Dr H Reflections

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

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. – Psalms 139:1

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!

 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.

In The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, the last words of Chingachgook, capture the human longing for companionship. All the people of his tribe have died, he is truly left alone. He poignantly declares, “I, Chingachgook – Last of the Mohicans.” Chingachgook was truly separated from his people and alone.

The fear of abandonment is a universal fear of beings. As a primal fear and driving force. Fear of abandonment does not sabotage our connections. Rather, the culprit is how we handle this fear.  

This begins by recognizing fear of abandonment is involuntary. It is not something we cause. It just happens. There is no reason to blame ourselves. But we can take responsibility for our feelings. We can seek to overcome them. The process is slow and steady and often sporadic. The goal is to have a modicum of self-reliance while at the same time, depending upon the Father to be there for us.

For children of the King, overcoming abandonment issues is a slow and steady, often sporadic process. The Father provides exactly for this need.

It seems to us at times, we are left to suffer in solitary rejection. In fact, it only “seems” that way. Nothing could be further from the truth. So often we feel alone, isolated, abandoned, and misunderstood. Our hearts desperately desire someone to see, understand, and sympathize with our pain.

When you think it through, intellectually it simply makes sense that our all-knowing, eternal Father-God sees everything, knows everything, anticipates everything, and is prepared for everything. The Father selectively intervenes where He thinks best. The Bible is replete with stories and parables of this remarkable life-changing fact.

But knowing that what we believe is true is entirely different from experiencing the truth we believe.

“As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances. God does not want us to run away from our problems, but to face them with His help” (Stanley).

REFLECT & PRAY

We are not alone or abandoned. The Father knows and empathizes with our pain. He feels it as if it were His own.

Father in the depths of my heartache and pain I feel so alone. I know I am not alone because Your Word tells me otherwise. May I draw near to You that You may draw near to me.

INSIGHT

The problem of lint. When new bath towels are purchased, often they must be washed repeatedly before all the lint is gone. This provides a practical life lesson for us.

Repeatedly we are encouraged to approach the Father without fear of recrimination. He is open and longing to receive us.

Hebrews 4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

However, there may be some lint that needs to be removed to eliminate impediments. Several Scriptures suggest that this is frequently a problem.

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

When we accept the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven once and for all, and all known lint is removed. But as we go through life things began to bubble up that we did not know about. It is part of The Father’s refining process for us. That is why we are to be continually and repeatedly cleansed by the blood of Christ.

1 John 1:7-9

 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Light dispels darkness

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:12

Philippians 2:12-15

 12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

 14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,

 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Light and darkness are natural phenomena. They are mutually exclusive. Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is simply darkness. It never varies. Light can be increased or decreased but the darkness only endures when light is absent. However, with a bit of light, a dark place is no longer dark. The greater the light the less the darkness. In a sense, darkness is defeated by light. But light is never defeated by darkness.

Many people can remember flying commercial passenger jets in the pitch darkness of a cloudless sky at 35,000 feet or so above the earth. Far from large cities, some distance below all is dark if not totally black. This is particularly true over large bodies of water. Now and then tiny specs of light dispel the darkness below.

Our world is filled with darkness, it is a dark place. But the Father has brought light into it through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the light, the Lord Jesus Christ dispels the darkness of ignorance and death. Further, He claims that whoever believes in Him will enjoy the light that comes from the Father’s presence and produces life (Constable). The more we spend time with Him, the more His light illuminates our lives and decreases as our personal darkness, our dark night of the soul.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Lord Jesus Christ has come into the world to overcome the darkness of the world.

Father stir up within me the joy and determination to walk in the light. Encourage me to Allow Your Light To Shine In The Darkness.

INSIGHT

As children of the King, we represent the Father in our fallen and decadent world. We are lights in the darkness.

Philippians 2:15 Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Modern 21st-century societies are no longer friends with the Father nor His children. Antipathy and conflict exist between the children of the world and the children of the King. The enmity will only get worse. We are on a collision course with the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:18-23

 18 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.

 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.

 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.

 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.

 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.

Whether we like it or not, there is conflict between the children of the King and the children of the world. Why? Because we are different from the world. Our values and attitudes are incompatible.

