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Psalm 7:11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 27, 2017
Psalm 7:11 “God is a righteous judge,”
 
[You are absolutely right in your decisions, Lord God, you are absolutely certain to judge correctly, you are absolutely sure to do so wisely and at the right time.
 
As you did not draw back from crushing your own Son in your righteous wrath, so you will not hesitate to judge sin to the fullest, in the future, at the exactly right time, and with truth and righteousness, wisdom and impartiality.]
 
“a God who expresses his wrath every day.”
 
[Praise you that you move in your wrath consistently, constantly, even now! Today you will move against the evil in the world, holding it back, judging evil-doers, allowing them to suffer the natural outcome of rebellion against you.
 
You also will continue convicting us of our sin, seeking repentance in our hearts and moving us inexorably towards the judgment day where you will remove all evil, locking it up in the lake of fire.
 
And we, as followers of Jesus, having entered the shelter of your forgiveness, know that every day you protect us from evil, including our own, while on judgment day we will be declared righteous in Christ, forgiven and cleansed. In this we can rest, praise and obey. And have the privilege and responsibility to call others to enter this shelter.
 
To you, Lord of All, King of Glory, Shepherd of sinners, God of Grace, Judge of evil, and Ruler of Righteousness, to you we come, to you we bow, to you we give glory, for you we want to be open, transparent, humbled, whole-hearted and committed obedience.
 
I give you glory now with all my mind, soul and strength. May you be the Ruler of my heart, the King of my thoughts, the Lord of my actions each moment. May you be exalted, praised and honored in my life today.]
 
Below: First snowdrops out yesterday, God’s promise of good things to come.
 
 
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Psalm 7:9-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 26, 2017
 
Psalm 7:9 “O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts,”
 
[You, Lord God, know the full truth about every person, for nothing is hidden from you, as you discern our thoughts and intents right to the bottom of our hearts. Therefore Your judgments are fully informed and righteous, true and just.
 
To you be praise, honor and glory for your perfect, pure, powerfully positive heart, leading you to act in full knowledge and wisdom, in love and grace to do what is right and best.]
 
“bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.”
 
[Praise you that this is your desire, Lord, to end evil and violence, setting limits on them now, then at the right time locking them up in Hell for good.
 
You are our only hope in the darkness of this world, in the flood of evil, in the failure of human hearts, in the power of the devil to deceive and delude. You are Light and Love and Life in the midst of darkness, despair and death. Praise you for your goodness and the hope you bring.]
 
Psalm 7:10 “My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.”
 
[Yes, you are our help and hope, for you are the Most High, you are the Great and Final Authority. You have the last word in every situation; no one can counter your judgments.
 
And in your authority, we are safe, for in your love you have shielded us through the blood of Christ, you protect us from Satan, sin and self. We can rest, safe in your shadow, for you are the Almighty One, undefeatable, all wise and the Victor in the end of every situation.
 
I praise you now, O Lord Jesus, for the protection you provide: in the past, present and future. You are worthy of worship, worthy of our total obedience, worthy of our full affection. May you be honored in my life today in attitude, thought, word and action.]
 
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Psalm 7:6-8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 25, 2017
 
Psalm 7:6 “Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, our Heavenly Father, that you hate sin and injustice, that your anger and wrath, like an avenging fire, are directed against all evil and wrong-doing, against the rage of your enemies Praise you that you act against sin at the right time and in the right way, whether it be in us or our enemies.]
“Awake, my God; decree justice.”
 
[This is our hope: that you, O God, are just, that what you decree and judge will be right, pure and good, done in full knowledge of peoples’ motives, thoughts and deeds. Therefore, we can trust you fully.]
 
Psalm 7:7 “Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples.”
 
[In you, O Jehovah, is safety; you only are our refuge. You look down from your throne and see the hearts of every person on earth, you observe all that they do, so you know and judge correctly. You are the One we can trust.]
 
Psalm 7:8 “Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.”
 
