Dr H Reflections

Trust is learned, not earned ∙

We give you only what you first gave us! – 1 Chronicles 29:14

1 Chronicles 29:14-16

 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

 16 O LORD our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you!

What is trust? Trust may be defined as the firm belief in the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. Synonyms or near-equivalents of trust are confidence, assurance, faith, reliance, or freedom from suspicion.

How is trust developed? Many believe that trust must be earned. People often begin with the idea that I will trust you if . . .. Yet in the Scriptures, the Father chooses to trust us without consideration of our performance. He freely gives His trust without preconditions.

It seems unnatural and even dangerous for someone to trust another person without first “checking them out.” The Father creates and nurtures our trust in Him by allowing us to know about Him through His Word. He reveals His unfailing love, commitment, power, and strength. As we get to know Him, we can confidently trust Him. For children of the King, faith grows out of their trust in the Father’s character and integrity. It is the natural byproduct.

Near the end of David’s reign, he prepared the way for the nation of Israel to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. David himself was prohibited from building the Temple (1 Chronicles 22:8-10). That task would fall to his son, Solomon. Everything that was needed was gathered together in advance. This required the people of Israel to chip in and part with whatever was required. They gave and gave generously for its construction.

Why did they give freely and generously? They realized that all that they had, came from the Father. David said, “We give you only what you first gave us”! (1 Chronicles 29:14) David and the people were only returning to the Father what they had already received from Him.

Giving back what we have received provides a guideline for cultivating trust. As we are trusted, we are enabled to trust back.

The Father has a remarkable way of developing our trust in Him. He begins by first trusting us.

The Father entrusts us with abilities, talents, gifts, possessions, and for a few, wealth and power. And then He waits to see what we do with them. If we are trustworthy, we attempt to do what we believe is right with what He has given us. Now we may not always do what is right, but the important thing is that we want to do what is right. Our trustworthiness is demonstrated by our actions.

It is easy to trust someone who first trusted me. When we trust, we give. “We give nothing to God that He has not first given to us” (Stanley).

Eventually, we figure out how to become more trusting. We leave behind our immature, natural thinking in exchange for a better way. The reasoning is quite simple.

If the Father trusts me, then I can trust Him.

REFLECT & PRAY

Because the Father first trusted me, my ability to trust was awakened. Now I can fully trust Him.

Father, what a hard lesson to learn. Thank you for teaching me and showing me how to trust. How I long to trust You fully and completely.

INSIGHT

Trust is learned, not earned. Upon reflection, David is reminded that everything good comes from the Father. He learns more about the Father’s nature and purpose. Several questions are asked and answered. What is my relationship with the Father? Who am I? Who are the people of Israel? The Father decided to love David and the nation of Israel. Nothing was done by the people to elicit the Father’s love. It was His sovereign choice.

Deuteronomy 7:7-8

 7 The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!

 8 Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors.

David meditates upon Who the Father is, what He is like, and His trustworthiness

1 Chronicles 9:11-13

 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.

 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion, people are made great and given strength.

 13 O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!

If the first part of David’s prayer sounds familiar to many. It is part of the liturgy of many churches: “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory.”

David elevates his thoughts to the highest strata of theological grandeur. David is awestruck by a vision of the Father’s glory. David sees and acknowledges the Father’s unequivocal sovereignty, vast power, authority, and regal majesty. David’s acknowledgment is extraordinary. He exudes devotion, awe, and appreciation of the Father’s magnificence and splendor.

For David, the mere sound of the Father’s name was glorious. The Hebrew word translated glorious is tipharah. It connotes an intrinsic sense of beauty, being magnificent and splendid. It is frequently translated as beautiful, magnificent, or adornment.

There is something about the Father’s name that touches and resonates within David’s soul. His name is wonderful. Imagine the scene of David worshiping the Father in prayer. Can we see visualize David spontaneously weeping tears of joy?

How about your eyes?

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Poor giving ∙

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. – Luke 21:1

Luke 21:1-4

 1 While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box.

 2 Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

 3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them.

 4 For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.”

Remember the “good old days” when you could take your piggy bank filled with coins to the local bank and have them counted out for paper currency? Those days are not completely gone. Enter Coinstar.

Coinstar is a company that provides coin-counting kiosks. Coins are counted and converted into cash, gift cards, or donations to charity. Many major US supermarkets have Coinstar kiosks. You can bring your coins and toss them in. Select your desired exchange option. Clink, clink, cha-ching, cha-ching, and you’re done

In the Jewish temple at the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, there was an area called the treasury. The treasury had thirteen trumpet-shaped collection containers. They were narrow at the top and wider at the bottom.

