Today we return to Psalm 139:11-16 where we read that David reveals some wonderful and amazing truths to us. As we journey through our lives, each of our days gradually becomes each of our nights – testifying to God’s establishment of time as one of the measurements of His creation. In this Psalm, however, David says that “even the darkness will not be dark to God." To Him, “the night shines like the day – for darkness is as light to God” (verses 11-12). This truth has two special applications for us: [1] Nothing is hidden from God. He sees and knows everything – even what goes on in the darkness that hides and obscures many things from us. Whatever and wherever it is, it’s all as plain and clear as the bright daylight is to the Lord. [2] In the same way that we naturally move from our days to our nights, we will inevitably pass through certain dark periods that have been “ordained” for our lives (cf., verse 16). But understand this: our dark periods are not darkness to our God and Father. He can help us see our way through the thickest, deepest darkness of our lives and bring us to the light of a new day because, to Him, “even the darkness shines like the day.” We simply need to trust Him. Think about this: God has already “knit us together” in the womb; He has already “made us in the secret place;” and furthermore, He has already written “all of our days in His book – before one of them came to be” (verses 13-16). In other words, we were already dependent completely upon His sovereign hand and His eternal plan before we ever came to be. David is saying that God knows everything about us, and He can be fully relied upon to lead us by His hand – even through our darkest day. Why doubt Him now?
In Zechariah 1-4, we see God’s call to the post-exilic Jews who have already returned to the land and now to “return” to the LORD. God, Who rules over all nations and events, reveals to Zechariah eight night-visions regarding His intentions for Israel in the future. God is not finished with His people, and these prophetic visions to Zechariah point toward the coming Person and work of Jesus Christ. In chapter 1, we see the man among the myrtle trees; chapter 2 – shows us a man with a measuring line; in chapter 3, we see Joshua, the high priest, and the “Branch, Who will remove the sin of the land in a single day” (3:9). Then, in chapter 4, God reveals the coming gift of the Holy Spirit. Each of these elements anticipates the future work that God had already set in motion to redeem Israel and later, to establish His church among Gentile believers. Zechariah is an awesome book!
3 John is a brief, intimate letter to Gaius, John’s “dear friend” (verse 1). John heard from “some believers” about how Gaius continued to “walk in the truth” (verse 3), about which John commends Gaius for his faithfulness, his love, and his hospitality (verses 3-8). Gaius stands in sharp contrast to Diotrephes, who was “malicious” (verses 9-10). Although this is a short letter, it is nevertheless important because it reveals admirable attitudes and Christian conduct that we ought to emulate. Unfortunately, some of these virtues are often lacking in the church today. May we take to heart – never to “love to be first; gossip maliciously; fail to welcome other believers, or seek to put them out of the church” (verses 9-10). Like Gaius, may we “walk in the truth” (verse 3) and not allow the world to influence our ways.
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