[Praise you, O Lord God, that you do not judge me according to my own righteousness–for I have none–but that you judge me according to the righteousness of Christ, in the goodness of Jesus that He has bought for me at the cross. You have given me this righteousness, qualifying me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light! (Col. 1:12) In you I am called, cleansed, transformed, claimed as your child, commissioned to special service, deeply cherished and dearly loved.
 
With you there is the hope of forgiveness, the certainty of acceptance, the gift of love and the power of grace. I can freely confess my sin to you, for you are good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy and truth to all those who call upon you (Psa. 86:5). And I can stand tall and sure at your side, knowing that I am in the shelter of the Most High; no one can accuse me of anything that you, Lord Jesus, have not covered with your cleansing blood.
 
May I live for you today, Lord Jesus, trusting you in whatever comes, fulfilling the purpose of my life by giving you honor and glory continually in thanksgiving and praise.]
 
 
 
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Psalm 7:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 24, 2017
Psalm 7:3 “O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands–”
 
[David faces the possibility of unconfessed sin being a factor here; there is none he knows, but there is always more sin in our lives than we are aware of. Help us, Lord, to be open to the conviction of the Spirit as He points out the next sin you want us to confess and repent of and lay aside.]
 
Psalm 7:4-5 “if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe, then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.”
 
[This is a powerful prayer of surrender to God’s judgment, a declaration of David’s innocence in these two possible crimes of attacking a man in peace or without cause robbing someone.
 
How sure could I be so sure of my innocence as to make such a strong claim of being without guilt? There is much in my life below the level of consciousness–as well as above it–to confess and forsake! Sins like impatience, fear, worry, gossip, pride and unkindness—small things according to human thinking, but all sin is significant in your sight.
 
Yet in you, O Lord, I am forgiven and cleansed. I must deal only with what you show me—and I want to do that. Help me to be alert and open to the work of your Spirit as He convicts, reveals and teaches me about the sins I need to confess and reject.
 
Help me to be confident in you and your forgiveness while being realistic and transparent before you and myself about my natural depravity–daily dealing with sin in eager confession and wholehearted repentance.
 
Help me then in receiving and embracing the forgiveness and cleansing within that flows from Christ’s sacrifice. Help me to walk in the confidence that I am accepted, dearly loved and holy in your sight (Col:3:12) as I stand in the righteousness of Jesus. I praise you, Lord Jesus, for your resurrection, redemption and righteousness, all shared with us so graciously! ]
 
Selah
 
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Psalm 7:1-2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 23, 2017
Psalm 7:1 “O LORD” [You, O LORD, are Jehovah, the God whose glory is in His holiness.]
 
“my God,” [You, O God, are my Elohim, the incredibly powerful One, who showed your might in creation, and the absolutely faithful One, who showed your faithfulness in providing salvation.)
 
“I take refuge in you;”
 
[This, Lord is what you desire: our full trust, our consistently taking shelter in your great power, mighty wisdom and unending faithfulness, for in doing so we bring great honor to you. This is what we must do as our first response to danger: fleeing to you, acknowledging our weakness and your power, our inadequacy and your total competency, trusting in you, not in ourselves.]
 
“save and deliver me from all who pursue me,”
 
[You, O Lord God, are to be our first recourse, our first and final aid. Before any other action, we need to come to you in prayer–as David has done here–and seek your help, for salvation comes from you alone, you who have the power to prevent anyone from pursuing us successfully.]
 
Psalm 7:2 “or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.”
 
[Our enemies, both supernatural and often human, are too strong for us; we cannot succeed against them–we would be destroyed if we sought to save ourselves. David was a mighty warrior, never defeated in battle, to my knowledge, yet he did not trust in himself, but fled to God here, begging for His help and intervention.
 
In Psalm 18:17-19 David said, “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”]
 
Lord, help us to remember how desperate a battle we are in each day–fighting against the world, the flesh and the devil–and to turn immediately to you when difficulty, disappointment and danger enter our lives.
 
May our trust be in you, not in ourselves or others. May you be our Rock, our Fortress and our Defender. We praise you now for what you will do in our lives today.
 