People would throw their coins into the trumpets. It does not take much imagination to visualize the coins hitting the top and ricocheting their way down making noise as they went. The bigger the offering the louder the noise. Perhaps the phrase, “blowing your own horn” is somehow distantly related to this.

Imagine the impoverished widow with her two coins. She tosses them in, and they almost imperceptibly go, clink, clink, clink. The rich man comes along and tosses in a lot of gelt. Imagine the sound, clunk, clunk, cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching. It would have been a proud moment indeed.

As the account plays out, the Lord Jesus Christ is watching. He is watching carefully. What does He observe? He sees one person who was extremely rich and another who was extremely poor. They are both doing the same thing, giving. Most observers would probably focus on the impressive, attention-grabbing, grand offering of the rich man. But the Lord Jesus Christ instead focuses on the poor widow. His words provide insight into the Father’s perspective regarding giving. What matters is not the size of the gift, but the size of the giver’s heart.

What is the motivation behind their giving? The why is more important than the what. The why reveals what makes giving poor or valued. What matters? It is not what we would naturally think. It is normal to be impressed with the size of a gift, with little regard to the personal sacrifice that went into it. The Father is not impressed by the size of gifts. But instead, He evaluates the attitude of the giver’s heart.

In doing so, the Father turns everything on Its head. What really matters is not how much someone gives away, but rather how much someone keeps. When we realize this, it should provoke a searching, somewhat humbling self-evaluation.

Two things determine the value of any gift. First, the spirit in which it is given. Good gifts are the inevitable outflow of a loving heart. The second is the sacrifice which it involves. That which is a mere trifle to one person may be a vast sum to another. The gifts of the rich did not really cost them much, but the gift of the widow cost her everything she had (Barclay).

Some people give because they cannot help it. There is a kind of reckless generosity at work. Others minutely calculate precise percentages to obtain their appropriate amount.

“No one has ever become poor by giving” (Anne Frank). Yet, people can become impoverished by not giving. 

REFLECT & PRAY

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness” (Martin Luther King, Jr).

Father encourage me to follow the example of the poor widow and be wise and generous in my giving.

INSIGHT

Giving is not merely about money. It is also about time, caring, listening, sharing, nurturing, and being interested in and responding to the needs of others. In the Torah, the five books of Moses, the Father laid out principles of sharing. One of His principles is the practice of gleaning.

Leviticus 19:9-10

 9 When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop.

 10 It is the same with your grape crop – do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you

Gleaning is all about sharing the harvest. It is not about giving away the farm.

Giving generously is a skill that can be learned. We can learn to give generously, yet not give away the farm. Paul lays out principles in a matter-of-fact way on how to achieve this. As the Father prospers us, we share out of our abundance. In modern terms, we generously give out of our abundance, without diminishing our principal.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8

 6 Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

“Paul’s emphasis falls on the value of advanced planning and preparation rather than last-minute scrambling and the resultant pressure” (Ciampa and Rosner). Good giving is planned giving. There was to be “No pressure, no gimmicks, no emotion” (Garland). As the Father provides success or prosperity, we are to set aside a portion of it for providing for others. The greater the abundance, the greater our ability to give. “Although he does not say as much, such a plan will also ensure a greater gift than a single collection” (Fee).

Each of us should set aside a portion of what we have received as a result of the Father’s blessing (1 Corinthians 16:2).

In the first century A.D., there were no paychecks or direct deposits. People that could, earned money through labor, farming, fishing, etc. Some weeks, or even seasons, there may be an abundance. At other times there may be nothing at all. Many of the children of the King were slaves and had no income.

Again, what matters is not the size of the gift, but the size of the giver’s heart.

Luke 18:27 “What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

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The Father shakes His children

This phrase, “Yet once more,” means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. – Hebrews 12:27

Hebrews 12:25-29

 25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”

 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken – that is, things that have been made – in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

The Richter scale, developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, ranges from 1 to 10. It indicates the intensity of an earthquake. The vast majority of earthquakes have magnitudes between 1 and 5 and are quite minor. Earthquakes with magnitudes 5.0–5.9 are moderate, 6.0–6.9 are strong with moderate damage in populated areas, 7.0–7.9 are major with serious damage over large areas, loss of life, and 8.0 and higher are considered great, with severe destruction and loss of life over large areas. The most powerful earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 8.4 on the Richter scale occurred on May 22, 1960 in Valdivia, Chile.

Earthquakes have been around since the beginning of history. They seem to be getting more frequent and violent in our days.

What is now called the Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence, began on July 5, 2019. Ridgecrest, California was struck with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. The next day July 6, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred with over 1000 aftershocks. Ridgecrest is basically in the middle of nowhere, also known as the Mojave Desert, 123 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The amount of destruction was small due to the low population density. Some buildings collapsed. There were several water line and gas line breaks, that resulted in power outages and fires.

