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Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 4, 2020
Further thoughts on Psalm 15:1-5
 
Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior and supreme Shepherd, the marvelous and majestic Maker and Master of our faith. As we read through Psalm 15, every quality the LORD requires for dwelling in His sanctuary is found in Jesus.
 
Psalm 15:1-2 “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless”
 
[I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are blameless. In you there is no sin, no evil, no slipping into error, no darkness, no injustice or rebellion; you are without blame, without accusation, without sin. Praise you for your perfection, your purity, your pristineness, that you are the summation of all virtues.]
 
“and who does what is righteous,”
 
[All you have done and will do is right, Lord Jesus, there is no error in your ways, no wrong, no fault, no unrighteousness. Therefore, you are absolutely trustable and believable in your faithfulness and goodness.]
 
“who speaks the truth from his heart”
 
[You are Truth itself and therefore speak only Truth from the center of your being. All you say is true, right, correct, positive and good.]
 
Psalm 15:3 He “has no slander on his tongue,”
 
[When you judge, Lord Jesus, it is correct, it is spoken to the right person with the right motive at the right time in the right way. There is no malice, selfishness, evil motive or wrong desire in your speech. Instead you speak correctly to convict, to bring repentance, to restore and lead, giving light, love and life.]
 
“who does his neighbor no wrong”
 
[You only do what is positive and pure, helpful and good. To live with you is to experience the light of your goodness, the power of your purity and the provision of your positiveness.]
 
“and casts no slur on his fellowman,”
 
[You never speak unjustly, you never maliciously cut people down, or try to put them in a bad light. In fact, as the good Shepherd, you will work to protect people rather than expose them to ridicule. You always first nudge us towards repentance before having someone come and confront us.]
 
Psalm 15:4 “who despises a vile man”
 
[You see all, so nothing is hidden from you; you know what is vile and rightly reject it. In righteousness you despise what is unrighteous, while somehow still loving every sinner and seeking to bring them, into your Forgiveness, into your Family, into your Kingdom.]
 
“but honors those who fear the LORD,”
 
[You are able to discern what really motivates a man: fear of people or fear of God (Psalm 34:11-14). And you will give glory and honor to those who walk in your ways because they love you and trust you.]
 
“who keeps his oath even when it hurts,”
 
[You are the One who always keeps your Word—you kept your Word to be a Savior who could only redeem through intense, infinite suffering, and you, Lord Jesus, followed through by submitting yourself to anguish, pain and an unjust punishment of death. Praise you for your faithfulness.]
 
Psalm 15:5 “who lends his money without usury”
 
[You are generous and gracious, pouring out your riches on us without thought of profit.]
 
“and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.”
 
[You are absolutely just, you cannot be swayed by any bribe. No one can bribe you to move against your children. And we believers can’t get you to change your mind with our “good works,” our fasting or self-denial; we can’t twist your cosmic arm, to “make” you answer our selfish prayers. Praise be to you for your unbending goodness and purity.
 
Lord, help us to live like you, to follow your example in each of these wonderful qualities and thereby bring honor to your name by showing your glory to all those around us.
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Psalm 15:1-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 3, 2020
Psalm 15:1 “LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?”
[Praise be to you, Lord God, the High and Holy One, who invites us into your sanctuary, to live with you on your holy hill–through believing on the risen Jesus.
This possibility is a delightful demonstration of your deep delight in sharing your glorious grace and your generous goodness with us, offering us life and love even while we were still dead in sins. This is your pure and positive Character at work in the midst of a broken, twisted and destructive world.
Psalm 15:2-4 “…who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? The one whose walk is BLAMELESS, who does what is RIGHTEOUS, who speaks the TRUTH from their heart; whose tongue utters NO SLANDER, who does NO WRONG to a neighbor, and CASTS NO SLUR on others; who despises a vile person but HONORS those who fear the LORD; who KEEPS AN OATH even when it hurts, and DOES NOT CHANGE their mind….”
Each of these conditions for living in close relationship with you, Lord, is unreachable for us in our own strength; our sinful flesh prevents this, even when our spirit is willing.
But, in the face of our inability, you, Lord God, in your rich and powerful, persistent and active agape love have, through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, provided these qualities for all who believe. “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
You have imputed the qualities of Christ to us and have made us qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light! This is against all logic, all normal justice, all human reasoning and contrary to even the heavenly expectations of angels.
This grace–giving us the opposite of what we deserve–is more than marvelous. It is the demonstration of your infinitely loving, lovely and lustrous Character at work in mysterious and majestic ways, moving us from hopelessness and despair to certainty and safety.
I praise you for the great and transforming truth of your total commitment to save all who are willing. Therefore, we can trust you totally, rest in you fully and follow you wholeheartedly.
May we honor you today by resting in your goodness, obeying in your power and living as carriers of light and hope to all around us. Praise you for what you will do today!
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Psalm 14:4-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 2, 2020
Psalm 14:4 “Will evildoers never learn—”
 