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Psalm 6:8-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 22, 2017
Psalm 6:8 “Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.”
 
[Here is a statement of pure faith—nothing has changed, there is no sign of an answer, yet David, after looking to God in prayer, is ready to trust, to act on unseen Truth and believe in the faithfulness of his heavenly Father.]
 
Psalm 6:9 “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.”
 
[He is certain, sure, convinced of God’s faithfulness and mercy, so he can state with trust that Jehovah has heard him and will answer. He looks to the character of God, the heart of his Lord, and is sure of an answer in the right time and right way. “I will call upon the Lord in the day of trouble, for he will answer me” (Psa. 86:7). ]
 
Psalm 6:10 “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”
 
[David ends his psalm with the statement of conviction and confidence. He does not have any visible sign of help yet, but he is sure of the outcome because he knows the living God who can and does act in power.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, for your great and wonderful character, full of unfailing love, unfailing wisdom, unfailing grace, unfailing help. You see all that is going on in our hearts, you know all our troubles, you hear all our prayers and you always answer in wisdom, power and grace.
 
We praise and thank you for your wonderful provision out of your glorious riches, your endless grace and your loving heart. May we live today in the light of these truths, bringing honor to you through our trust and confidence in you. Amen.]
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What a God!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 21, 2017
“The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and is armed with strength.” Psalm 93:1,2
 
You, O Yahweh, are the Holy One: Pure and Powerful, Sinless and Sincere, Just and Judicious, Rich and Righteous, Glorious and Good. You are majestic, magnificently robed in light, riding on the wings of the wind, commanding the stars, guiding the planets, towering over all heavenly beings in total otherness.
 
You move in wisdom and grace, you are thorough in your thoughts, powerful in your plans, precise in your purposes. You are never shaken, never flustered, never hurried, never late.
 
In your magnificent being you are awesome in power, overwhelming in scope, fearsome in glory, blinding in beauty, astounding in wisdom, infinite in knowledge. You are the One to be worshiped, the only One to bow before, to surrender to, to live for.
 
You keep all in place until your plan is fulfilled, when you will end time and history, creating a new heaven and new earth. Your faithfulness is our certainty that the world cannot be moved without your permission.
 
Truly, we can say with Asaph, “Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Ps. 73:25). We bow before you, Lord God Almighty, we praise you for your majestic, wise, pure, just and gracious being.
 
Prayer: “Lord, I give myself to you in offering, bowing in surrender, rising up to obey you in trust, to glorify you in wholehearted application of your Word. To you be glory today in all my motives, attitudes, thoughts, words and decisions. Amen.” — From EDIFIED!
 
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God Sightings

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 20, 2017
Each day I pray Ephesians 3:17-19, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, Eph 3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
 
One powerful way to “know this love that surpasses knowledge” is to note the “God sightings” He gives us each day. It is so easy to take them for granted, hardly noticing them at all. We have to cultivate the ability to see them, and when we do, our faith increases because we do see more of God’s love. Here are a some examples from my life to help you see them in yours.
 
When wanting to do some very needed work on the barn this winter, but having no help for it, one of my former part time helpers turned up out of the blue and wanted to earn a bit of money. And, as a second God sighting, he said he’s been thinking about all the spiritual things I shared with him and wants to start going to church and see his life turned around!
 
Then, while working in the old barn, we jacked up a beam to put a support under it. However, just as we got it near the right height, the jack kicked out and the heavy timber we were using to jack it up was thrown to the side with great force, but missed us completely. The only damage done was that it bent my level, but even then it was still usable! We could have been badly hurt but were graciously protected.
 
In another God sighting, a friend sent me an email, asking if I had two copies of EDIFIED! she could buy. If she had written a day earlier, I would have said, “No.” But the evening before she wrote, another friend returned a copy he’d borrowed, so I had at least one. Then on the day she came to pick up that one, a new shipment of EDIFIED! I’d ordered more than two weeks before finally arrived, just in time so I could have two books for her. God provided at exactly the right time!
 
