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From Edified: Your Marvelous Works

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 15, 2018
“For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!” Psalm 92:4,5 ESV
 
O Lord God, you are marvelous and we see this in your creation, with the dizzying array of size, shape, variety, color and texture in plants, animals and landscapes. You have shared with us your love of beauty, your graceful shaping, your wisdom in practicality, your intelligence in complexity.
I think about the million optic nerve cells in a developing baby in the womb; at one point, two sets of nerves grow simultaneously, one set from the eye and one set from the brain, joining at the right place, with each individual nerve finding and joining with its corresponding partner. This perfect weaving brings to our brains an exact image of what is before us. And all this is done in the way you designed.
You made our bodies to be so effective, so compact, so efficient, creating some parts to be amazingly multifunctional: mouths for speaking, tasting, eating, breathing, smiling and kissing. Legs for locomotion, lounging, lifting, lugging and loving.
You build into our being the ability to enjoy a wide range of experiences. You give us the joy of running, of relaxing, of sleeping, of walking in a snowfall, of feeling the warm sun, the crisp cold air, the tingle of frost, the drumming of rain.
You have given us the delight of flowers with colors vivid and gentle, deep and pastel, having tiny beautiful details within, gorgeous shapes without. I think of the rich purple of a tulip’s petals, sheltering the white stem within, like a lady wearing her three-pointed crown, surrounded by her deep brown guards-a tiny world of beauty, waiting to be discovered (as seen in the picture here).
You have made joy available everywhere. Think of the joy of a new born colt, staggering to his feet, shaking off the surprise of birth, running at his mother’s side. Think of the exuberance of a shooting star, streaking across the night sky. Or the contentment of a crescent moon in winter, cradled low in the West in the bare arms of up-stretched winter tree branches. Think of the happy croak of frogs on a warm spring night. Or the joy of a dog, greeting his master in the morning, tail wagging, tongue hanging out, smiling with anticipation of the day.
Your works give us joy, O Lord, they are marvelous, revealing to us your greatness, wisdom and beauty. And this is only a dim reflection of what it will be like with you in Heaven, where all will be more of everything: more beautiful, more vivid, more delightful, more tasty, more varied, more vibrant-for there will be no twisting of sin to mar our vision or your creation.
I exalt you, Lord God for your thoughts from which creation flowed, I glorify you for your marvelous and meticulous works. You are worthy, Lord Jesus, of eternal exaltation, of endless adoration, of timeless, whole-hearted worship. To you be glory in my life today and forever.
 
Prayer: “Lord, I stand in awe of you. May my thoughts, actions and words reflect this awe today to all those around me. Amen.”
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Psalm 34:21-22

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 14, 2018
Psalm 34:21 “Evil will slay the wicked;”
 
[we cannot play with evil and win. In the end it will devour those who indulge in it. The devil always destroys his own, of that we can be certain.]
 
In contrast, “the foes of the righteous will be condemned.”
 
[The righteous will be vindicated and their foes–those who oppose righteousness, including Satan and his minions as well as those humans who reject good and love evil, who refuse to bow before Jesus as God, Savior and Lord–they will be judged, condemned and sent to the holding place of wickedness, locked up forever.
 
Praise you, Lord, for your just and right hatred of evil, for your not allowing it into Heaven. You are purely good and only what is good will be allowed into the new Heaven and earth, continuing for eternity.
 
Praise you that you made the way to eliminate evil from our nature, to free us from both the essence and penalty of sin, to transform us from enemies into emissaries of your Kingdom, from being condemned criminals to cherished children.]
 
 
Psalm 34:22 “The LORD redeems his servants;”
 
[In you, Lord Jesus, we, your beloved servants, have been bought back from the kingdom of darkness, from dwelling in the land of the dead, from unseeing stumbling through life and ushered into the Kingdom of light, sight and life.
 
I praise you for your faithfulness in following through on your promises given in the Garden, Father, to provide a Savior and salvation for all. I praise you for holding open the gate of grace to every human being, continually offering eternal life to all who are willing to come, bow before you and receive your forgiveness.]
 