[Lord, this means you are consistently working at teaching all rebels the error of their ways by letting them suffer the consequences of their destructive choices as you, in your faithfulness and love, are calling them to repentance and surrender–but they are not listening!]
 
“those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?”
 
[These rebels commit two evils: they abuse people and they trust in themselves, rather than you, Lord. They delusively believe they are in control, able to handle life on their own as they bully all those around them.]
 
Psalm 14:5 “But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.”
 
[In spite of their bravado, inside they have dread because they sense God’s presence among believers. That’s why they so viciously attack those who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. This has happened repeatedly all down through history and we see this today as Isl.amic ter.roists and leaders try to wipe out all Christians in their territory.
 
Such evildoers are afraid of death. They may be aware of the coming judgment, and that because of their stubborn selfishness they are set apart from the righteous–those have surrendered to Christ–but in spite of this they do not repent.]
 
Psalm 14:6 “You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.”
 
[Ungodly people prey on the poor instead of praying to God. But when the poor turn to you, Lord, you are their help and protection. You are faithful, you are good and you are powerful. As it says in Psalm 68:6, “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”]
 
Psalm 14:7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!”
 
[And it did come from Israel, from Judah, brought by Jesus, who was a Jew!]
 
“When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”
 
[Yes, the first believers, who were all Jewish, as well as we gentiles who are your children, have rejoiced and will rejoice in our salvation!
 
And we can continue to rejoice in your daily ongoing practical protection and salvation, Lord Jesus, as you lead us out of our personal prisons, further up and further into your glorious Kingdom. Truly, you are our Good Shepherd and we will not lack anything we need, as we follow you in the ups and downs of life.]
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Psalm 14:1-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 1, 2020
Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
 
[This is a clear definition of a fool: one with no spiritual discernment or interest, who rejects truth in favor of his own unfounded opinion.
 
The statement “there is no God” is so far from reality, so entirely limited to this tiny earth, this moment; it is a view that it is a sorry position, void of hope, truth, goodness, meaning and a future. I pity the person who believes this, as he is caught in his own delusion and ends up in the darkness of a meaningless, hopeless existence.]
 
“They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
 
[We are all by nature fools, making ourselves our own god until we meet Jesus, the true and living God. In our natural selves there is no good, no ability to do true good, for all we do is corrupted by our selfishness.
 
This is reality, this is why we desperately need you, Lord Jesus, you who are goodness itself and desire to give all people a new heart filled with righteousness, joy and peace so we can do the good works you have prepared for us (Eph. 2:10).]
 
Psalm 14:2 “The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”
 
[This means, Lord, that you look into the heart of every single person, you weigh their thoughts, you are concerned for them. Only an infinite God could be in such close contact with 6 billion people all at the same time! And in doing so, you love all of them, wanting each to come to you, giving each multiple chances to enter your Family, your Kingdom, your Eternity with you. You are a wonder!]
 
Psalm 14:3 “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
 
[This is the sad truth: not one single person in the whole world, in the whole of history since the Fall, ever sought you out on their own. Not one naturally followed you in the right way. We all turned away from you, we were all corrupt. And as sinners, any good that we did was tainted with selfishness, pride and deceit; we futilely tried to convince ourselves we are good.
 