In another incident, when returning from an appointment, we talked about making two stops on the way back, then decided not to and went straight home, arriving at 4:30. Then Barbara remembered that a neighbor said she’d come at 4:30 to get some hay! We’d forgotten, but the Lord had not, and guided us in getting home just in time!
So look for God sightings in your day, may it be as ordinary as making it safely home from shopping, and praise Him for them as you get to “know this love that surpasses knowledge.”
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From EDIFIED!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 19, 2017
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.”
Psalm 92:12,13
Praise be to you, Yahweh, the great I AM, the self-existent, eternal, unchanging, holy and perfect One—and paradoxically, the Lover of sinners. While your qualities of righteousness, holiness and justice dictated the necessity of judgment, condemnation and punishment, you chose, through your own suffering, to have mercy triumph over justice, to have grace trump punishment, to have love overrule wrath. You called us rebels to yourself, cleansed us, transformed us into new creatures and adopted us into your family, making us righteous in Christ.
 
You planted us in your courtyard, making us flourish, sprouting lush, green leaves of praise, and succulent, delicious fruit of the Spirit. You make it possible for us to get our roots deep down into the wonderful water of your Word so even in drought we can remain green, bearing our fruit in its season, and being successful in whatever you call us to do (Psalm 1:3).
 
You are the great Giver of good, supplying what is needed to keep your children growing, maturing, bearing more and more good fruit. You have provided all that is necessary for living a godly life and for overcoming the evil of the world (2 Peter 1:3). Yet in your wisdom and grace, your great patience and kindness, you leave it to us, your children, to draw this living water up through our roots of reading, to remain in your courts, to abide in the vine and to bear your fruit.
 
To those of your children who keep their roots growing down into the water of the Word, you promise: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…” (Ps. 92:14).
 
As we grow old, lose our physical abilities, have less strength, hear and see less, and may seem to dry up on the outside, we will still bear good, rich, delicious fruit for those around us: the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of good works, the fruit of people coming to Christ—which is just the opposite of what happens if we live naturally rather than supernaturally. And you cause us to remain fruitful so that we can declare “the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Ps. 92:15).
 
To you, O triune God, be honor and glory and praise. To you be worship, adoration and magnification. To you be power, might and exaltation. You are worthy, you are glorious, You are Elohim.
 
Prayer: “I bow before you, Heavenly Father in admiration; I rise up in enthusiasm; I go forth to worship you through obedience. May your name be honored today in all I think, say and do, my beloved God. Amen.”
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Psalm 6:5-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 18, 2017

Psalm 6:5 “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?”
 
[While he is right that the dead cannot praise in this world any longer, David here did not seem to have a clear view of what came after death. We as believers will praise you, Lord, after we die physically. We will see you face to face, exalt you, and bring you honor as we see your glory more clearly. What a marvelous truth!]
 
Psalm 6:6-7 “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”
 
[David was overwhelmed with worry, with fears, with anguish over his difficulties, his problems, his many enemies. In the night his mind raced from one problem to the next and sleep eluded him. His attempts to deal with this have met with failure; his strength is too little, his resources too meager.
 
So he cried out to you, Lord, the only true source of help, the only actual salvation available. He poured out his heart, hiding nothing. In lifting his soul to you, he was able to get out his burdens before you and be open to a renewed filling of the truth.
 
In Psalm 46:5, speaking of Jerusalem, David wrote, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” That is, after the coldest, darkest time of the night, God will come in to help. We have to wait in faith, knowing He will come in the right way at the right time.
 
May we turn to you, Lord, early on and not wrestle with our worry and fear, not depend on our finite insight and wisdom. Help us to consistently lift our souls to you, telling you what we are thinking, feeling and wanting, and submit this all to your Word.
 
Lord, we praise you that you are our Rock, our Salvation and our High Tower. May we rush to you for help in each challenge so that you may be lifted up before men and angels as you save us yet again from our enemies who are too strong for us.]
 
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