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Psalm 1:4-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 24, 2018
Psalm 1:4 “Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.”
 
[This shows that you, Lord are just, wise and good. You bless those who obey and allow those who rebel to live out the consequences of their rebellion. While those who surrender to you are like a fruitful tree, bearing good fruit, prospering in what you call them to do, those who don’t are like worthless leftovers on the harvest floor: abandoned as useless and blown away by the wind. They have, by their own choice, become of no purpose, are of no consequence and no value, frozen in the rebellion of their own decision.
 
The sad thing is that people choose to be in this situation, to devalue themselves. You offer them love, grace, worth, purpose, protection, a present joy and a future hope–but they reject this to feast on the chaff of this world, and they become what they feed on.]
 
Psalm 1:5 “Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”
 
[When judgment comes–and it will, for you are righteous and just–those who have rejected you will be swept away. They will suffer the rejection they have given you. As a consequence, they will be excluded from all goodness, banished from your presence and lost in darkness—by their own choice.
 
Praise you, Lord God, that this is not your desire. It is your will that “all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth…” (1 Tim 2:4). It is your desire that no one be condemned; but you give human beings the power of choice, first exercised by Adam and Eve in disobeying you, and then in a growing cascade of rebellion through the ages. And so, in the judgment to come, there will be consequences. As John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
 
John 3:18 adds, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
 
In spite of the ongoing rebellion of many, Our Heavenly Father continues to call all to repentance as Hebrews 4:7 states, “Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today…as was said before: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’”
 
So, we should be guarding our own hearts, while praying for and sharing with those who haven’t yet believed, so they may not condemn themselves, and so there may be more worshipers both here in this world frozen in sin, and in the sunshine of Heaven forever.]
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Psalm 1:2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 22, 2018
Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD,”
 
[Your Word is so delightful, Lord, so full of rich glimpses of your Majesty, insights into your marvelous Character, demonstrations of your Might and Holiness, displays of your Wisdom, Grace and righteous Wrath against sin.
 
Your Word has all that we need to know about you and how to live in the light of your love. It is deep, powerful, revealing and convicting. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
 
As we delve into it, you use it to delve into us, convicting us of the next sin we need to repudiate. As we dig in through memorization and meditation, you lead us on an endless discovery of gems of wisdom and treasures of truth. These make our lives rich and spiritually powerful, leading us to being glory-givers, wholehearted worshipers and grace receivers and givers–all of which leads to more delighting in your Word.
 
It is not hard to delight in your Word: we just need to spend time there and divest ourselves of our taste for the ashes of the world, getting used to the rich, heady fare of your Truth!]
 
“and on his law he meditates day and night.”
 
[To internalize your Word by memorizing and meditating on it is wonderful. It is a marvelous privilege to be permeated with your Truth, to think as you do, to set our hearts and minds on things above, to be able to say “Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides you.” (Ps. 73:25).
 
To meditate on your Word day and night results in having a Teflon-like cover for our mind and heart, coating them with Truth, so the mud of the world does not stick, and is daily washed away by the water of the Word.
 
When we memorize, personalize and pray through your Word, the Holy Spirit works powerfully to transform, to undo and redo, to break and reshape us in the image of Christ. He opens our eyes to new things, He replaces human thought with His thoughts, natural responses with supernatural ones, selfishness with God-centeredness, lust with worship.
 
Lord, to have your Word in my mind through memorizing it, in my heart through personalizing it, in my will through praying it—this means that all through the day I can think on your Word, measuring my motives, my thoughts and my words by it, rejecting what is natural, choosing what is of you.
 
As I daily meditate and pray through the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 and the prayers of 3:16-19, and other verses, you take me down into greater and more glorious understanding, into deeper and more dynamic insights. You work more widely and powerfully in the renewing of my soul. You manifest yourself more and more in my life.
 
Praise be to you for the great privilege of meditating on your Word, thereby knowing, living with, walking with, and working with the King of Creation, the Lord of Love, the God of Goodness. I praise you, I exalt you, I glorify you. May you be magnified in my life today so that people who meet me will also meet you, and that you may be more honored.]
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Psalm 1:1b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 21, 2018
Psalm 1:1b “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked”
 
[This is a call to discern and reject wrong: will I agree with God, or will I make human understanding the measure of right and wrong? Praise you, Lord, that you give discernment, based on your Word and the direction of the Spirit, to see and avoid the advice of the wicked—and I find that the majority of the wicked advice I encounter arises from my own heart!
 
I praise you, Lord God, that you are light, continually shining wisdom and understanding into our lives. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever more brightly til the full light of day” (Pro. 4:18).
 
