire was no more, but its legacy continues to shape modern civilization.

David, king of Israel, was going through similar turmoil. The foundation of his nation, the principles of Mosaic law and justice, and the institutions derived from them were being undermined (Psalm 11:3). When the foundations are destroyed, a complete breakdown of law and order in the community follows. The FRCL translates it as “The standards of the society are in ruins” (UBS).

The Hebrew word translated as destroyed or collapsed is haras. Haras refers to something that has been destroyed or damaged irreparably. It is the verb used to describe the destruction of the Egyptian armies at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:7). The results of this activity are often horrific, appalling, ghastly, disgusting, or loathsome.

REFLECT & PRAY

During challenging times, David’s closest advisors and friends tempted him to doubt. He had to choose between giving in to fear or maintaining his faith. He chose faith.

Father, You are supreme above all, conquering every challenge that arises. When any child of the King encounters hardships, You offer to come alongside them and face their trials with You at their side (Matthew 28:20, Daniel 3). There is no need for fear or retreat.

INSIGHT

David had known the Father since he was a small boy. In human terms, they were not just friends; they were BFFs, Best Friends Forever. The Father was with him during those dark, lonely nights while he watched over his sheep. He was there when David prayed, responding with gentle, loving, inaudible whispers. The Father witnessed this faithful child develop the confidence to withstand every trial until Bathsheba.

Psalms 11:1 I trust in the LORD for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety?”

The same could not be said of his advisors. They saw only the impending, threatening storm and failed to recognize the Father who had power over it. In modern times, Doppler radar alerts people on the ground when severe weather approaches and warnings are issued to evacuate when deadly hurricanes loom. To David’s fainthearted counselors, it seemed as though a man-made hurricane was imminent. They believed the situation was hopeless and that The Nation of Israel was doomed. They strongly urged him to flee and save himself: “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!”

This puzzled David. Don’t they know who David is? More importantly, don’t they know who the Father is? Indeed, they should be aware of David’s faith and confidence in the Father. He totally trusted in the Lord for protection. The Father could undoubtedly handle the situation. There is no reason to fear or run away. David rejects their well-meaning, fact-based advice. He is determined to stand his ground no matter what.

He counters with “a spirited retort to some demoralizing advice” (Kidner). He asks them a question, the gist of which is, “How can you say such a thing?” No doubt, he thought something like, “The difficulties we face now might be bad, but they are not that bad. I have faced greater problems for far longer spans of time than this. The Father took care of me then, and He will take care of me now. This too shall pass.”

Psalms 11:3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?

Can you picture his advisors? Do they seem fidgety and nervous? Do you see them shaking as they speak? Are their lips quivering as they try to get the words out? Perhaps under their breath, they were muttering, “What can we do? What can we possibly do?” To their rhetorical question, they had already decided that the answer was “nothing.”

David’s great confidence and faith were derived from years of walking with the Father. How could they be so weak-kneed and unstable? How could they be so filled with fear? Where was their faith?

Psalms 11:4-7

4 But the LORD is in his holy Temple; the LORD still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.

5 The LORD examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence.

7 For the righteous LORD loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.

David turns them away, unwavering in his stance. With steadfast confidence, he articulates his faith, a faith that assures him of realities beyond his sight. He ponders, “Where is the Father now?” and answers with conviction: “He reigns supreme, enthroned in heaven, overseeing the grand tapestry of history as it unfolds.”

Psalms 2:4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.

The Father’s watchful eye is on both the righteous and the wicked. At any moment, He can step into our world and alter the course of events. The Scriptures overflow with instances of His divine intervention: the parting of the Red Sea, the fall of Jericho, the deliverance from the fiery furnace, and more. With the Father eternally enthroned in heaven, there is no cause for worry. Even when the world appears to be in chaos, David’s unwavering trust in the Father shines through, lighting the path of faith that all the children of the King should walk.

Psalms 11:2-3

2 The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right.

3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.

This sounds eerily familiar to recurring events of the 21st century. Could it be a wake-up call? Without a firm foundation, how can Western Civilization stand?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯3-5-1

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: