Dr H Reflections

The fellowship of the unashamed ∙

Never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. . . With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. – 2 Timothy 1:8

Isaiah 50:4-7

4 The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.

5 The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away.

7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be ashamed.

On the Jerry Seinfeld show in 1990, Jerry Seinfeld joked: “Surveys show that the number one fear of Americans is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. That means that at a funeral, the average American would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

No one questioned the survey. Because for most of us, in our hearts, we know it is true. Almost immediately, a new phrase, “Public speaking is more painful than death,” joined “Yada, Yada, Yada” in American vernacular.

How often, when seeking to share the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, do we suffer spiritual laryngitis, freeze, and shrink back?

The Father in His wisdom, has a solution. The children of the King are to share a standard curriculum. Morning by morning, we are to spend quality time with the Father. This intimate association deepens our relationship with Him. It is the time of sharing, hearing, learning, and being prepared for what lies ahead. Such times sweeten the heart. Our words and actions grow out of our daily, direct interaction with the Father.

REFLECT & PRAY

If you know and feel certain that God has your back, then you can set your face like a flint. Be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Father, for you know that nothing you do for him is ever useless (1 Corinthians 15:58) (Stanley).

Father, the thought of receiving a wake-up call from you each morning thrills my heart.

INSIGHT

The Father His empowers His servants. His empowerment makes each servant courageous and determined. He has set his face like flint. He is utterly resolved to do the Father’s will. He is strong and fearless and will not shrink back or be deflected. He will not even flinch.

Isaiah 50:7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not in be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be ashamed.

The Hebrew term translated as ashamed is bosh. It means to be characterized by feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, disappointment, or remorse. It has overtones of being or feeling worthless.

Can you imagine the apostle Paul ever recoiling, shrinking back in weakness and fear? Was he ever reticent or at a loss for words?

1 Corinthians 2:3-5

3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,

4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Even though he had human limitations, Paul stood tall in the Spirit. He relied upon the power of the Holy Spirit and the gospel itself.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

“The Fellowship of the Unashamed” is a prayer that has inspired many to stand strong in their faith and to live unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This prayer was found among the papers of a young African pastor who was martyred in Zimbabwe some 100+ years ago.

According to Southern Nazarene University, the prayer was passed on by missionary Louise Robinson Chapman who served in Africa from 1920-1940.

As a young preacher from Zimbabwe so memorably expressed it:

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, praise, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and labor by power.

My pace is set. My gait is fast. My goal is heaven. My road is narrow. My way rough. My companions few. My guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I’ve stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give ’til I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear! clear!

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I have had enough LORD

I have had enough LORD

Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. – Isaiah 46:3-4

1 Kings 19:2-18

2 Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.

4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

5 Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”

6 He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.

7 Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

9 There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. But the LORD said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

11 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

12 And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the LORD God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

A serious illness can be overwhelming for the entire family. Hospice care was created to provide assistance. Hospice offers individualized care to patients and families in their homes. It offers patient care including symptom management, emotional support, spiritual support and psychosocial intervention.

But it is important to know that hospice is not curative but palliative. It is focused on the patient’s quality of life on their journey to end-of-life. It is for terminally ill patients who typically live less than 6 months. In 2017, hospice care patients on average lived for 76.1 days.

When it comes to spiritual, emotional, and relational problems, repair and restoration are always possible. They are not terminal. They can be mended and restored with the proper guidance, encouragement, and willingness to do the hard work to recover.

It is much like recovering from a serious accident or surgery. After medical intervention, it takes time, effort, often physical therapy to recover. But recovery is doable. For children of the King, this is possible because of His supernatural activity in repairing and rebuilding hearts and spirits.

In our day and time, many often give up hope and want to throw in the towel. They wish they were dead. So it was with Elijah. He was tired, hungry, worn out, fearful, and emotionally and physically drained. He literally ran away from his problems.

The Father nurtured him back to physical, emotional, and spiritual health. First, He sent an angel. He himself was also came and spoke directly to Elijah. Earlier He sent ravens to provide food for him (1 Kings 17:4-6).

REFLECT & PRAY

It is not over until the Father says it is over! He calls us out of the doldrums of despair.

Father how many times have I lost all hope, thrown in the towel, and literally or figuratively run away from it all. Strengthen me and encourage me to run the race You have set before me, and finish well.

INSIGHT

The Father took care of Elijah’s physical depletion. Often, but not always, physical restoration precedes spiritual restoration and service.

1 Kings 19:7-8

7 Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

8 So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.

The Father refreshed Elijah’s vision in a totally unanticipated personal, calming fashion. Before He spoke, there was a rock shattering powerful wind. It was followed by a tumultuous earthquake and then a consuming fire. But the Father was not in any of these spectacular displays of His power. It is so natural to ask for and expect a dramatic sign from Him. But His ways are not our ways.

“There followed a faint whisper, a voice quiet, and hushed, and low. Elijah knew it instantly. It was God!” (EBC). It was the sound of a gentle, soft, whisper (1 Kings 19:12)

The Father knew exactly what Elijah needed, being so broken, heartsick, and hiding in a cave. He spoke with a gentle, almost silent whisper. Can you imagine what he heard? Perhaps it was only one word, repeated as necessary, “Elijah.” He was being called out of the doldrums of despair.

The still small voice could be literally translated a voice/sound of calm soft/quiet (UBS). The phrase has been rendered “a gentle whisper” (NIV, NLT), “a soft murmuring sound” (NJPSV), and “a gentle breeze” (CEV), and even “a sound of sheer silence” (NRSV) (UBS).

This phrase is translated from three Hebrew words qol demamah daq. Qol – voice, noise, sound; demamah – still, whisper, calm, silence; daq – thin, low, small, fine, soft with a sense of being quiet and soothing.

When the Father spoke, His first words were a question.

1 Kings 19:13 “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah could have said, “I am tired, frightened, and had enough; I am totally over it. I just cannot take it anymore.” But instead Elijah just complained and whined about how tough things were, but in the midst of it all he tried to remain faithful. On top of that, he felt that he was all alone.

Elijah was off-track. But the situation was not terminal and could be repaired. The Father did not entertain or comment on Elijah’s self-pity, self-justification and rationalizations. He was gentle and gracious. The Father still had work for Elijah to complete. He gave him new marching orders and specific instructions as to what to do. And most of all, He assured Elijah that he was not alone.

In order to get back on track with his spiritual life and responsibilities, he had to change his way of thinking, get over his pity party. He had to go back the way he had come and pick up where he left off.

You see all he needed was a gentle reminder of who he was and Whom he served.

1 Kings 17:1 As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand

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Secret sin ∙

The LORD was displeased with what David had done. – 2 Samuel 11:27

Psalms 51:1-12

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.

5 For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from your presence and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

Coming to terms with secret sin is never easy, even more so when private sin becomes public sin.

In our day, time and time again, dark, secret, personal private wickedness and immorality have hit the front page.

Over the past few years, several well-known politicians, familiar public figures, and prominent media personalities have been publicly accused of serious sexual misconduct and abuse of power.

Such charges have been made against Roy Moore, Al Franken, John Conyers, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, A.J. Calloway, Brett Kavanaugh, Sylvester Stallone, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, Thom Brokaw, Charlie Rose, David Copperfield, Michael Douglas, and Jeffrey Epstein.

A headline could read Abuse of Power, Sexual Misconduct, and #MeToo. Some of the accused are woefully, horrifically guilty. But the presumption of innocence has been lost in the #MeToo era. To accuse is enough to convict without a trial or hearing.

Regrettably, abuse of power and sexual misconduct are the way of the world. This is nothing new. But the children of the King are expected to be “better.” But sadly, way too often, the King’s kids are no better than the enemy’s kids.

Imagine the headline from the Jerusalem Post, 1000 BC, breaking news: David, the King of Israel, accused and found guilty of adultery, cover-up, and murder. The greatest king in Israel’s history had sunken to the deepest levels of human lust and self-preservation. Because “The heart wants what it wants” (Emily Dickinson).

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father sees as well in the dark as He does in the light.

Father how often have You watched and seen my sin but held back from a harsh, blunt confrontation? I confess and acknowledge that I am a sinful man. Thank You for Your gentleness and kindness.

INSIGHT

The Father has a way of confronting His children and bringing them to repentance. For some of us, it might be considered a curse, and for others, a blessing, but regardless it is a fact.

So it was with David. His secret sin was found out for all to know and see. The Father sent Nathan, His prophet, to confront David and perform the needed spiritual heart surgery. The Father had prepared Nathan for this brutal confrontation. Nathan’s words were wisely chosen. He told the story of a crime another empowered rich man committed.