The Beatitudes underscore this. They represent an outlook radically at odds with that of the world. The world praises pride, the Lord Jesus Christ embraces humility. The world endorses sin and indulges in it. It encourages others to follow suit. The more the merrier. The rise of the #Me too movement has done much to alleviate this, albeit somewhat selectively.

Matthew 5:3-12

 3 God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

 5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.

 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.

 7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

 9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 11 God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

The world is at war with the Father. Yet the Father is seeking to reconcile with His enemies. He invites them to become children of the King. We are to live in such a way that our light shines in the darkness. Light will dispel the darkness. The final outcome is already assured.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

We must expect to be persecuted if we are living as the Father wants us to live. But we must be sure that our suffering is not due to our own foolishness or disobedience (Wiersbe). Darkness will not prevail and the light will never be extinguished.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Philippians 1:12-14

 12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.

 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.

 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

Darkness is only dark until the light shines and dispels it.

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I’m always losing something

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. – Luke 19:10

Luke 15:4-6

 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

 5 “And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.”

 6 “When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’”

I ran into one of my friends the other day. She was wearing a lanyard around her neck with her cell phone on it and a little sign that said, “I’m a loser.” In order not to misplace her cell phone she kept it on the lanyard. It seems that are we always misplacing or losing stuff: car keys, credit cardholders, our cell phones, even various pieces of clothing such as caps and coats. But in our modern technological world, there is an answer.

Enter the digital world of “Find Tiles.” Little flat tiles are used to tag things that always seem to be running off and hiding from us. They can be attached to or hidden in your cell phone, keys, credit cardholder, a purse, even a loved one or pet. They are battery-operated and send out a signal. To find what is missing and tagged with a “Find Tile,” simply ask Alexa or Google, or use a computer or cell phone.

The Father has a similar tracking system. In eternity past, each of His sheep was lovingly and individually named and tagged.

Isaiah 49:16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

This obvious anthropomorphism is intended to illustrate that the Father, not only knows our names but has “written” them on the palms of His hands. It is intentionally graphic and intended to demonstrate that the Father will never forget us.

We are all born into this life lost. The Good Shepherd seeks His own until they are found and He calls them to Himself.

A good shepherd is willing to go to any length to find, care for, and protect his sheep. In the first century A.D., each shepherd would have a distinctive call that only his sheep knew. When his sheep heard his call, they would come to him. Other sheep would not.

When shepherds wanted to go into a town or village, they would place their sheep in a common fold with other sheep. To retrieve his sheep from the flock, the shepherd had only to make his distinctive call. Only his sheep would come forward to him, the rest would stay in the flock.

John 10:2-5

 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

This is the back story of a remarkable and beautiful promise that the Lord Jesus Christ made.

John 10:27-29

 27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, and

 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. In an

What is the call of the Good Shepherd? It is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When His sheep hear the gospel, it has a deep impact and they are drawn to the message. Ultimately, they come to Him and are given eternal life

It is wonderful to know and remember, because of the Father’s great love for us, the Lord Jesus Christ never stops looking until we are found. He will pursue us until He “finds” us.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father and the Son will always pursue those that belong to them until they are found.

Father I readily acknowledge that once I was lost, a very lost sheep. One day I heard Your voice calling me and I came to You. But sadly, even now I tend to wander off. And again, and again You come looking for me, swoop be up in Your loving arms and bring me home.

INSIGHT

When the Father created sheep, it may well have been right after He created owls. Perhaps the wisdom jug and was a bit depleted. Apparently, sheep got the leftovers. Although some modern research challenges this idea. In general, those who take care of sheep and find them to be, “not just stupid but mind-numbingly stupid.”

Even though we have come to the Good Shepherd and have been given eternal life as our present possession, never to be lost, we still have the temperament of sheep. We tend to wander off. In the words of Robert Robinson, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love” (1757).

Isaiah 53:6 All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path,

We are continuously in desperate need of a shepherd to care for us, protect us, and find us when we wander off. The Father is our loving Shepherd. When we stray, we can be certain He will come looking for us. When He finds us, He is excited and joyful. He tells everyone, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Luke 15:6)

Each time the Father finds us, He offers us a new beginning.

