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Psalm `17:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 15, 2022
 
Psalm 17:6 “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.”
[Your faithfulness, Lord, is the impetus for prayer. You Will hear, you Will answer, you Will help–because it is your nature to be faithful!
 
As my wife says, you, Lord, have four possible answers to our prayers and always give us one of them. These possibilities are: yes, no, wait; or “Are you kidding?!!” I am so glad that you do not give a “yes” to some of the outrageous things I’ve asked for in the past. Praise you for you know all and answer in your wisdom.
We can be so certain of your answering, as your promise in the rainbow states, that in any circumstance we can give thanks before we see any sign of an answer. We can fully rest in you, we don’t have to panic, we don’t have to cling to our desired outcome, we don’t have to be afraid. We can, before an answer comes, know that you will faithfully do what is best. Your promise to hear and answer was David’s hope–and ours, too.]
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Psalm 17:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 14, 2022
Psalm 17:3 “Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing;”
[Here is a statement I find hard to understand. I cannot say this–only a slight probe in me will find a multitude of wrong in my motives, thoughts and actions. Perhaps David was speaking more of the fact that he has not responded incorrectly in his present situation; maybe he has forgiven and prayed for the good of his enemies. Perhaps he has already confessed his sin in the situation and now stands cleansed as far as he knows.]
“I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.”
[He’s not going to give a response of the flesh, but speak what he knows is pleasing to you, Lord. That hints at checking his motives, thinking through his possible responses and choosing to obey what he knows is right. May I live like that.]
Psalm 17:4 “As for the deeds of men—by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.”
[Perhaps here David, who was a man of war, is talking specifically of the instance before him where he did not respond to these people in violence (which he could have done), acting instead according your commands in grace and quietness. May I do the same!]
Psalm 17:5 “My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”
[As David sought to obey, running in the paths prepared by you, Lord, he did not stumble or fall. It was only when he strayed from your path that he slipped, fell and took many others down with him.
Lord keep me on your path, surround me with your hedge of thorns, pricking me immediately when I zig or zag off your way so I can quickly repent and get back on your path. May I not slip today and thereby bring you honor.]
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Psalm 17:2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 13, 2022
Psalm 17:2 “May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.”
[Truly, vindication can only fully come from you, Lord, for only you know fully what is good. We can rest in that awesome truth that you see everything, both right and wrong, and love us anyway.
Your Word is clear on how we should trust you to deal with those who oppose us. As it says in the Old Testament, “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psa. 37:1-4).
This concept is repeated more powerfully in the New Testament: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.
 
“On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:19-21).
In the picture here, the beauty of these leaves was revealed by the recent frost. Likewise, the beauty of the Lord is revealed in us through difficulties, if we respond according to His Word.
Lord, help us to look to you for vindication and for dealing with those who treat us like their enemies. May our delight be in you, not in vengeance or winning. May you thusly be glorified before all those around us, especially before those who oppose us. And right now, I am in the midst of such a conflict with a renter who sees me as the enemy, so I must apply all this personally! I praise you for how you will answer in faithfulness and righteousness and bring vindication.]
Epilogue: as I asked, the Lord gave wisdom through Psalm 37 (do good) in how to do good to this renter who treated me as an enemy, and he straightened out.
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Psalm 17:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 12, 2022
God calls us to make the choice to be holy because He himself is holy.
Psalm 17:1 “Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry.”
[You, Lord, are the prayer-answering God. Intercession was your invention, giving us a way to enter your presence, your arms, your heart, your plans.
You are the God who
–heard Joseph and gave him the interpretation of dreams;
–who heard Moses and opened the Red Sea;
–who heard David and defeated his enemies;
–who heard Daniel and told him the dream of the king;
–who heard Jesus and raised Lazarus from the dead.
–And you are the God who hears us still and will answer in the same faithfulness and power you always have.]
“Give ear to my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips.”
[Your part is to hear, ours is to come to you in integrity, not trying to manipulate you or paint ourselves as better than we are or trick you into moving against someone unjustly. To do any of these is, of course, ridiculous, for nothing is hidden from your eyes, including our motives. You are the all-seeing, all-knowing, all-present One.
Praise you that we can and must be totally transparent before you—and that such honesty does not negatively affect your openness to us one bit, “for you are good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all who call upon you” (Psalm 86:5).
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Psalm 16:11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 11, 2022
You, Lord Jesus, have given us three wonders for life right now:]
 
1) Psalm 16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life;”
 
[In your love and grace, your compassion and forgiveness, your Spirit has opened and continues to open my eyes to your way, so I can walk on the path, “of the righteous” which “is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever more brightly til the full light of day” (Prov 4:18).
 
And every day, as we walk on your way, we can give you glory and honor by responding to every situation with praise. To know you is wonderful!]
 
2) “you will fill me with joy in your presence,”
 
[Truly, know Jesus is enough for joy! The more we know you, the deeper our joy goes, overflowing, energizing, transforming and guiding. It is not our circumstances, but the certainty of your presence that is the well-spring of joy in our lives. And this will be multiplied a thousand-fold when we pass through death into eternal life. We praise you for it!]
 
3) “with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
 
[The certainty of spending eternity with you, Lord Jesus, at your right hand, enjoying the pleasure of your presence, the wonders of your being, the marvels of your new Heaven and new Earth–this is a prospect beyond comprehension. To have this certainty is a further aspect to our present joy.
 
Yes, Lord Jesus, to know you is enough for joy, a joy that will be ever increasing until death and then exploding into all the dimensions in which you now live, expanding throughout eternity as we learn more and more of your marvelous, infinite character. May I walk together with you in that joy this day, Lord Jesus, so that I can shine the light of your joy on all those I meet.
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Psalm 16:9-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 10, 2022
Psalm 16:8b,9 “…he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;”
 
[You, Lord God, are the reason I can be glad and rejoice, for you are mightily faithful, lovingly good, totally wise and graciously giving.
 