In California, shaking from earthquakes is a way of life. In the Scriptures, when the Father is literally present on earth, there is often shaking. The earth and even the mountains often tremble.

Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.

Psalms 68:8 The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

The Father wants to draw us close to Him and transform us from the inside out. One of the methods He uses is “shaking.” He has a way of shaking what we hold on to until we finally let go. It is much better to be drawn by the desire for the joys of a close relationship with the Father, than driven. The Father is persistent and will continue to shake. It is better to release sooner than later. He has a way of shaking His children until we let go.

Shaking as a way of changing things. Older things are shaken loose and replaced by newer ones. Things that are secure and immovable withstand the trembling going on about them. Shaking is a part of the refining process.

REFLECT & PRAY

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose!” (Jim Elliot)

Father I have certainly felt your grip upon me, it is firm but gentle. I know that You seek only my best. You are at work to conform me into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT

Better times are coming. After the fall of Adam and Eve, the Earth became a fallen world. One day everything will change. The author of Hebrews, quotes Haggai 2:6. It prophesies concerning that time in the future and when the Lord will return and fill His house with bright shine of the glory of His presence. At Mount Sinai, the Father shook the earth. In the future He will shake the earth and the heavens. A time of judgment and vindication is coming. The kingdom of God of which the prophets spoke, will one day become a reality on planet Earth. And the Lord Jesus Christ rule and reign peacefully for a thousand years (Revelation 20).

Haggai 2:6-9

 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.

 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.

 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.

 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place, I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.

As we draw ever closer to the time of the Second Coming, the shaking will increase. What the Father has predicted, He will surely bring to pass. Everything in the world, everything made belongs to the Father. He is in control.

The Father will continue to shake until all that can be shaken and removed is. What remains will be unshakable. As the Father actively shakes the world and those who are His children, we can be confident and secure. His ultimate goal is complete transformation.  

Envision for a moment, Michelangelo carefully, determinedly chipping away the large, solid piece of marble until all that is left is the magnificent statue of David. He removed what was necessary to reveal what only his genius could see locked away within the marble.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Others may be frightened by the upheavals, but it is our privilege to walk confidently in the light with our Father, buoyed up and invigorated by His grace and strength.

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An invitation to radiance

They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. – Psalms 34:5

Psalms 34:1-8

 1 I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

 2 I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart.

 3 Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

 4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

 5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

 6 In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.

 7 For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

Ella Wheeler Wilcox was an American author and poet. Her most enduring work was “Solitude.”

The inspiration for the poem came as she was traveling by train in Wisconsin. There was a young woman dressed in black sitting across the aisle from her crying. Miss Wheeler sat next to her and sought to comfort her. At the journey’s end, her emotions were mixed. She shared in the woman’s sorrow, and yet at the same time, her own face was radiant. She wrote the opening lines of “Solitude”:

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone.

Life is about choices. Our life course is set by how we respond to the vicissitudes and trials we face.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox also wrote, The Set of the Sails

One ship drives east, and another west
With the self-same winds that blow;
 ‘Tis the set of the sails
 And not the gales
That decides the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As they voyage along through life;
 ‘Tis the will of the soul
 That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.

It is easy to get tripped up by the ups and downs of life. Strife and struggle are inevitable. Our response to them determines our attitudes and emotions. In face of the difficulties we face, David invites us to break out radiant praise. He shows the way to calmness, confidence, courage, and conquest of our deepest feelings and fears.

REFLECT & PRAY

Experiencing the Father’s presence produces an excited joy that cannot be contained. David bursts out with exclamations of praise.

Father may I learn and perfect the art of praising and thanking You each day. Remove the dark shadows of shame and fear that haunt me and replace them with radiant joy.

INSIGHT

Psalms 34 is not so much a prayer, but rather an exclamation of joy over the Father’s response to prayer. David has experienced the sheer joy of the presence of the Father. It is palpable. David is radiant. His heart is thrilled and overflowing with joy. Radiant is a word found in Isaiah 60:5, where it describes a parent’s face lighting up at the sight of their children, who had given up for lost (Kidner).

Imagine what it would be like to be with David as he expresses his thoughts verbally. They would be filled with excitement and enthusiasm. He has experienced the inward touch of the divine. He is taking great delight lapping it up he cannot get enough. On the surface, his exclamation seems rather tame, prosaic, colorless, but it is anything but that.

Psalms 34:2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD.

The word Hebrew translated boast is halal. Halal is most often translated as praise, exalt, or boast. But this word is overflowing with excitement, revelry, delight, fun, and festive joy. The English word hallelujah is derived from the Hebrew word halal.