Many would say that the best part of the journey, is not the places we go and see, but rather returning home. There is a poignant, pleasant joy to being where we belong, that is, being home.

For the children of the King, heaven is their permanent home. Although we have never been there, we know He has prepared a place for us. It is a place of joy and gladness. It is a happy place. It is the ultimate safe place. And we will dwell there forever our loving Shepherd King.

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The messenger

I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. – Malachi 3:1

Malachi 3:1-5

 1 “Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

 2 “But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes.

 3 He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD.

 4 Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.

 5 “At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

The end of the 20th century saw the rise of the new technology SMS (Short Message Service). Originally it was alphanumeric characters but soon expanded to digital images, video, sound, and ideograms (emoji). SMS was used for the 1st time in 1992 in the UK.

Text messaging, or simply texting, became a quick and easy way to meet communicate.

Messaging of course is nothing new. In the Old Testament, the Father used His servants the prophets to communicate His messages. Messages bring good news or bad news and are often intended to challenge and provoke repentance and restoration.

The Hebrew word translated messenger is malak. While the Greek word is aggelos. From which we get the English word angel. The name of the prophet Malachi translates into English as my messenger.

The prophet Malachi is the last writing prophet of the Old Testament. He prophesied between about 450 BC and 425 BC. He was sent by the Father to the Jewish people living in Judea after their return from the Babylonian exile. In the Protestant Bible, Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament. The end of his prophetic ministry inaugurated a time of silence from the Father that lasted over 400 years.

It was finally broken by John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness, preparing the way of the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The last Old Testament prophet anticipates the coming of the first New Testament prophet, John the Baptist.

How do we know that John is the messenger that Malachi spoke of in his prophecy? So often people simply share their opinions and ideas without any biblical basis. In this particular case, the Lord Jesus Christ identified John the Baptist as the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy.

Matthew 11:10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say, “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.”

REFLECT & PRAY

The words of John the Baptist prepared away in the wilderness for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, it is in Your loving heart to communicate with Your children. When You send a message, make my heart sensitive and open to receiving it. May John’s words prepare the way in my heart to receive and walk with You fully.

INSIGHT

Malachi is among the most confrontational minor prophets. His book is a long, heated argument between him, the Father’s servant, and the rebellious, materialistic religious leaders. They are still intractable and bellicose. Sadly, when they defied the Father, the living God, our misguided priorities moved them to make tremendously poor choices. Sadder still, they had learned little from dreadful consequences of their actions: the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish Temple, the cessation of the reign of Davidic kings, and 70 years of harsh, difficult captivity.

They had returned from the Babylonian captivity. But rather than focusing on making things right, worshiping the Father, and restoring the Temple, they spent their time and resources on themselves. Rather than honoring the Father by offering top-of-the-line, spotless sacrifices, as required by the law of Moses, they presented the Lord God Almighty with their rejects, seconds, and paltry leftovers. Their trifling performance was essentially good for nothing.

If you are on the receiving end, how would you feel if something similar happened to you? The Father is livid! His words spoken through Malachi are burning hot. You almost have to duck as you read them.

Malachi 1:6-12

 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name! But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’“

 7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?’ You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect.”

 8 “When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

 10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.”

 12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table.”

The people are in total denial. In essence, they are saying, “We have done nothing wrong! What’s the problem?” Besides, the Lord God Almighty does not truly deserve our best, does He? It’s just too much trouble!

Malachi 1:13 “You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the LORD.

Surely, almost any reasoning child of the King would experience a sense of outrage towards such utter disrespect and contempt of the Father that they love. However, before we condemn them for their actions outright, a bit of self-reflection is in order. Are we free from similar attitudes? Do we give the Father our best? Or do we simply give Him what we have leftover? What was the last time a church received a brand-new piano, rather than a secondhand one?

In my mind’s eye, I visualize Malachi confronting me about my misplaced priorities and poor choices. My heart is sad, my countenance is fallen. For I know in my heart of hearts, I am not significantly different than ancient Israel.