If we take your light, we can discern and avoid the traps of wickedness. Blessed are those who have learned to walk in the light of your presence. The more we avoid the counsel of the wicked, the more we can walk in your light, in your love and into your blessings.
 
I praise you for the joy of being able to avoid the wiles of the devil, to recognize when he puts out the bait for me, to reject it, grasping clearly that the devil’s way only leads to misery, fear, oppression, failure and death. But you, O Lord, in your true wisdom, offer us just the opposite: joy, security, freedom, success and eternal life!]
 
“Blessed is the man who does not…stand in the way of sinners”
 
[This, I believe, is to watch what sinners do and desire to do the same. This is so common, so easy, so attractive: TV, movies, music, shopping, catalogues, colleagues, books, magazines, newspapers, the internet—all call us to stop and view, look and lust.
 
It is so natural to do this–but to walk in the way of Jesus is so much better. “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left, keep your foot from evil” (Pro. 4:25,26).
 
Yesterday at the photographers, I failed in this, looking twice at an unhealthy picture; forgive me, Lord, help me to heed instead to the voice of the Spirit, and stand not in the way of sinners.]
 
“Blessed is the man who does not…sit in the seat of mockers.”
 
[Lord, it is such a part of my nature to be judgmental, to criticize, to make fun of others. It makes me feel good, to set myself above and to decide who is acceptable and who isn’t, who is cool and who is a nerd.
 
But this is destructive, negative, unhealthy, ensnaring and evil. To do so is pleasing to the devil but grievous to you. It is the opposite of what you do with us—and since you know us completely, you have abundant reason to judge, condemn and reject us, yet you choose to love and elevate us to being your beloved children. Then you delight in us, rejoice in us, sing over us.
 
I praise you, Lord God, that you have worked so consistently in my life, convicting me of my negativeness and bringing me to the point of surrender, to stop speaking negative things, and to work at being positive–in my thoughts as well as words–to follow your command in Philippians 4:8 to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.
 
You yourself, Lord Jesus, are the great positive: in you there is only good, only purity, only holiness; there is no evil, no sin, no negative, no dark side. You are thoroughly, completely, perfectly good and all you do is good. You are the One for me to think on, rejoice in, delight in, and I choose to do so because your beautiful, shining, lovely, wonderful character is worthy of all worship and honor.
 
Praise be to you, glory be to you, honor be to you today in my life. May those around me benefit from the overflow of your Spirit and the goodness you pour into me, so when they meet me, they may also meet you.]
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Psalm 1:1a

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 20, 2018

Psalm 1:1 “Blessed is the man…”

[Praise be to you, O Lord God, for your desire is to bless people, to bring goodness and grace into their lives, to give them joy and satisfaction, fulfillment and positive pleasure. But this is not automatic, as the rest of Psalm 1 tells us.

You give us the power to choose–power we can use to bring blessing or curses down on ourselves. It is like you give us a powerful machine which can lift gigantic blocks of stone: with the push of a button, the pull of a lever, we can move great weight and volume.

In the spiritual realm, as we obey your principles, as we submit to the clear directions of your Word, as we obey the leading of your Spirit, as we whole-heartedly embrace your commands, then you move mountains to accomplish your will, you do great things in and through us, while bringing joy, grace, goodness, provision and safety to us and those around us.

As you said in John 15:10-11, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

In you, Lord Jesus, is all we need, and you have given us the privilege and power to access it as we choose your way over that of the world, of our old nature and of the devil.

Help us to choose for you through each moment of today that you may be lifted up before humanity and the spiritual forces that surround us.]

 

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Attitude

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 19, 2018
Charles Swindoll on Attitude
 
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
 
“…we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, that is our attitude.
 
“…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. …we are in charge of our attitudes.”
 
As believers, our attitude must be based on faith in God’s character and plan. “My soul finds rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. He only is my rock, my salvation and my high tower” (Psalm 62:1-2).
 
If we want examples of this, the Bible is full of them: Cain (negative) and Able (positive), Joseph and his brothers, David and Saul, Peter and Judas Iscariot. One of the most powerful examples, one we can latch onto and live, is Habakkuk, where, when facing invasion by a powerful and cruel enemy, he trusts God and writes:
 
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior Habakkuk” 3:17-18).
 
Jesus also demonstrates the power of a faith attitude in “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” And the Spirit then calls us to have the same attitude: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:2-3).
 
So let’s cultivate an attitude of faith, nourished by personal worship, meditation on the Word, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving and obedience in small things. Then when the big challenges come, we can face them with an attitude of trust and praise, because knowing Jesus is enough for joy, period.
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Psalm 37:38-40

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 18, 2018
 
Psalm 37:38 “But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.”
 