What a hopeless situation! In ourselves we are unable to alter it. But praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have entered history, paid the great price and made it possible for us to be released from the trap of the enemy and our own wickedness so we can come into your Kingdom of Light and Life and Love! Like in this picture below, you bring life and beauty out of what is dead and decaying.
 
May we be ever thankful for your unwarranted grace, undeserved goodness and unending love. May my life, being focused on you, reflect your love and light to all around me today.]
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Psalm 13:3-6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 31, 2020
The Gift of God’s Faithfulness
 
Psalm 13:3 “Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;”
 
[Thank you that we can cry to you in our desperation, as David did here, O Lord. We can always appeal to you, knowing that your faithfulness will flow into our lives like a stream forever. As it says in Psalm 86:7 “In the day of my trouble I will call upon you: for you WILL answer me.”]
 
Psalm 13:4 “my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall.”
 
[Even if we fall, we can stand again, firm in your faithful power, with you as our persistent Shield and Defender. I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are our unshakable Rock, our faithful Fortress, our high Tower, our almighty Shepherd who can never to be defeated.]
 
Psalm 13:5 “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.”
 
[Yes, I look away to you, Lord, and look down the long history of your unfailing love where you–in faithfulness–answered, acted, protected, and guided your people: Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, Jesus and Paul. And so you will do with us.]
 
Psalm 13:6 “I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”
 
[David here still did not have an answer, he was still in danger, but this is a declaration of his trust in God to answer and save–based on his past experience of God’s help.
 
We also can sing now in praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord, before you act in our troubles, knowing that you will come and work things out, to rescue and save, to empower and carry us through–just as you have helped us in the past, always acting out of your pristine character and your powerful faithfulness to your Word.
 
It is in this certainty that, while still in trouble, we can sing in praise for the help you will bring. Help us to persistently praise you in every difficulty, Lord God, before we see any answers, resting and reveling in your full faithfulness. May you thereby be glorified before the people and the spiritual powers around us today.
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Psalm 13:1-2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 31, 2020
The Gift of God’s Goodness
 
Psalm 13:1,2 “How long, O LORD?”
 
[There will be times when God seems distant, when He is not answering our prayers on our timetable (like right now in my life), when things are going awry with no help in sight. We pray and wait, but nothing seems to happen. There is no hint of His goodness in the mists and darkness of our lives.
 
Yet His goodness is still shining on the edges of and over our darkness and seeming barrenness. He is at work behind the scenes, working out His greater plans, as He was in the difficulties of Joseph, Daniel and Jesus.]
 
“Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?”
 
[There are dark valleys in life, ones we must pass through. These may be sickness, unemployment, relationship problems, depression (like the deep one my dear wife was going through as I wrote this in 2014), the death of a loved one, or fears sparked by governmental chaos and failure, by wars, pandemics or great disasters.
 
But we can know that you, Lord, in your goodness, have designed or allowed each one to mature us, to give opportunity to bring glory to you through faith, and to demonstrate your power to the world, sweeping all who are willing into your Kingdom.
 
As we know and believe this–even though at times our hearts fail us if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by disappointment and the immediate circumstances surrounding us–we can choose to look up and have hope in the midst of despair; we can have light in the midst of darkness; we can have joy in the midst of turmoil. Why? Because you are good and we know that you have a plan for good and will faithfully carry it out.
 
“How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
 
[At times the enemy does triumph over us—evil leaders arise in nations (such as ISIS), bad decisions are made by government or mission leaders, churches fall apart, families dissolve in bitterness, hard-working people can suddenly become homeless.
 
None of these, Lord, are your desired, overall will, but you allow them for greater reasons. For unbelievers, it is to nudge them towards belief (many have come to Christ in the Middle East because of ISIS). For believers, it is an opportunity for trust, growth, glorifying you and earning rewards.
 
As it says in 1 Pet. 1:6-7, “Now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith and…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
 
So we can know, no matter what, Lord, that you are always there: you are at work for good, moving deeply, quietly, powerfully, patiently, waiting for the right moment to remove the pressure. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” In your goodness we can rest. Help us to do so today.]
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More from 2008

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 28, 2020
Conference Blues Part II 2008
 
By Monday the hotel owner upped the pressure, taking all the possessions of some of our people out of their room and dumping them all in a pile in the middle of the lobby.
 