“no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.”
 
[You, Lord Jesus, are the true and mighty Rock of refuge, the Place of protection and pardon, the Fortress of favor and forgiveness. Praise be to you for your lavish Love, your mighty Power, you great Grace and your persistent Goodness as you seek to bring all into your Kingdom, even though you know all will not come.
 
Your unending Love is so Great, so Mighty, so Eternal, so All-embracing, flowing on and on in spite of what we are. You are worthy of our love and adoration, our fear and obedience, our worship and exaltation.
 
Lord, today may you be glorified in my life because you are worthy. May you be lifted high in my being, exalted in my words, extolled in my thoughts, honored in my actions and magnified in my motives. To you belongs honor; may it flow bountifully to you today. Amen.
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Psalm 34:19-20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 13, 2018
Psalm 34:19 “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all….”
 
[Being righteous in you, LORD, does not protect us from trouble–I think of Job and his trials, of Daniel and the multiple life-threatening crises he experienced. But as you were clearly with each of them, so you are with each of us in every challenge and will properly deliver us from every difficulty when the proper time comes.
 
You may deliver us at the moment, or in a while, or years later or at death; you know the best timing and we can trust you in it. I think of Abraham waiting for a son, of Joseph waiting to get out of prison, of Elisha’s flood of difficulties, of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Jesus in what they suffered. You were with each and delivered them at the right time and in the right way. Praise you for this promise which I personally can trust, even as my wife is in the midst of a distressing illness with no end in sight.]
 
Psalm 34:20 ‘he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.”
 
[Here is a clear reference to how you protected Jesus in His beatings, crucifixion, anguish and death. In spite of all the physical abuse he took, you kept his bones whole–every single one. You are the God of detail, of power, of total awareness.
 
So you also work in our lives. I think of the many times you have spared me in driving, times when I should have had an accident because of my own poor choices, but you sovereignly intervened and kept us safe.
 
You are God, you are King, you are wise and you are powerful. You are worthy of our trust. I surrender myself to you this day, willingly giving my life into your hands again.
 
Fill me with your Spirit, may He overflow onto to all whom I meet today. May you be honored and exalted in what I think, say, do and accomplish. May I praise you in and for all things. May your name be lifted up by my responses to whatever comes. I praise you for the privilege of exalting you in the midst of suffering. Amen.
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Protection!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 11, 2018
From Edified!
 
“Your faithfulness will be my shield and my rampart….”
Psalm 91:4b
 
Today, Lord Jesus, I walk in amazement under the canopy of your love, knowing that you look at me, not with tolerance, or thinly disguised disgust because of my stubbornly selfish responses, but you see me clothed in your righteousness! You look on me with delight, with joy, with pleasure, glad to have me as your child, as your brother, in your family, in your Kingdom.
 
You call me to meet with you each day as you stoop low to gather me to your heart, enjoying our interaction. I praise you that, contrary to all logic, you revel in our relationship, you delight in doing good to me, you rejoice in being my rampart, you savor shielding me from harm. And all this when I deserve the opposite: there is no earthly reason for your love; no, only heavenly reasons.
 
I praise you, O Elohim, that in your power and faithfulness you consistently shield my head in the battle of each day, you always stand as the rampart between me and the attack of the enemy; I can rest in you.
 
You are the Most High, the All-knowing, the All-present One, so you are never caught off guard, are never late, are never out-witted by the enemy. Your defenses are impregnable, your presence is unassailable, your plans are impenetrable: the enemy can never get by you without your permission; you are always the Victor in the end!
 
You, Lord Jesus, are a wonder, a marvel, majestically awesome, massively powerful. Your great compassion has sowed in me the seed of love for you, the seed of submission, the seed of adoration for you. As I gaze on you in worship with unveiled face, you are moving me towards living those sublime words: “Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Ps. 73:25).
 
