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Psalm 15:4-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 8, 2018
As we read through Psalm 15, every quality the LORD requires for dwelling in His sanctuary is found in Jesus.
 
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 Kingdom, into your Family, into your Forgiveness.]
 
“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, who through Christ’s sacrifice, are declared innocent in your sight. A bribe has no influence to change your mind to condemn them.
 
On the other hand, 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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Stability

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 7, 2018
From EDIFIED!
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, the Lover, the Liberator, the Leader of my soul. You are a marvel, so different from any human being, so pure, so persistent, so powerful, so perfect in your character. You never change, you never vacillate, you never alter your ideas. You are rock solid stable, ever loving, ever correcting, ever forgiving.
 
With you we can move through the valleys of failure and selfishness, sin and poor choices and still come out to a good place because of your grace and goodness. You faithfully work to convict us, guide us, warn us, call us, protect us, chasten us—with you there is always hope for growth and progress. You reverse the second law of thermodynamics, bringing order out of chaos!
 
I give you honor and praise and glory, Lord Jesus, for to know you is to be given stability in your love, grace in your commitment, hope in your power, peace in your forgiveness, joy in your presence, delight in your beauty, wisdom in your Word, strength in your might, help in your compassion and guidance in your wisdom.
 
Your goodness and desires for us are summed up with this: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).
 
Prayer: “Glory be to you, honor be to you, obedience be to you in my life today, Lord God, that your Name may be lifted up before men and angels. Help me to hear you, to comprehend and obey you for your glory. Amen.”
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Paragon of Perfection

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2018
Day 94
 
Jesus is the perfect Paragon of excellence, the sinless Savior and 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 accuse or 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 healing.]
 
“who does his neighbor no wrong”
 
[You only do what is right, pure, helpful, good and positive. 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. As you are light, and live in the light, so you shine light on what is true, not to condemn people, but to bring them to repentance and restoration.
 
May we walk in your light today, Lord Jesus, giving you honor and pleasure.]
 
 
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Psalm 15:1-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 5, 2018
 
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 great love, your glorious grace and your generous goodness, offering us life and love while we were dead in sins. It is your pure and positive Character at work in the midst of a sinful, 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 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, lustrous Character at work in mysterious and majestic ways, moving us from hopelessness and despair to certainty and grace.
 
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 October 4, 2018

Psalm 14:4 “Will evildoers never learn—”

[Lord, this means you are consistently working at teaching all rebels the error of their ways, 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, as has happened 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 they are apart from the righteous–those have surrendered to Christ–but 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 was 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.]

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Psalm 14:1-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2018

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 that there is no God is so far from reality, so entirely limited to this tiny earth, moment, and 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 check them out, you are concerned for them. Only an infinite God could be in 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 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 because we are sinners, any good that we did was tainted with selfishness, pride and deceit; we futilely try 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 hand 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, goodness and love. May my life, being focused on you, reflect your love and light to all around me today.]

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The Gift of God’s Faithfulness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 2, 2018
 
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 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 and 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. 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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The Gift of God’s Goodness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 1, 2018
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 time table, 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 our darkness and seeming barrenness. He is at work behind the scenes, as He was with 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 when God is not answering our prayers. These may be sickness, unemployment, relationship problems, depression (like the deep one my dear wife is going through as I write this), the death of a loved one, fears sparked by governmental chaos and failure, or by wars and great disasters.
 
But we can know that you, Lord, in your goodness, 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.
 
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–but we can choose to have hope in the midst of despair, we can have light in the midst of darkness, because you, Lord, are good, you have a plan for good and will 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, may be 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 growth, glorifying you and 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 always 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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77

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2018
For Barbara’s 77th birthday on September 28, as is our custom, we went for a walk on the beach at Watch Hill, RI. This time it was cold, windy and raining, but we had a good time anyway, celebrating her long and lovely life.
 
Here’s what was written on one of her birthday cards
 
“God has created you
and rejoices in all that you are.
 
God has chosen you
and called you His very own.
 
God has blessed you
and made your life a blessing!”
 
Good thoughts for all of us.
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The Gift of God’s Flawless Word

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2018
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 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, 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.
 
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 appearing 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; these 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. And third, 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, 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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