Meditations on the Psalms

Meditations on the Psalms

Your Love Endures Forever Psalm 118

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 16, 2011

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Let Israel say: ‘His love endures forever.’  Let the house of Aaron say: ‘His love endures forever.’  Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’” Psalm 118:1-4

Nothing can change your Love, O God, nothing can reduce it, alter it or stop it.  You, Lord Jesus are love itself, you are Light itself, you are Truth itself. You are unchanging, enduring,  eternal, lasting forever.  You are the Rock: our Rock, our Stronghold, our Foundation, our Refuge, our Shelter, our King.  In you is all that any human being could ever want; it is for you that we were made; in you all comes to fruition.

Glory be to you for how, even in the broken and twisted world, your image in us can be joined with your unmarred, unbroken, untainted Character, as you take us into your family.  Praise you for your determination to bring us back to yourself, to redeem, recreate, reconstruct, reinstate the rebels of this world, making them your dearly loved children, decisively adopted, dynamically delighted in, deeply loved.

You, Lord God, King of Glory are marvelous in your ways, magnificent in your goodness, magnanimous in your grace, mighty in your power, multitudinous in your abilities, majestic in your patience.

We give you glory and honor; we bow before you, incredulous of your forgiveness; we rise up rejoicing in your grace; we stand before you thankful in obedience.  May you be exalted, magnified, lifted on high and honored in our lives today—for your deserve  it! Amen.

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Reflections On Psalm 23:5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 12, 2011

Psa 23:5  “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” [We think of peace as being the absence of any threat, but you give us a different perspective. A sumptuous table set on the lawn, decked out elegantly, filled with delicious food, ready for the guests. And on the edges of the lawn are a roaring lion, a growling bear, a prowling tiger, a slinking jaguar and a menacing rogue elephant trumpeting his anger. The sight and sound of any one of these is enough to strike fear in the heart.

Yet there stands Jesus, calm, quiet, smiling. He calls us to the table and motions for us to sit down. The threatening roars and growls increase, but our enemies dare not come close when the All-mighty Shepherd is there. As we turn our focus to Him, the threat, the noise, the fear all fade. Peace comes because of His presence, contingent not on the absence of danger but the absolute power of Christ. We eat in peace, enjoying His company, our conversation and the feast provided by His hand.]

“You anoint my head with oil;” [This is the act of choosing, of giving worth, of blessing, of providing.

You chose me before the foundation of the world.

You poured out your Spirit on me at the point of belief.

You sealed my adoption as your son by pouring your Spirit into me.

You continually pour out  blessings of grace, goodness, strength, wisdom, weakness and power.

Every day You provide me with protection, guidance, insight, provision, goods, money, relationships, opportunity to give you glory, chances to share your Word, time to be with you, enough health to serve you and most of all your presence and love.

You are most generous, especially when we think of what I actually deserve: condemnation, rejection, punishment, suffering, pain, failure, separation and eternal death.

“my cup overflows.” [You promise that my needs will be met, but you give far more. Nothing I have can contain the blessings you pour out, your gifts that overflow so I can share them with those around me.

Some of these gifts are joy, praise, peace, insight, wisdom, strength, faith, vision, love, grace and goodness. Along with these are material gifts, also to be shared with others.

Praise you for what you will do today and in the coming days, Lord Jesus, and for how we will be able to trust you in everything that comes because you are absolutely trustworthy and unchanging in your generosity and grace.

We bow before you in belief, exalting your high and holy Name. We rise up in faith, trusting in your goodness and wisdom, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving so that we may honor you and open the way that you may show us the salvation of the Lord. Glory be to you in our lives today!]

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“…they who seek the LORD will praise him—" Psalm 22:6b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 3, 2011

Praise be to you, Lord God, Creator of all the beauty before us which shows us your great heart of love. You share all the reflected glory of your being through the vast variety of flowers, trees, colors, scents, creatures, landscapes, seas and shapes.

Your mind has no limits, your wisdom has no boundary, your knowledge has no border, your greatness has no end. On the other hand, I praise you that you do have limits where needed: in you there is no sin, no evil, no selfishness, no lying, no double-mindedness, no hypocrisy, no failure, no faithlessness. In you there is only goodness, only purity, only holiness.

I praise you that you also limit yourself with your promises: you give your Word, you keep it. You make your promises, you fulfill them. All other possibilities are set aside and you bind yourself to your vow, always following through. I give you praise and honor and glory for this marvelous Truth, for this wonderful reality of your being.