I adore you, I lift high your name, I revel in you, I exalt you. I offer you praise, glory and worship, O Great and High King, Lord of Glory, Ruler of the Universe, Judge of all, Redeemer of all sinners, Savior of all those who believe, Concluder of all history. You only are fully Patient and Profound, Gracious and Good, Pure and Perfect. You only are worthy of worship!
 
Prayer: “To you, Lord Jesus be joy, power, authority, victory and honor today, now and forever. Guide me in giving you glory this day. Amen.”
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Painful Progress

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 10, 2018
From the devotional book EDIFIED!
 
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires [“lusts” as KJV says] that battle within you?”
James 4:1
 
I was unhappy, very unhappy–and didn’t know why. I snapped at my wife and was impatient with my boys. I felt very tired. There was no sweet spirit of peace and pleasantness flowing out of my heart; instead there was the acrid stench of bitter selfishness.
Situations like this explode out of me periodically and I am taken by surprise when I act so badly. However, our gracious Lord, who knows all and controls all, was simply giving me another lesson in faith.
While this upheaval was going on, 1 Peter 1 came up in my devotions; verses 6 and 7 spoke clearly to this situation: “…for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, those have come so that your faith…may be proved genuine…”
Aha! One reason for the coming of these inner pressures is the Lord showing me where my faith is not genuine. I expect myself to be “spiritual” when in actuality I am a redeemed but desperately wicked sinner in need of God’s constant grace.
Turning to James, I read in chapter 1, “Consider it pure joy, brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (Jam. 1:2-3).
Again, here is the truth: God was using this distress to make me grow by giving new revelation of the depravity of my heart. And my responsibility? To give thanks even though I felt the opposite, and then ask forgiveness from God and from those I’ve trampled on and to repent, being kind to them instead.
Taking a pen and paper, I claimed the promise of Psalm 86 “…Rejoice the soul of your servant, for I lift my soul unto to you,” and began telling God all that was in my soul: my worry, fear, anger, frustration, selfishness and impure thoughts that had surfaced under the pressures of my unhappiness. One by one I brought them under the blood, and surrendered them to Christ, asking again for the filling of the Spirit. Then I ripped up the paper.
Along with this, I went to bed early and got a good night’s sleep. The result? Today has gone exceedingly well. The outward pressures of today are greater, my responsibilities more, but the Lord is strengthening my faith, leading to trust, praise and rest in the midst of turmoil. As He shows me my weaknesses, I can lift my soul in confession and surrender, and He is bringing joy to my soul. What a faithful and wonderful God we have-and what a powerful Word He has given us to bring light and peace.
 
Prayer: “Today, Lord, help me to remember how weak I am and how great and powerful you are. Help me to praise you in the difficulties of the day so your power can work in my life, so I can live in a way that will bring honor to you. Amen.”
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Wonder

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 9, 2018
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that, in spite of things not going the way I desired yesterday, you gave wisdom and grace to respond with thanksgiving and surrender, to move through with grace and wisdom, not giving into fear or disappointment or self-pity. You are the One who ultimately decides what will actually happen, whether it lines up with my desires or not, so I thank you for your chosen goodness which you pour out constantly on me.
 
I praise you for your Eternal Goodness, your Rich Wisdom, your Almighty Strength, your Perfect Righteousness, your Exacting Justice, your Marvelous Mercy, your Expansive Grace, your Lavish Love, your All-pervasive Presence. I thank you for your Inscrutable Triuneness, your Tender Care and your Flawless, Unchanging Character.
 
You, Lord God, are the One to be worshiped, to be praised, to be trusted, to be obeyed. Forgive me for thinking too much of the details of life and therefore not reveling and basking more in the greatness of your Being, in the light of your Love, in the loveliness of your Life, in the goodness and greatness of your Grace.
 
You are worthy of honor, exaltation, magnification and thanksgiving in all circumstances. Your sovereignty, your wisdom, your love, your grace insure that you are moving the world to a conclusion of redemption, reclamation and re-creation, where evil will be eliminated and holiness will rule along with love and grace.
 