[The certainty of your judgment, Lord, is absolute: sin and all who choose to remain in it, will be condemned, destroyed in this world and removed from your presence in the next. Then the new Heaven and the new earth will have only obedience, love, glory-giving and worship of you, Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are worthy, the only One to be exalted, for you are the wise and good God.
 
Now David ends his Psalm with a reminder of how you are the Protector and Savior of your people.]
 
Psalm 37:39 “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.”
 
[we should look nowhere else for salvation, for no one and nothing else can save us, protect us, keep us as You can, Lord God. You are our Savior, Shepherd and Warrior King.]
 
Psalm 37:40 “The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,”
 
[You, Lord, are active, powerful and always present; you allow pressures that are good for us and remove those which are destructive. We can trust you to work all things out, as you did in defeating the wicked at the cross.
 
“because they take refuge in him.”
 
[You call us, Lord, to find our refuge in you, our great and good God. When difficulties come we so naturally and quickly flee to others for help. We run first to the doctor for a pill, to the banker for a loan, to the politician for influence, to a friend for comfort–instead of first coming to you in prayer, seeking wisdom, direction, help and healing.
 
You give us insight here: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). After we seek you in prayer, you may direct us to human help that you will use, although many times you act without that.
 
I praise you, Lord, for your calling us to partnership with you. Help us to remember to come to you first, all the time, displaying before men and angels our trust in you, for you have proved yourself many times over to be our refuge, our fortress, our shield and our defender. And then from this refuge, you will guide us in utilizing whatever human resources you choose, to bring about the conclusion you desire for us in each difficulty you allow.
 
Praise be to you, the God of Abraham, the Lord of Joseph, the Shepherd of David, and the Savior of the world. May you be honored, exalted and glorified as we respond in all things with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the calmness of faith and the obedience of trust.]
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Psalm 37:35-37

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 17, 2018

Psalm 37:35,36 “I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.”

[Think of Stalin, of Hitler, of Genghis Khan, and Napoleon. They all died and are no more–broken like the hollow tree in this picture. Their evil was dealt with, their powerful punishment is now implemented.

You, Lord God, are just, working out the proper punishment, while using the evil of men to bring about your purposes in the lives of many. I praise you that you continue to work against the designs of the devil, to destroy the plans of death and darkness.]

Psalm 37:37 “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”

[Abraham, Joseph, David, Elijah and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Paul, Luther and Billy Graham–these all live on, having an endless existence and unlimited joy with you.

I praise you, Lord, for the certainty of our future with you, filled with life, light, love and lavish goodness. I praise you for your unending, undeserved, unreserved, unrestrained grace, flowing from your heart of holiness into our lives of light.

We stand in your presence, chosen, cherished, dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in. You, Lord God are a wonder–no, you are THE Wonder of all existence, the God who lives in multi-dimensions, full of multi-goodness, operating out of multi-wisdom.

In the light of these great Truths, help us to consistently listen to your Word and respond to your Spirit, to grow in humility, brokenness, obedience and praise.

May we daily take up your grace, receive your wisdom, add endurance to our obedience, and become ever more godly, extending brotherly kindness and love to all those around us (2 Pet. 1:5-7). May you be honored, glorified and pleased with our walk today.

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Psalm 37:34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 16, 2018
Psalm 37:34
 
“Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;”
 
[In the midst of the twists and turns of life, the necessity of surrender is so clear: it is His timing and His way that are right, not mine. I must deny myself, take up His patience, obey what I know to be true and wait for His work. Guide me today, Lord, in walking in your way. Thank you that you will help us in your right timing.
 
What you do is always good, so your timing is good, your outcome is good. We can trust you and we choose to do so, praising you now for the outcomes of all before us, including Barbara’s depression.
 
“when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.”
 
[The outcome is sure–am I willing to wait for it, to join you in what you are doing now, Lord, leaving it to you to deal with the wicked? Or will I, in my arrogance, rush out in my own strength and time to battle foes far to powerful for me?
 
Help me to rest in the outcome you promise and to endure through the misunderstanding of others, the disapproval of others, the negatives of their responses. Help me to think and live in truth. Help those who oppose me to see truth also, to surrender to you, to come to walk in your light.
 
Praise you, Lord God, that you are the Winner, the Victor, the triumphant One in the end–always. Praise be to you for your power, your wisdom, your patience, your grace and your goodness. We can wait for you, knowing that you will go before us, giving us light in this dark valley and leading us out the other side, strengthening and maturing us along the way.
 
Help us all to endure, to move through with your power, listening to you, doing what is right and best, cooperating with you rather than doing our own thing in our own timing. Help us to avoid the mistake of Abraham, who in his impatience, fathered Ishmael, bringing trouble on many. We submit to you, Lord, for you are the wise One, the good One, the holy One.
 