But there is more. It has the sense of madness or making a fool of yourself in a good sense (1 Corinthians 4:10). In the 21st century, it would be equivalent to the thrill of cheering for your home team when they score a touchdown or a goal in an athletic event. His soul is literally jumping up and down. He is basking in the Father (Terrien).

His joy is contagious and he cannot keep it to himself. It is bursting out of him and it must be shared. David invites us to participate with him.  Each of us can enter into the presence of the Father and the joy He provides.

How does David become so buoyant? How does he do it? It all begins with praise and thankfulness for who the Father is, what the Father does, and most importantly what the Father has done for us. He shouts of the Father’s greatness and exults in Him.

Putting it in other terms, David magnifies and blesses the Father. How can a mere mortal bless God?

“The idea behind ‘bless’ is to speak a good word about someone: when God blesses someone, he speaks a good word over that person for his well-being; when a human blesses God, he speaks a good word about God’s kindness and generosity” (ESV notes).

Paul succinctly restates the same concept in one verse. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Even if it’s not your practice, pick a day this week and praise God throughout the day. Praise Him when you wake up, praise Him when you eat, praise Him when you leave the house and when you return” (Stanley).

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Prevaricator in chief

The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44

2 Corinthians 11:14-15

 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Many commentators and wonks agree that the year 2018 could be characterized by one word, “misinformation.” There are unintended consequences of the information age. One is misinformation, closely followed by disinformation. Misinformation often involves delusions, lies, and blind, adamant beliefs. Prevarications proliferate from Russian troll farms, media, Facebook, Congress, and the White House. Consider the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The reality of evidence-based objective truth was brought into question.

On Aug 19, 2018, Rudy Giuliani acting as a lawyer for the White House declared “truth isn’t truth.” Truth it seems is inherently partisan and becomes whatever you prefer to believe. The goal of misinformation and propaganda is to create doubt about the obvious. So much misinformation pervades storylines, with alternate explanations, interpretations, and views that the facts are simply crowded out.

The Father has given us something unique in the world, Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth never varies, never compromises, never synthesizes. It stands alone in opposition to all other conflicting opinions and points of view.

How do we know when we are being told a lie? We test all information by the standard of the truth of the Word of God. This of course necessitates that we actually know what the Word of God says. Therefore, it is important to be in the Word, reflecting and meditating on what we read, and internalizing it in our hearts and minds.

A staff member at a major university quipped he could always tell when his boss was lying. There was one simple giveaway, his lips were moving.

The enemy of our souls is the father of lies and the ultimate master of misinformation and disinformation. He commands an army of demonic double-agents. The devil loves darkness and falsehood and ultimately inspires every lie. Deceit and deception are the very center of the devil’s strategy. Duplicity is employed to accomplish the devil’s work. Darkness hates the light; falsehood hates the truth and tries to destroy it.

The devil leads those that follow him to death and eternal separation from the Father. The enemy murders goodness, chastity, honor, honesty, beauty, and all that makes life lovely. The enemy of our souls murders peace of mind and happiness and even love. Evil routinely destroys. In stark contrast, Christ brings life, and Christ leads to life. He provides the Way, and the Truth, and the Life which leads to the Father.

John 8:44 [The evil one] speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

When the evil one speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature. The Greek phrase which is translated from his own nature is ek ton idiom. The enemy of our souls speaks from his own stuff, his own nature, and his essential character. He is doing what comes naturally. He disassembles and prevaricates.

REFLECT & PRAY

Each of us can remember when we were confused and immature regarding the truth of the Father’s Word. For some of us, that might not have been too long ago. It may still seem so.

Father kindle within me the desire and energize me to get into and remain in the Word of Truth. Let the truth of Scripture permeate my mind, and soul, and spirit.

INSIGHT

The enemy and the Lord Jesus Christ are complete opposites. The Lord Jesus Christ loves us and desires our best. The enemy hates us and seeks our worst. The Lord Jesus Christ brings life and light. The enemy offers death and destruction.

The ultimate battlefield is the mind. The apostle Paul emphasizes the need for preparing and training the mind to engage in spiritual warfare. We are to take captive every thought and bring it into agreement with the Truth of Christ. We wage war against invisible, intangible spiritual forces. Satan is behind these forces. Satan is repeatedly spreading misinformation, propaganda that contradicts the Father’s revealed Truth. His half-truths often appear lofty, erudite, enlightened. But in fact, they are hollow, pretentious, and fallacious. Embedded within are despair, misery, and death.

It is incumbent upon each child of the King to develop a sophisticated Truth filter. We must equip ourselves to separate what is precious and useful from what is worthless, tangential, and base.

Jeremiah 15:19 If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman.

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