I praise you, too, for your unending presence; you are there everywhere at the same time, while in another way you are near to those who seek you, whose hearts are open to you. You are near the broken hearted. You are near the repentant. You are near those righteous in Christ. You are near the obedient. You are at work in the elect.

I give you glory, Lord God, for how we can trust you with all our hearts because you are faithful with all your heart. Wherever I go, whatever I do, you are there, watching, protecting, guiding, keeping, equipping, teaching, revealing, convicting, blocking, loving. You are worthy of praise and glory, of adoration and obedience.

You are the great One, the wise One, the loving One, the holy One, the pure One, the faithful One, the true One, the eternal One.

To you I bow down today, to you I give my heart, my mind, my soul, my body, my time, my possessions, my money, my relationships, my future, my desires, my projects, my writing, my health, my strength, my will, my all. I am your son, your steward, your servant, your subject. Praise you for what you will do in me and through me today to bring greater glory to your Name.

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Thoughts From Psalm 19; Transformation in Worship

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 1, 2011

Psa 22:19b  “O my Strength, come quickly to help me.” [Yes, you are my strength, Lord Jesus, the source of all good, powerful provision. Praise you that you give help at the right time and in the right way. Praise you that in the waiting we can be worshiping, trusting and praising before any answer comes. You, Lord, are glorious!]

Psa 22:20  “Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Psa 22:21  Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.” [Praise you that you deliver us in the right way at the right time from all the attacks that come upon us, from every enemy that comes against us. No one else is strong enough to overcome you.

You let through only the attacks that you will use for good in our lives, strengthening our faith, putting to death our wrong desires, natural responses and selfish goals. You are the perfect coach, putting us through the experiences that will equip, mature, prepare and train us for righteousness and faith.

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As you lead me in worship each day, Lord Jesus, there is a definite sense of solidification within, a strengthening in my inner being. I am more at rest in you, my confidence is shifting from other things to you, there is a sense of firm faith in you which stands against self-pity, impatience, discontent and fear.

Being weak is no long something to be feared and despised. It has become like a lens, focusing my attention on you, Lord God, and your mighty, loving, wise Character. Worship brings transformation. The light of your character–pure, powerful, passionate, perfect, positive— is like a lazer beam, shining deeply into the recesses of my soul, burning away dross, healing, guiding, purifying and exposing the filth of sin so I can cooperate in cleaning with confession, repentance, asking for the filling of the Spirit.

I praise you for the great love you have for us, leading you to work so patiently, so graciously, so faithfully even though we focus elsewhere on the trinkets and trash of earth, on selfishness and security, on busyness and business. Your goodness persists, Lord, and I am so thankful that you did not give up on me, but are continually bringing me into a wider place as my first love for you grows. Spending that daily time with you is so good, so powerful, so transforming. I praise and thank you for keeping me consistent in it.

Praise be to you, Lord God, King of Kings, Lord of Glory, God of Goodness. To you I bow down. Help me to rise up before you to live in belief, obedience, praise and thanksgiving throughout today.

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Psalm 20:6-9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 18, 2011

Praise you, Lord, for the knowledge that you are the manager of my life; your goodness, wisdom, grace and love are constantly at work, arranging events, filtering out evil, giving guidance, protecting and directing. Thank you for the surety that as I pray about the day, you hear, you answer, you reach down from on high and take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters, you rescue me from my powerful enemy, from my foe who is too strong for me. You bring me forth into a spacious place. You rescue me because you delight in me. (Psalm 18:16-19)

What wonderful, rich, peace-giving, joy-providing, rest-producing Truth. Whatever comes I can praise and wait. In relation to  the end of our time here, whether we leave in August or December, or some other time, it’s fine: your timing is perfect. I can trust you to work things out.  Praise you, Lord, that you have all these things in hand, will guide us through the maze and cause each thing to happen at the right time. Praise be to you ahead of time because you are always good, gracious and righteous, as Psalm 20 tells us.

Psa 20:6  “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;” [A rock solid certainty. You saved Jesus, but not in the way any human would have expected. You did not save him from suffering and death, you saved him through the resurrection. And you saved us through the same act of grace. I praise you that you are saving us every day, as your anointed ones, in the battle of life. You are a shield to all those who take refuge in you.]

“he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.” [You answered David, you answered Jesus, you answer us. And your answer isn’t some minor move, it is the mighty majesty of your right hand, your most important means of ministry. It shows the depth of your commitment and attention to your anointed ones. Praise you, Lord God, that you are the Deliverer, the Rescuer, the Answerer, the Lover of your children. You are the only Trustable One!]