Next, during the morning conference meetings, the security guard came in and told us we were being expelled from the meeting rooms.
 
We sent someone to appeal for help from the Gendarme, the local military police, but they did not respond. In such a small town all the locals work together behind the scenes, so we had no chance as outsiders to get any help to fix our problem. Anyway, in their eyes, we were rich Americans who could pay whatever was necessary.
 
During lunch the security guards came around again to tell us that all of our people had to stop eating and go to their rooms. The air conditioning had been shut off and the hot afternoon sun soon had the rooms sweltering. Drinks were denied. Families with small children were especially feeling the pressure.
 
Our agent called several officials in the area and two of them, along with a representative of the hotel association and a reporter, came to talk with the hotel owner. By God’s grace I saw them come in and went uninvited into their meeting. The hotel owner, of course, gave his side of it, making us look like the guilty ones. I then gave our side of the story.
 
The group conferred and then said the only way to resolve the situation was for us to pay the bill for the agent. They, of course, were all in the same business and we were again the outsiders with no recourse.
 
What they were suggesting meant paying almost double the price we had originally agreed to. However, there were several factors that contributed to our leaning toward doing this. First, we had already paid a large deposit, and if we paid the bill for the travel agent, he could and should pay that back to us.
 
Second, although the travel agent had found some other hotels that could take us, we knew nothing about them, and would certainly be scattered among several, making it very difficult to continue the conferences. There was no assurance we would have either meeting rooms or childcare rooms available to us.
 
In contrast, this hotel had more than an acre of grassy lawn enclosed with a good fence, which made it a great place for the hundred or so children of our group to play safely.
 
Third, our people had come from all over the world to attend these conferences; they had already spent a great deal of money on transportation alone, which could potentially be wasted if we were to leave this place for an unknown and potentially unsatisfactory situation.
 
In the end we agreed to pay. A number of us pooled our credit cards to make this possible and the hotel owner gave us a signed and stamped paper describing the situation and his receipt of the money. So the conferences were able to continue as planned.
 
In hindsight, it was clear that all these difficulties were used by God to make our conference one of the best ever. We were totally dependent on Him and He did a work in us.
 
Our schedule was frequently disrupted, which caused us to be more flexible. This brought some great times of prayer along with some open, honest sharing, and spontaneous sessions that were very helpful to all of us. By the end of the week we left, having been challenged, changed and cheered by the Lord’s work among us.
 
The hotel story did not have a happy ending. Although the travel agent sued the hotel, the signed statement we’d gotten from the owner validating the extra payment we had made was worthless. It turned out he wasn’t the actual owner after all. He had built several legal layers into the hotel’s ownership to protect himself.
 
He then sued the travel agent for another bill, and in the end the small claims court took everything from the travel agent’s office which housed two other businesses, including a film making studio.
 
Interestingly, the travel agent viewed this debacle as being my fault! He believed that if I hadn’t given in to the hotel’s demands, his financial situation would not have degenerated so badly. This was the exact opposite of my understanding of it all.
 
We chose not to take legal action against anyone including the agent. The result for me, personally, was that the Lord set me free from my desire to be right, from my “need” to win, and from my inclination to care too much what other people thought of the whole situation (my failure). This was certainly for me a step out into a wider place, one of greater freedom.
 
At the end of the whole saga, along with all I’ve already mentioned, there were three other positive outcomes. First, the believing travel agent graciously forgave me and our relationship was able to continue.
 
Second, the hotel owner told the agent that if he paid his last bill, he could get back all his computers, cameras, software and furniture so he could continue his work.
 
Third, the travel agent came back to us and asked if we would help. Humanly speaking this was backwards: he caused us to lose a large amount of money, then wants us to give him more to help him out of his mistakes! However, this was a chance to turn the other cheek, to act against the wisdom of the world and to glorify God. So, against all natural logic, some of us gave him gifts out of our personal money and he was able to redeem all his goods.
 