The Father calls it robbery! Were they really stealing from the living God? Did they honestly think they can cheat Him of what He deserves? Indeed so! And what about us? Do we rob God (Malachi 3:8)?

Malachi is a book of transitions. His writings marked the end of the Old Testament itself. He is the last of the Old Testament messengers. His book inaugurates 400 years of silence from God. The silence is only broken by the messenger of which he prophesied. The Old Testament came to a close without the hoped-for, promised King or kingdom. The New Testament opens with the entrance of the King. The Father’s promised messenger introduces His promised King, the Lord Jesus Christ to Israel (John 1:29–31).

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Money does stupid and wacky things

Hebrews 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Psalms 119:35-40

 35 Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.

 36 Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!

 37 Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

 38 Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you.

 39 Help me abandon my shameful ways; for your regulations are good.

 40 I long to obey your commandments! Renew my life with your goodness.

One of the unexpected side effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic was an accumulation of large sums of money in the bank accounts of those people who kept their jobs and had nothing to spend it on. Apparently, money can be very much like highly energetic people. It prefers to be very active and involved rather than just lay around and gather interest. What would all this money do? “The money has nowhere to go so it’s doing stupid things” (Howard Lindzon). Money learned to do stupid tricks (Erin Griffith).

A buying frenzy erupted. In March 2021, a Tom Brady trading card sold for a record $1.3 million. A piece of digital artwork, by a previously almost unknown artist known as Beeple, sold it Christie’s for $69.3 million after bids started at just $100. Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency, topped $1 trillion in value.

Of course, money learned or did nothing. Money is not alive and sentient. Rather, the people who possess it are the culprits. Bored, sheltered at home people finally burst out. Investment manias of all types, many unheard of, exploded. People’s hearts follow their treasures. But what do these people treasure the most?

Solomon had this worked out 3000 years ago. He provided great insight and wisdom for all to absorb and consider.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-15

 10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

 11 The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth – except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

 12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

 13 There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver.

 14 Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children.

 15 We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Money in itself is neither good nor bad, but the love of it may lead to evil. With it, people may selfishly serve their own desires . . .. Money is not itself an evil, but it is a great responsibility. It has power for good and power for evil” (Barclay).

Father, help me to be wise with my priorities. Encourage me to treasure what You treasure. Help me to align my heart so that my greatest treasure is my love for You and Your precious Word.

INSIGHT

Treasuring money, wealth, and material things puts us at odds with the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ laid out an immutable principle. It informs all that we do.

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

A remnant of children of the King has an obvious heartfelt love for the Word of God. This is the natural byproduct of having a heartfelt love and close intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

When our treasure is not in accord with what the Father wants us to treasure, how do we repurpose our hearts? Where does it all begin?

When a new child of the King asked this question, he was advised to spend time in the Word of God every day and pray that he would fall in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. Remarkably and wonderfully after several months, this began to happen.

Most all of us know what it is like to be in love with another person. Our heart leaps as we think of them. We can hardly wait to be with them. We often get emotional and tear up. Our overflowing joy cannot be contained.

What is it like to be in love, truly in love with the Lord Jesus Christ? Imagine the sheer joy and thrill. And wonder of wonders, every child of the King can fall in love with Him.

Have you ever considered or imagined what it would be like to have a passion and a heartfelt love for the Word of God itself? This is more than a desire for the pure milk or the delight of tasting and consuming it. It is so much more than that. It is the thrill, the sheer pleasure of being in love with the Father’s precious Word.

1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk . . .. Cry out for this nourishment,

Psalms 119:103 How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.

Consider honey for a moment. Honey is marvelously manufactured solely by industrious honeybees from raw nectar. Besides its sweetness, it has many remarkable qualities, some of which have only been discovered by modern nutritionists. Honey contains an array of antioxidants and antibacterial and antifungal properties. Honey is healing and soothing. It boosts immunity to destructive elements present in the natural world.

The Word of God far exceeds honey in all of these areas and so much more.

We always have a choice as to what we treasure. But in other terms, we control our priorities. For now, it is best to reconsider our priorities and ask the Father to search our hearts to reveal our hidden sins lurking there. The downside is clearly spelled out.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true and with many sorrows.

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