There is no lack for those who follow you. “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” (Psa. 34:10). It is in you, in your character that all comes together, that all is provided, that all stability rests. It is SO right to rejoice in you!]
 
Psalm 16:10 “my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.”
 
[This is a prophetical statement about you, Lord Jesus, written 1000 years before you were born. You died on the cross, but your body did not deteriorate; it was brought back to life and transformed into the new and eternal form our bodies will have.
 
Right now, we live in the land of the dying, but being in you we are also already in the Kingdom of the eternally living. As we live in this Truth, we walk in your light, understand who we are, where we are going and what our future is!
 
What a privilege in a world spinning out of control–but not out of God’s. He has a plan and we can trust Him in it.
 
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Psalm 16:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 9, 2022
Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me.”
[To my shame, I cannot say that I do this always, but certainly want to keep you at the center of my life, Lord Jesus, to acclaim you in every aspect, to have my heart open to your guidance at each juncture, to follow your leading constantly. Help me to do that consistently, Lord Jesus.]
“Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
[In contrast to me, you, Heavenly Father, are totally consistent, always faithful, unshakable. You have a detailed plan for me in each day and will carry me through it. You will never leave me; you are persistently there and will always give what is necessary in protection, guidance, wisdom and provision. So, there is no reason for me to be shaken, I only need to look to you, knowing that you will give beyond what I need. I can praise you in it ahead of time.]
Praise you, Lord, that as I go into this day, it is certain that you will be there, keeping me within the pleasant boundaries you have set to protect me, blessing me with your presence, giving me new vision to understand what is good and what is not.
I praise you for your great wisdom, your abundant love, your ever-flowing grace and your endless kindness. To you I lift up my voice of praise, to you I give my life anew. Glorify yourself today in all that will come, that those around may see your greatness and bow before you, too.]
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Psalm 16:7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 8, 2022
Psalm 16:7 “I will praise the LORD,”
[Yes, I will wholeheartedly, with every part of my being, praise you–such a wonderful Lord you are, the King of Kings, the God of greatness, the Lord of lords, the Sovereign Shepherd, the Mighty Master, the Creator of all creatures, the Ender of Epochs and the Leader of Love, Light and Life. Out your great love, you pour blessing after undeserved blessing in our lives. You are worthy beyond all measure, worthy of all the worship I can give!]
“who counsels me;”
[You are the God who reaches into my life moment by moment, speaking to me through your Word and through your Spirit, through the insights of others, through realizations and understanding.
When I am confused, uncertain or afraid, you are there to counsel me from your measureless love and infinite knowledge. I can turn to you for wisdom and know for sure that you will give it, for you have promised: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).]
“even at night my heart instructs me.”
[As I wait for sleep and meditate on your Word, you teach me new things, reinforce old truths, reveal insights and bring further transformation.
Even in my dreams you speak to me, as Scripture comes to mind. Sometimes, without realizing I am in a dream and face life-threatening circumstances, or temptations where I can respond with praise and trust and obedience, hearing the leading of your Spirit. Practice for real life!]
 
Thank you, Lord, for your full-orbed love and care. Help me notice how you reach into my life regularly so I may praise you more.
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More of our Delightful Inheritance

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 6, 2022

More on “surely I have a delightful inheritance.”

[Out of your glorious treasures you have prepared a rich inheritance for your undeserving children.

This will include an infinite future, an unending walk with you, an unlimited growth in knowledge of your character, having fulfilling, positive challenges of service for you, and rich, uninterrupted fellowship with all other beings in Heaven. It will include living in your glory: “When Christ, who is our life, appears, then we also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4).

It will include mostly and most importantly, the ability to gaze uninterruptedly on your face, Lord Jesus, being in the full presence of our Bridegroom, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Ruler of all, the Holy, Pure, Powerful, Wise and Good God. That will be far more wonderful than we can imagine!]

Lord, help me to walk in the knowledge of the riches of your goodness and all the pleasantness you have for stored up for us. Help me to see where I let the small (very small!) things in life take my focus off of you, to steal my joy, to trap me in the dust and dirt of a natural worldview.

Help me instead to let go of the temporary, hold on to what is eternal and rise above everyday hassles in the shining knowledge of you and who you are. May I think truth, keep on the armor and be able to stand no matter what comes, thereby bringing more honor and glory to you.

 

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Psalm 16:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 5, 2022
Psalm 16:6 “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;”
 
[Where you have placed us, Lord, is more than pleasant: we are within the Kingdom of Light, under the Lordship of the Great Shepherd, within the Family of God, on the right way to Heaven, in the company of the saints, equipped and assigned to a specific area of service to you, my beloved King.
 
This Truth is a wonder, a joy, a pleasure, an ever- increasing realization of the undeserved, unearned privilege of walking on the pathway of the Creator of all, the Ruler of all, the Restorer of all. In my opinion, “pleasant” is far too mild a word for this state of ever-growing joy!]
 
“surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
 
[Out of your glorious treasures you have prepared a rich inheritance for your undeserving children. As it says in Ephesians 1:3, you have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus—every possible spiritual blessing will be ours.
 
1 Peter 1:7 tells us, “These [trials] have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
 
Jesus wants to share his praise, glory and honor with us–if we live by faith, trusting Him in all.
 
As you are infinite and all-powerful, Lord, so these blessings will be unending, uncountable, incomprehensible, truly a “delightful inheritance!!” Thank you. Help me to live in the light of this truth.
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