The whole event had been one long experience of spiritual warfare, but I believe that the Lord–and therefore we–won in the long run. Not materially, but on a spiritual level, through giving praise in difficulty, doing the right thing when it cost us and by turning the other cheek.
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Psalm 12:6-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 28, 2020
Thank you again for your prayers about my vertigo. Yesterday I went out to work on projects and the more i was outside, the better I got! Praise God for such a fast recovery!
 
The Gift of God’s Flawless Word
Psalm 12:6 “And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”
[Praise you, Lord God, the King of Glory, the Creator of only good, for you are Truth itself; therefore, your words are flawless and pure as newly opened flowers, for you cannot lie. You have revealed your words to your prophets, had them written down and preserved through the ages, bringing them to us as a bright light in deep darkness.
With your words you protect us, guide, teach, correct, rebuke, comfort and encourage us. As you are flawless, so are your words. Therefore they are worthy of trust, of praise, and honor through obedience.
Psalm 12:7 “O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people [oppressors and liars] forever.”
[Praise you for this certainty, Lord, both now and in eternity. And a major means of protecting us is your Word as you warn us, guide us and set us free of our natural worldview. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
 
For a time, we may have to suffer the negative effects of liars (those who deny you, your Word and your values) who appear to win. But their seeming successes cannot affect the core of our stability–our relationship with you, nurtured through your Word.
You, Lord God, are our peace and joy, our hope and rest which last forever, for they are bound up in you and your eternal and unchanging character, revealed to us through your Word.
Your Word tells us that all we own, all that we value here on earth is expendable and temporary. Knowing this we can let it all go, releasing it all to you. Then we can hold on to what is eternal–which is primarily our relationship with you, nurtured by your Word, from whence flows all goodness. Then, with your given grace and strength, we can rise above all the difficulties, problems and losses of this world, remembering that you, Lord, are all that really counts.]
To you be glory this day, Lord, in all I have to do and say. May I spot and reject lying and selfishness in myself as well as in others and conform instead to your pure and positive Word.
May you, the Holy and Eternal One, our Great God and Glorious King, be lifted up and exalted before the world today in my thoughts, motives, words, actions and attitudes. Amen.
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Psalm 12:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 27, 2020
Thanks for your prayers; I am definitely better although not fully recovered. This was faster than last time which took 5 days to get over the vertigo.
The Gift of Truth
Psalm 12:1 “Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”
[In spite of how it appears, I praise you, Lord, that you have always reserved for yourself some who are righteous in Christ. You are quietly at work to keep your children strong, to make them truth-bearers, shining the light in love to all around them, to be yeast, salt, and light in society. Help us be hope, truth and light carriers to all around us; convict us quickly when we are not.]
Psalm 12:2 “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.”
[This is true of so much of what goes on today: lies about what is right and wrong; lies in political correctness; lies of those who claim to be tolerant but are not; lies we tell ourselves.
You, Lord God, are the only One we can truly, totally trust to speak Truth. Help us to be truth lovers (loving your Word), truth speakers (especially to ourselves) and truth discerners (in society).]
Psalm 12:3 “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips—who is our master?’”
[Yes, Lord, show yourself mighty, expose the liars, bring them to justice; show yourself the true Master. May the deceived be brought into the light and grasp truth. May we not be fooled by anything that is put forth by liars, including lies we tell ourselves.]
Psalm 12:5 “’Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’”
[Praise you, Lord, that you are the God of justice, that you will, at the right time, rise up to expose evil, judge righteously and protect powerfully. We pray that you will do this soon. We cry out to you to expose the lies of Satan, self and sin (beginning with ours). Shine forth your righteousness as the light and our judgment as the noon day sun.
You, Lord God, love righteousness, and you love the righteous—those purified and forgiven in Christ—as well as all those who continue in darkness, believing the lies of the Devil. Rise up and show your love in causing Truth to flow throughout the land, giving light to all, sweeping as many as possible into your Kingdom.]
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sorry

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 26, 2020

Sorry no post today. Am incapacitated by a severe vertigo attack. Prayers appreciated.

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