David was furious and passed judgment on the man in question. But in fact, what he had done was pass judgment on himself. With one quick thrust of the sword, Nathan delivered the immortal words that pierced his heart and still echo down through the centuries, “You are the man!”

2 Samuel 12:1-7

1 So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.

2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.

3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.

4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

5 David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!

6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”

Unconfessed and hidden sin has a way of making us callous. It deadens the spirit and distances us from the Father. We find ourselves descending in an ever-increasing downward spiral into a prison of our own making. Without confession and repentance, the future is not bright but dark and dismal. (Psalm 51).

King David was embarrassed, humbled, and grieved by the revelation. But the confrontation gave David the opportunity for repentance, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. He gladly latched onto it. David knew that the Father was righteous in His judgments. But he also knew that He was gracious, forgiving, and merciful because of His loyal love.

He appealed to the Father and was forgiven. Some would say he was not quite the same afterward. Even though he was forgiven, there were still consequences. Bathsheba gave birth to a child. But the Father sent sickness, and the child died.

The Father was not confused by David’s flailing attempts to hide his secret sins. The cover-up simply did not work. David’s attempts to hide his abuse of power against Bathsheba and Uriah were exposed in full color. His secret sin has been front-page news for 3000 years!

The Father judged and sentenced David for his sins. David paid dearly for his lust and deceit. The spiritual principle of sowing and reaping was executed. David was repaid “in kind” (Deuteronomy 19:21). And more, for the sword did not depart from the king’s household.

Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind.

This is an object lesson for us all. We must deal with our own evil and secret sins. If we do not, the Father will reveal them and deal with them for us. Repent and confess but be wise. And by all means, do not put it on Twitter or Facebook.

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What is darkness? ∙

What is darkness? ∙

[The Lord Jesus Christ] alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. – 1 Timothy 6:16

1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

A story has been told regarding a conversation between a professor and a student. It is most likely an urban legend in that there is no factual evidence to confirm that this exchange ever took place. But the story illustrates a very important point.

A university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists? A student bravely replied, “Yes, he did!”

“God created everything?” The professor asked.

“Yes sir,” the student replied.

The professor answered, “If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.”

The student became quiet before such an answer. The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, “Can I ask you a question professor?”

“Of course,” replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, “Professor, does cold exist?”

“What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?” The students snickered at the young man’s question.

The young man replied, “In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is, in reality the absence of heat. Every object or body is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.”

The student continued, “Professor, does darkness exist?”

The professor responded, “Of course it does.”

The student replied, “Once again, you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is, in reality, the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton’s prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn’t this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present.”

Finally, the young man asked the professor, “Sir, does evil exist?”

Now uncertain, the professor responded, “Of course, as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man’s inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.”

To this the student replied, “Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man created to describe God’s absence. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith or love that exist, just as does light and heat. Evil results from what happens when a man does not have God’s love present in his heart. It’s like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.”

The professor sat down.

The young man’s name is Albert Einstein (Google it).

Absolute light exists. The Father is absolute, perfect light. Children of the King can walk in the light and are the light of the world. However, they are tainted by darkness and will never be absolute and perfect light. This is obvious, yet confusing.

This may clarify. Some of the Father’s attributes are incommunicable such as omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and infinity. These He cannot share with His children. But other of His attributes are communicable such as spirituality, knowledge, wisdom, goodness, love, mercy, peace, righteousness, beauty, and light.

No child of the King is perfect in their spirituality, goodness, mercy, or light. These qualities wax and wane among us. Sadly, we are essentially inconsistent and often self-absorbed. It can be very discouraging to us and those that love us.

REFLECT & PRAY

That God is light speaks of his splendor and glory, purity and holiness. He is self-revealing and ready to shine a light on our path (Barclay).

Father thank You that You are light and brought light into my life when I met the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. Encourage me to walk in the light as You are in the light and enjoy the sweet fellowship of knowing You.

INSIGHT

The apostle John had spent 3 1/2 years close to the Lord Jesus Christ. John was closer to Him than anyone else among the twelve apostles. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). On the night of the last supper, John snuggled up close to Jesus; the Greek could well be translated as “was reclining on Jesus’ bosom.” Imagine a young child nuzzling up as close as possible and lying by the side of one of its parents to enjoy the warmth, proximity, and safety. The King James translation catches the word picture.