Therefore we can trust you in all that comes with your permission, we can think your Truth, see with your eyes, give you glory in thanksgiving and praise, and be carried by you to the conclusion you have planned.
 
I praise you for the joy of knowing you, for the salvation of your love, the security of being in your hand, the significance of being your child, the certainty of our future.
 
To you be glory and honor, praise and exaltation, for you are worthy, O Lord. You are the Creator, you are our King, you are our Shepherd, you are our God–you are Lord alone.
 
I bow before you now and surrender to you all you have given me. To you be glory in my life today, O Lord God, Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit. May all around me see you at work in my life; may your Spirit overflow from my being and touch all I meet. May you be the exalted and extolled One today. Amen.
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Psalm 34:17

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 8, 2018
Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”
 
[Praise be to you, the Sovereign, Infinite and Powerful God, who hears every prayer of every one of your children and answers them in the best way. Praise you that you act at the right time to deliver us from all our troubles–the timing may be very different than we’d like, but we can be confident that you will act just when we need it.
 
In sending Jesus to suffer, die and rise again, you have delivered us from the most fundamental of our troubles: rescuing us from the kingdom of darkness, from the dominance of sin, from the danger of eternal death, from the devil’s deceit and distortions.
 
We stand now as your beloved children, free of shame, of condemnation, of hopelessness, of meaninglessness. We stand in your presence, in your light, in your love, in the new life you have given us. We stand equipped for the battle, able to be more than conquerors in whatever comes to us, as we stand firm in the armor you have provided.
 
You have supplied us with wisdom, patience, love and grace. You have made your Holy Spirit dwell within us. You have given us your wonderful Word. And we live in the certainty that you will triumph in all as you carry us on with you to the end of history, giving us each a significant role to play in your glorious plan.
 
You have saved us from all the great troubles we were born into. And you will save us out of all the myriad of troubles that plague us in this warped world of woe, using each one to mature and mold us into the image of Christ–as we respond with praise and trust in all.]
 
Yes, you, Lord God, the faithful One, the delightful Deliverer, the lavish Lover of our souls, are bringing us out from all our troubles at just the right pace. To you be honor and glory today as we live in the light of your Grace, rejoice in the goodness of your Love and rest in the certainty of your Promises.
 
Keep our eyes on the Truth, Lord; help us to keep on the armor, to keep up the shield of faith, to be people of truth and trust because we know you, the God of love and life, of goodness and grace. May you be exalted in all that I do today.
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Psalm 34:15-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 7, 2018
Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;”
 
[Praise be to you, Lord, for your rich faithfulness, for your persistent love, for your deep commitment to your children. Praise you that you always watch over us, that you hear every prayer, every word, every thought. Praise you that you are totally aware of what is going on in our lives.
 
Your love is strong and deep and powerful. We can trust you to hear us whether we sense it or not, and to work out what is best, whether we understand it or not.]
 
Psalm 34:16 “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
 
[What a stark contrast: from total redemption to total rejection. In your great Love, Lord, you hate evil and will deal with those who choose to live in it.
 
The greatest evil is to reject Jesus and His offer of forgiveness. Out of that rebellion and pride flow every other evil. At the right time, you will righteously end the earthly lives of all such rebels and wipe out even the memory of them. Praise you for your rejection of evil so that it may not continue in Heaven.]
 
Thank you, Lord, for your goodness which under girds us in our griefs, permeates our problems and transforms troubles into the next step up as we praise you for who you are and what you are doing in them–even though we cannot see any good at the moment.
 
I praise you for allowing the present problems in our lives with Barbara’s illness. I ask that out of your love and wisdom, your righteousness and grace that you give us a fresh “Job experience” (Job 38-42) of seeing your greatness and glory so that we may continually bow before you in humility and confess, “I have nothing to say; you are right Lord, praise you for what you are doing.” And I praise you now for whatever you will do, Lord, for you know what is best.
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Psalm 34:12-14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 6, 2018

“I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Psalm 34:12 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,”

[These are the results of fearing the Lord: we will live longer (less stress, avoiding harmful practices), and we will have many days where we have lots of good flowing into our lives. Who doesn’t want that? God definitely wants to such goodness for us, and wants to motivate us to desire to fear Him so that more goodness will flow to us. Fearing Him is caring deeply what He thinks and obeying Him in awe of His marvelous might and majesty.]