I thank you for the certainty of your being with me through this day, of my being able to join you in what you are doing. Show me continually how to do this and I praise you now for the help you will give.]
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Light in Darkness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 15, 2018
From EDIFIED, written in 2011 while living in Germany
 
“Bow down and hear me, O Lord, for I am poor and needy.”
Psalm 86:1 NKJV
 
Praise you for this word, Lord Jesus, as it clarifies what is happening in my life. There is too much to do and I do not have the strength to work hard at it, being so tired. I praise you for this situation for it reminds me that without you I can do nothing (John 15:5).
 
Thank you for my weakness, thank you for there being more work than time, thank you that I cannot handle it in my own strength. In my mind there is a jumble of things, giving me an underlying sense of unsettledness; this further saps my strength, confuses my thinking and works against my being disciplined in doing the next thing.
 
Yes, “I am poor and needy” but you, Lord, are rich and powerful. Being at the end of my fraying rope, I willingly switch to your strong, eternal, graceful rope. I praise you for your love and kindness in prodding me to surrender like this. Praise you for working to “preserve my soul, for I am holy, devoted to you,” knowing that you “save your servant who trusts in you” (Ps. 86:2).
 
I praise you for all that is happening in my life, both positive and negative. Thank you that I seem to be catching up on my sleep. Thank you that I am making progress on the big writing project, endless as it appears to be. Thank you that my restless legs have returned, again a sign of unsettledness, a need to return to rest in you.
 
Thank you, too, for the seeming failure of my mother-in-law’s eye operation; you are doing something with that, something we can’t see yet, but which you will use for good. Praise you now for how you will work this out. Thank you for my wife’s illness. Thank you for the uncertainty about our going to the US, about what to do in the next two months, about the uncertainty in the church. Also for the three, possibly four tax problems before us.
I look away to you, for you are “good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all those who call upon you. … In the day of my trouble I will call upon you for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:5,7). You are the trustable One, the wise One, the powerful One. In the seeming unsolvable turmoil, looming failure and insurmountable tasks, you are at work, guiding, directing, helping, overcoming.
 
You are my Rock, worthy of praise and worship, and I give those to you now before any solutions come to pass. You are “full of compassion, gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Ps. 86:15). Glory is due you; praise is our privilege; worship is our response–because your character is holy.
 
Thank you that you “grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your handmaid” (Ps. 86:16). Praise you that daily you give “a token of your love so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, for you, Lord, have helped and comforted me” (Ps. 86:17).
 
Prayer: “Give me your wisdom, Lord, that I may do what is on your agenda today. I lay down my will and take yours instead. Thank you for the guidance you will give, the ways you will open and shut, the protection you will provide, shielding my head in the day of battle. Amen.”
 
[Epilogue: in the end my mother-n-law’s eye operation was successful; all our tax problems (with the German government) were solved with minimal cost, my writing project was finished, Barbara got well and He carried us through, guiding us in when to leave Germany. In the midst of our weakness He is faithful!]
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Psalm 37:32-33

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 14, 2018
 
 
Psalm 37:32 “The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, seeking their very lives;”
 
[This is an unavoidable fact of life here on fallen earth: those who reject your way, Lord, will attack those who follow Jesus. They hate the righteous, as they are motivated and guided by Satan, who seeks to use them for his destructive and evil purposes.
 
So, we should not be at all surprised when such attacks come. To expect them is to have a biblical view of things, remembering Jesus’ words, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18).]
 
Psalm 37:33 “but the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned when brought to trial.”
 
[You, Lord, are faithful, and are always with those you have made righteous, that is, your children. You will guide us and carry us through each attack, as we rest in you.
 
You will rescue us, whether it be by some divine intervention, by giving justice, by giving grace to endure through or by taking us to yourself. Praise you for the certainty that you will guide, direct and protect us in all.
 
This is what we experienced in being arrested and put on trial for our faith in 1988. In the end, you led the prosecuting attorney to defend us and to define our freedom of religion widely and officially, leading to a rapid expansion in the number of believers and little churches—all glory to you.]
 
I praise you, Lord, for the security, the rest, the peace, the joy that comes from knowing you, the great and sovereign King, Ruler of time and space and all that is in them.
 
You are the truly good One, the wonderfully wise One, the gloriously gracious One, the infinitely patient One. In you we can trust, in you we can rejoice when all goes sour, for your grace and goodness are enough, lifting us above the evil and hurt of life. Thank you, Lord God, for your care which will come in each succeeding moment.
 
To you be honor and glory in my life today, Lord Jesus, through my listening to your Word, submission to your Spirit, obedience to what I know to be true and praising you in and for all that comes.
 
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