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

John was totally awestruck by the Lord Jesus Christ and declared, “God is light; in Him, there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The Lord Jesus Christ unequivocally stated, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Light is simply light. When light is absent, the result is what we have come to call darkness. Living and walking in darkness is totally incompatible with having fellowship with the Father. All children of the King were once children of darkness. But now we are children of light. The Father wants us to act like it (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Ephesians 5:8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

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Introspection – discovering our inner pain

Introspection – discovering our inner pain

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. – Psalms 139:23-24

Psalms 139:1-12

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night–

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

What is introspection? Introspection is a psychological process that involves looking inward to examine one’s own thoughts, emotions, judgments, and perceptions. In everyday use, introspection is a way of looking inward and exploring one’s internal thoughts and feelings (Kendra Cherry).

The term introspection, also referred to as experimental self-observation, describes a research technique that psychologist Wilhelm Wundt first developed. Wundt’s technique involved training people to analyze the content of their own thoughts, feelings, and motives (Kendra Cherry) carefully and objectively. The goal is to lead to increased self-awareness.

The inherent dilemma is that personal introspection is not objective. It is subjective.

Hidden trauma, abuse, learned responses, and even unknown agendas lurk beneath the surface of each individual. These hidden soul-suckers are deceptive, and we are often unaware of them. They create a natural barrier or limitation to genuinely understanding ourselves. Consequently, our efforts and results are often inherently skewed.

Further, the human heart is untrustworthy. It is deceitful and evasive. It is essentially unknowable.

Jeremiah 17:9 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked. Who can understand it?

Is there an objective way to discover who we really are? David shows us the way!

David wants to know if there’s anything in him which causes pain for himself, others, or the Father.

REFLECT & PRAY

“If we cannot deceive God, escape God, or ignore God, is it not sensible to obey God? Yes, it is reasonable, but there are those who prefer to oppose God and dispute what He says . . . in His Word” (Wiersbe).

Father please search my heart. Reveal what is inside of me which is offensive to You and hurtful to myself and others. Remove the dark spots that remain on my heart.

INSIGHT

The Father God is all-knowing. He knows everything all the time. His evaluations are not only objective, but they are also totally accurate. He knows everything about us and always has. Nothing is hidden from Him. If we had a medical condition, would we not seek a medical professional for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment? When we have harmful internal spiritual conditions, who better to seek help from than the all-wise, all-knowing living God? Every child of the King can seek counsel from their Father.

David is well aware of the Father’s personality and essence. In his prayer to Him, he acknowledges his all-knowing wisdom and understanding.

Psalms 139:1-7

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.

7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!

Therefore David asks the Father for an evaluation. He requested the Father to examine him and accurately determine what was lurking within.

The context of David’s request is revealing. David had just criticized and prayed for the destruction of his enemies. It is almost as though David wonders if he is justified. David is sagacious and had hidden God’s Word in his heart. He seems virtually prescient of biblical principles that the Lord Jesus Christ would teach a millennium later.

Was it wrong of David to cast the first stone (John 8:7)? Did his own agenda and sin cloud his conclusions? How often do we do the same thing but never consider the potentially faulty objectivity and accuracy in our negative criticism of others?

Luke 6:41-42

41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?

42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

He wants to make sure there is no log stuck in his eye.

Psalms 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

The two phrases in Psalm 139:23 are synonymous Hebrew poetry and rhyme in thought. They say the same thing as each other. They reiterate the perspective at the beginning of Psalms 139. The Father has searched him and known him. He asked the Father to do it again. David recognizes his emotional state and anxious thoughts. He does not want his judgment to be biased or prejudiced. He wants any grievous way to be exposed.

He wants to know if there’s any way of pain within his heart that has skewed his assessment.

The Hebrew word translated as wicked (KJV), grievous (ESV), hurtful (NAS), offensive (NLT, NIV), or painful is otseb. Otseb refers to an act that offends another. Otseb comes from the Hebrew verb asab. The verb asab encompasses both physical and emotional pain or discomfort. It can be literally translated as a way of pain. Such internal pain or offense can prejudice any of us. It can also be felt by those they come into contact with. Worse still, our pain becomes the Father’s pain. It can be a source of grief or sorrow for God (Ephesians 4:30).

“When we cannot understand ourselves or comprehend our feelings, God invites us to take our internal struggles to Him and ask Him for insight. He understands what we do not, and knows what to do when we don’t” (Stanley).

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