Psa 20:7  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,” [Some trust in money, men of position and might. Some trust in training, technology and theological systems. Some trust in planning, persuasion and people. But all these fall far short, all are pitifully weak in comparison to the enemy, all are less than nothing in comparison to you, the Star-breather, the Earth-spinner, the Dawn-bringer, the Time-ender. Therefore we reject confidence in anything else.]
“but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” [You are the only One who is trustable to the end: you are the God of all might, the Lord of all power, the Creator of every type of creature, the Ruler of all dominions, kingdoms, might and power. No one and nothing can stand against you. And you can do no evil, only what is good and righteous. You we can trust, your name we can exalt by believing and obeying. In your name we take refuge, for you are our Rock, our Fortress, our Deliverer. Praise be to you.]

Psa 20:8  “They are brought to their knees and fall,” [Horses die, chariots shatter, people pass, strength subsides, we come to the end of our rope where there is no further hope in this life.]

“but we rise up and stand firm.” [Yes, in you strength endures forever, your love is everlasting, your grace goes on through eternity.  When we come to the end of our rope, we can switch to your never-ending one. We will be able to advance against a troop in your help, to scale a wall in your power, to be shielded by your goodness. We will stand firm in you.]

Psa 20:9  “O LORD, save the king!” [Praise you that you have!]

“Answer us when we call!”  [Every day we pray, every day you answer in your faithfulness. For this I give you praise and honor and glory, Lord. I give you exaltation, worship and thanksgiving. You are worthy of all surrender, all obedience, all submission. I bow before you, the Mighty Creator, the Powerful Sustainer, the Strong Defender. I rise up into this day to obey you in praise, in patience, in trust, in thought, word and action. Glorify yourself in my life today, O Lord God. Amen.]

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Meditations on Psalm 19 Part 3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 11, 2011

<Read part 2

Psa 19:12  “Who can discern his errors?” [For me, my inner being is to a large part inscrutable, opaque, below the conscious. In there I unknowingly sin with wrong motives, wrong attitudes, wrong desires, wrong emotionally-based, deeply ingrained responses. These errors are from my flesh, from the inherited residue of sin from past generations, from the subtle working of the devil, from input from the world. It is there—but its penalty has been paid in Christ’s death and resurrection, praise be to you, so we can pray:

“Forgive my hidden faults.” And know that we are forgiven. I praise you that you are slowly increasing the depth of understanding in this area, showing me more and more of my hidden faults that I may knowing confess, reject and obey you in these areas. Praise you for your persistent, patient and powerful work in my life.]

Psa 19:13  “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” [This is where I am fully responsible and where I very much need your grace, your help and guidance, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd. Praise you for the continual upward progress of your transformational work that I see daily within and without: the warning, conviction, insight, motivating and protection, help of the Holy Spirit in giving a biblical response to pressures that push towards personal sin. You are making supernatural responses more natural for me. You are persistently, lovingly at work; you are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Strength, my Stronghold. In you alone is the needed help in the battle with sin, self and Satan, with you alone is there hope, power and victory.]

“Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” [Only in you, Lord, only in you is there hope of being blameless, without reproach, innocent of great sin. Praise be to you for your unwarranted desire to help, your unreasonable love, you undeserved grace. You are marvelous in your Might, great in your Grace and wonderful in your Wisdom as you usher us farther up and further into the freedom, growth and grace of your Kingdom. Glory be to you.]

Psa 19:14  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,” [Yes, Lord, may both my inner and outer man please you, for out of the heart flow the words of my mouth. Yes, Lord, bring this continual transformation. Help me to think your thoughts, meditate on your Word, respond with your wisdom, speak your Truth. And may you be greatly pleased with the obedience growing in my being, the result of your good work.]
“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” [You are my LORD, that is, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Holy God, pure and sinless, separate and other, who hates and will judge all sin, while somehow you love sinners and provide a way of escape for us. You are the God of wondrous qualities, of gracious goodness, of seeming paradox, able to join together what looks contradictory from our limited perspective.

As my Rock you are the stability of my life, the source of rest, of shade, of protection, of hope–in you I can take refuge.

You are my Redeemer, the purchaser of junk so you can turn it into treasure. You are the One who wanted each person in the world to come to you, to believe, to become your child, dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on, doubly cherished and delighted in. You, the great Savior brought us out into a spacious place, before your throne, before your face, before the hosts of heaven and there you delight in us, your unfinished and cherished children.