Psalm 34:13 “keep your tongue from evil”

[The first element of the fear of the Lord is not speaking what is evil. No complaining (a big evil in God’s eyes because we are saying He’s not always good), no gossip, no negatives, no cutting others down, no manipulation, no sarcasm, and no selfish boasting–to name a few common to all of us.]

“and [keep] your lips from speaking lies.”

[Only truth. So no more telling ourselves lies (“Poor me,” “Everything is terrible,” “No one loves me,” “Nothing ever goes right.” “I can never win,” “Whatever I do, it’s wrong.”). No more telling others lies, no matter how polite they seem (“I’m fine” when I’m not. Instead of saying, “I’m having a difficult time, but am trusting God in it,” which is an honest answer that brings glory to Him and may open up meaningful conversation). And definitely no intentional lies to protect self or gain advantage.]

Psalm 34:14 “Turn from evil and do good;”

[Reject darkness and live in the light. I must measure my motives, thoughts, words and actions by Scripture, by what Jesus did and commanded. I must avoid evil at all costs, spotting it early on and rejecting it in favor of doing what God deems good. Confessing ahead forearms and forewarns me; I need God’s help to see evil in every area–before it becomes thought and then action–so I can bring Him glory.]

“seek peace and pursue it.”

[Not just seek to avoid conflict, protecting myself, but to wholeheartedly run after true peace, push to get peace, beginning with forgiving those who have hurt us, returning good for evil, blessing those who persecute us, and being loving to those who are obstinate. Lord give me wisdom in how to do this well.]

Praise you, Heavenly Father, for sending your Spirit to give us your Word: clear, deep, rich and transforming. Help me to walk in your Word, in the fear of the Lord today, taking your Word as the measure of what is right and wrong. Alert me to when I am not doing so, and help me to get back onto the path immediately. I praise you now for how you will help me today.]

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Psalm 34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 5, 2018
Psalm 34:10 “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”
 
[Here is that earlier truth repeated (“Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing”), this time with an example and action.
 
Even powerful, wild lions can grow weak when they don’t find food. In comparison, those who look to God–especially those who are weak–who actively seek Him, who intentionally follow Him–will not lack any good thing. This includes provision of needs for life (physical, emotional, relational) as well as the privilege of experiencing difficulties to make us grow and deepen spiritually, equipping us and providing us opportunity to give God glory.
 
Help me to live this way, Lord, to seek you and your wisdom in every circumstance, every decision, every relationship, every moment. Help me to think, obey and live Truth, keeping on the armor of God, embracing all that is right and good, taking up my cross daily, praising you in and for all, and following you with all my heart. I praise you ahead of time for how you are going to help me in seeking and fearing you throughout today.
 
Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me;”
 
[This is God calling us to be teachable like children who are more honest than adults in recognizing their limited abilities, their dependence on their elders, and are open to input. Little children tend to be eager to learn and accepting of guidance. So should we, always ready to hear from God rather than proudly relying on our own tiny thoughts and ideas.]
 
“I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
 
[What a wonderful offer from God. Knowing the fear of the Lord is not something naturally discovered, something we can figure out for ourselves. We need God’s revelation and input to understand what the fear of the Lord is, and how to live in it. Are we listening?]
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for how you will provide all I need–in your faithfulness protecting, guiding and sustaining me through whatever you allow.
 
I praise you now for your goodness yet to be displayed as we personally walk through the valley of the shadow of depression. Glory be to your name as you help me learn to walk in the fear and awe of you, actively seeking you and your will in each instance, praising you in and for all things. Amen.
 
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