Praise be to you for your crazy love, you wild wisdom, your glorious grace. You are worthy of our worship today and through all eternity. I bow before you, O King of the universe, Lord of time, Ruler of all creation. To you be honor, glory, praise and exaltation in my life today. Amen.]

 

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Meditations on Psalm 19 Part 1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 8, 2011

Praise you, Lord, that you are the God of communication, that you have laid out before all mankind the message of your being and your being the creator.  As it says in Psalm 19

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” [Even in its fallen state, creation shouts out that there is a good and wise Creator. Anyone looking at the way things are has to see that they are made, they are not the result of chance. The beauty, the complexity, the rhythms of life, the power—all speak of a creator.

Psa 19:2  “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” [We are constantly surrounded with the message: “There is a Creator: He is wise and wonderful!”]

Psa 19:3,4  “There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” [I think of my Eskimo friend who grew up in shamanism on the Eastern shore of Siberia. Looking at the beauty of the mountains, sea and animals, he came to the conclusion that the demons they worshiped, who did such ugly things, could never have created all this beauty. “There must be a good creator God,” he thought. And when he met a believer on St Lawrence Island, he was ready to  believe. He heard the message and understood it.]

Psa 19:5,6 “In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.  It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”  [So You, Lord, provide for us through the sun all the energy, food, light and heat that we need. You, O Lord, in your wisdom, grace, goodness and power made the sun, and it speaks to us of your provision and love.

So why do so many not believe? They have the veil over their faces, put there by sin, held there by the enemy. Only as we turn to you is it taken away. Praise be to you, Lord, that you call all to turn, even though you know that all will not accept. You are the God of undying, unending goodness, supremely, positively good. In spite of what we are, you are good to us–because it is your nature: you are Love, you are Light, you are Life, and you will go on being these things no matter what those around you do.

I praise you for your goodness, for your righteousness, for your holiness, for your loveliness. I praise you that you have caused your face to shine upon us, that you in your great love have equipped us, that you protect us, that you call us to partnership with you in the great plans you have for the conclusion of the world, for the sweeping of many into your Kingdom, and for the ending of evil in the universe.

You are worthy of all worship, you are supremely worthy of honor, glory, praise, exaltation and obedience. I bow before you this morning, Lord, I rise up before you to give you glory and honor and praise today by walking in the light of your Word, living a life worthy of you, doing what I know pleases you.]

Read Part 2 >

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May you be Exalted, O God my Savior! Psalm 18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 5, 2011

Psa 18:48  “who saves me from my enemies.” [Yes, O Lord God, “I call to you, who are worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. You reach down from on high, you take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters.” (Ps 18:3,16). You are the faithful One who constantly watches over me, not primarily for my comfort, but for my being able to give you glory before the nations, praise be to you.]

“You exalted me above my foes;” [“You rescue me from my strong enemies, from my foes who are too strong for me.” (Psalm 18:17)]

“from violent men you rescued me.” [They “confronted me on the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because he delighted in me.” (Ps. 18:18,19)]

Psa 18:49  “Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to your name.” [You are worthy of glory and honor and exaltation and praise, you are worthy of being lifted up among the nations. You are God, you are Lord, you are Sovereign, you are Good, all the time.]

Psa 18:50  “He gives his king great victories;” [You give opportunity to participate in your victories every day, with every temptation, every stress, every test an opportunity to take up your grace and glorify you. You are sufficient, you are great, you are powerful, you are loving, worthy of obedience.]

“he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,” [your faithfulness endures forever, your grace flows endlessly, your goodness never fails. You are ever the trustable One, always carrying us through the battle, to the heights and beyond.]

“to David and his descendants forever.” [And so you have proved faithful in providing the promised Savior from the line of David, confirming your unfailing kindness to all the Jews and all the Gentiles. You are the Lover of the twisted ones, Redeemer of the rebels, Savior of evil creatures, Shepherd of the scattered flock.

Praise be to you for your unreasonable Love, your illogical grace, your outrageous kindness, your amazing goodness, all poured out upon us day by day. Glory be to you in my life today, the Great and Good God!]

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Psalm 18:32

Published by S.M. Wibberley on June 30, 2011

Psa 18:32  “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” [It is not my wisdom, my effort, my talent or training, my resources—it is you alone, Lord God, the Mighty and Wise One who pours strength into my life, who goes before and prepares the situation, relationships and me for the way to be perfect according to you. Right now there are a number of uncertainties before us, all of which I could worry about. But to reject worry, to trust you in praise for your help before any appears, to think truth, to find my rest in you–these fulfill the purpose you have given me in life: to give you glory in all and before all.

It is wonderful to rest in your hands, Lord, to know that you are working things out, that as we join you by prayer, your inexorable power will bring to pass what is best, will carry us through no matter what the difficulty. Your grace is sufficient for whatever you allow or send.

I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are always with us, watching over us, protecting us. I praise you for the certainty of your goodness being poured out upon us every day in the midst of whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, pleasant or painful.  I give you praise, honor and glory for being the Good Shepherd, wielding your rod against the enemy, using your crook, your staff, to guide, discipline and help us. We will zig and zag through life, but you will constantly give us the tap we need to come back to your way.

As I think of my friends who at present are not responding well to the challenges of life, I praise you now, Lord for how you are working in their lives. I praise you, too, for the weakness I have in not being able to straighten them out, as well as for the certainty that you are helping them and will use your power for them.  I rest in you, praise you now and thank you for the way you will use their sin to make them grow and bring glory to yourself.

You who have out of your glorious riches, prepared more than we need for strength and grace, power and wisdom, guidance and protection, you are worthy of worship and obedience, love and honor. Whether I see it or not, sense them or not, you are pouring your help and power into my life and I will praise you now for your goodness and graciousness before I can see any of them.]

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Psalm 18:25-27

Published by S.M. Wibberley on June 25, 2011

Praise be to you, my Lord God, for your personal approach to people. You, being the wise and understanding One, know exactly what each individual needs for communication, revelation and realization to open up so you may pour goodness into their lives.    As your Word says, the measure with which we give is the measure with which we receive:

Psa 18:25, 26  “To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure,” [As we walk with you, Lord Jesus, you develop faithfulness, blamelessness and purity.  And as we cooperate with you in this process of transformation by spending time with you, obeying what we know to be right, denying self and following you, willfully wanting to be faithful, blameless and pure, you reveal more and more of your marvelous qualities to us , giving us greater ground for surrender, worship and wonder–which brings further transformation. A gracious cycle of your goodness being poured out more and more on those who are willing to join you in what you are doing.]
“but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” [On the negative side, you interact with rebels in a way that is meaningful to them. Jacob was crooked in his dealings, manipulating and using people all through his life.  And he brought on himself the same treatment.  Your shrewdness in dealing with him led him, in the end, to surrender before you.  You know how to work with people, you are never at a loss, never confused, never without wisdom. Praise be to you for your patience, persistence and perception in the process of wooing every single person in the world (John 16:8-11). How you must grieve at those who stubbornly refuse to bow their neck and knee to Truth, to Wisdom, to Reality, and instead rush headlong down the slope of self will away from goodness, forgiveness, grace and light. In the end they go over the edge of time, falling into the pit of separation and desperation, sealed off from all good, getting what they wanted all along: full independence from you. Praise you, Lord, that you go to all the trouble to give them every opportunity to embrace Truth, even though you know they will not accept it.  You are far more than fair, you are absolute goodness and grace.]

Psa 18:27  “You save the humble” [This is your requirement for salvation: humility, seeing ourselves as you see us in our depravity.  As we stand before you, the Mighty and Eternal One, the Star-breather, the Galaxy-maker, the History-ender, the Pure and Powerful One, what can we do but see our sinfulness, our unworthiness, our puniness, the immense contrast of our shriveled, rebellious hearts with the stunning beauty of your Holiness. To you we must bow, and somehow you work with our will to bring the desire and the decision to surrender, to reject the illusion of independence for the reality of total dependence on you–the One who holds together the nucleus of every atom in the universe—how dependent we are on you without knowing it!

Praise be to you for working in the heart of each one you know will bow, to bring the wise pressure that will lead to the break-through, the understanding, the desire to know you, to live for you, to walk in the light, to bring you glory.  What a high calling, what a privileged position, what an existence of ongoing, ever growing joy.  You give us the exact opposite of what we deserve, at great cost to yourself and at great profit to us, your thankless enemies.  You are a marvel, a mystery: majestic and mighty in your provision of rich, unending agape love. We must bow before you and shout, “Glory!”

You, O Lord God, my Father in Heaven, my Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit who indwells, bring me low today where I need it. Do this so that I may walk in your humility, bringing you greater glory, deeper devotion, wider wonder and higher honor. To you be whole-hearted worship, full-orbed obedience, expanding exaltation and powerful praise in my life today.  May all the good you give spill over onto those around me so they may see more of your glory; may I be invisible and you be the focus of our growing awe, deepening love and expanding obedience. Amen.

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