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Psalm 5:2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 11, 2018
Psalm 5:2 “Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”
 
[Praise you, Heavenly Father, that with the help of the Spirit, we can come any time to you through Jesus in prayer. Praise you that when we don’t know how to pray or what to pray, you, the Holy Spirit both guides us and intercedes for us.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you also pray for us. Prayer is your idea, it is your invitation for us to join you in your great work; it is your invitation into your throne room, into your heart.
 
Praise that you give ear to us, consider our heart’s desire, listen to our cry for help—and that you will answer. “In the day of my trouble I will call to the Lord, for he will answer me” (Psa. 86:7). Yesterday I got a very large, unexpected bill, and could turn to you, call to you for help, and and rest in you, knowing that you will answer—although I don’t know how at this point, I do know that, “The Lord fulfills the desires of those who fear him, he hears their cry and saves them” (Psa. 145).]
 
[The One we pray to is our King and our God, not to some far away deity, not to some heartless, capricious, unconcerned god like that of Is.lam. No, our God is the Ruler of the universe, the Sovereign over all, the Creator and Sustainer, the final Authority, the Beginner and Ender of all—and we belong to Him!
You, Lord Jesus, are my Shepherd, my Lord and my Savior. You are intimately interested in and concerned with your children, you are present with us wherever we are, you go before us, you keep your hand on us, you guide and direct in the smallest details.
 
You are my wonderful, warm, wholly good and strong God! In you I can trust, rest, believe and praise, in and for all things. I can be at peace, full of hope, overflowing with joy and surrounded by grace no matter what difficulties come into my life today.]
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Psalm 5:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 10, 2018

Psalm 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.”

[Praise you, LORD Yahweh, for you are the prayer-hearing God: you listen to my sighs, and are  glad to hear about my being burdened, my unrest, my fears, my disappointments, my tiredness. You hear my thoughts and understand them fully. You know my needs and have prepared provision for me, for you are loving and faithful: “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made” (Psa. 145:13b).]

“Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.”

[You, Lord God, are the One we must come to first; prayer is our greatest recourse, our first step, our wonderfully great privilege, the most we can do.

You are my King—the Ruler of all, Lord of my life, Commander-in-Chief of the hosts of heaven, Protector and Sovereign One–able and willing to listen and hear and answer. “The Lord is near to those who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” (Psa. 145:18-19).

And you are my God–that is, my final authority, the decider of what is right and wrong. You call us every day to play out a repetition of the Garden of Eden: will we choose to obey you, or to rebel? Will we choose to believe you or to listen to the siren call of the world, the flesh and the devil? Will we choose to make you the One to decide what is good and what is evil in our lives or do it ourselves? Will we just respond to what is around us, or will we be proactive early on in following your lead?

Think what would have happened if Adam had spoken up right away in that conversation between Eve and Satan, telling Satan to talk to him, not Eve, telling Eve to stop listening, leading Eve away from that temptation, forbidding her to take the fruit, pointing out the fallacies and inaccuracies that Satan was subtly inserting into her mind.

If Adam had kept God as his final authority, he would not have fallen; that was a very real possibility and is one that I also have now. Each day I will choose many times: will God be my final authority, deciding for me what is right and wrong, or will I usurp His right and lead myself down the path of the first Adam? I can actually make the right choice right now, ahead of time, before any temptation comes.

When I follow you, my King and my God, then I will give you glory. I will honor you before the hosts of heaven, exalt you before the hordes of hell, lift you up before the hearts of men. May I do that, Lord: with your grace and guidance may I give you honor and praise, glory and exaltation in the choices I make. Help me to surrender to you every day, especially today, in every moment, so you may be lifted up in the glory you deserve.]

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Being a Glory Giver

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 9, 2018

Lord, as your peace permeates more and more of my being, it would be easy to become complacent and lazy, unwilling to exert myself to work hard because the impetus to make myself feel good or to be significant by work is lessened.  May I continue to reject those negative, self-centered motives and act out of love for you, a desire to please you in the ways outlined in.

My prayer today is that Colossians 1:9-11 may be true in my life:

–Fill me with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding that I may live a life worthy of you, Lord, and please you in every way:

–bearing fruit in every good work [the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of our lips in praise, the fruit of good works, the fruit of leading people to Christ],

–growing in the knowledge of God,

–being strengthened with all power according to your glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience,

–joyfully giving thanks to you, Father, who has qualified us to be share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For you have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of your Son, whom you love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

I praise you that this is your great desire for us; I whole-heartedly accept and rejoice in these great truths, committing myself to obedience for your glory.  I reject being lazy and complacent, which is being a glory-stealer; I choose to be wisely diligent so I can be a glory-giver.]

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Psalm 4:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 8, 2018

Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

[In you ALONE, Lord, is security! There is no true safety anywhere else! Nor in anyone else! You are the True God, the Only Creator, the One and Only Savior.

There is no one like you, no one else who is fully Holy, completely Good, eternally Existent, entirely Self-sufficient. There is no one else who is perfectly balanced, who brings together paradoxical characteristics in perfect harmony: Love and Justice, Grace and Truth, Pardon and Judgment, Patience and Wrath, Hatred for sin and Love for sinners.

You, Lord Jesus, are our great Shepherd, our patient Brother, our majestic King, our powerful Savior, our wise Leader, our great Navigator, our ever-present Guide, our loving Rebuker, our eternal Priest.

With you we can dwell in safety, knowing we are fully forgiven, absolutely accepted, warmly welcomed into your Kingdom of power and glory. We can sleep in peace, we can rest in security, we can dwell in joy, we can interact with others in love—all because you watch over us.

Therefore I bow before you in wonder, praising you with all my heart, all my strength, all my mind, all my soul, for you are worthy of this and much more. You are the perfect, shining, beautiful, good, wonderful God who has made yourself my Citadel, my Refuge, my Shepherd, my King.

To you be glory and honor today as I focus the spotlight of praise on you so that others may turn to you and enter the light of your presence! May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be continually pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my mighty Rock and my Refuge (Psa. 19:14.]

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Psalm 4:7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 7, 2018

Psalm 4:7 “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.”

[Having wealth, security and provision bring joy to the natural heart. However, Lord, you desire to give our hearts much greater joy than anything this world can offer.

This is clear in our undeserved and rich relationship with you, in your unbelievably warm and loving grace and goodness which are personal, pleasant, powerful and profound. “These things I have told you so that my joy might remain in you and your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Truly, to know you is enough for joy!

To be your child and to walk with you opens our eyes to see more and more of the unseen, enables us to praise you in the midst of failure, rejection, hurt and pain–for your greatness, goodness and glory continue to be poured out upon us during such times.

In fact, the flow may increase during these times as we exercise the privilege of praise when we don’t want to, offering the sacrifice of our lips, the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Help me, Lord, to do this consistently as we ride the unpredictable roller coaster of Barbara’s depression, and now the slow recovery from my bout with encephalitis as well as my eczema, itching terribly from ankles to neck

Oh, that we would practice this all the time, for then we will rise through the levels of growth to greater and greater intimacy with you, to more and more understanding of your Love, to a deeper and broader grasp of your greatness, to a wider and higher vision of who you are.

There is no end to our ever-expanding wonder at your beautiful Character, your loving Heart and your mighty Strength, for you, Lord God are infinite in every aspect and are constantly at work in our lives, giving us God sightings daily. I praise you for your care, protection and provision for us every minute. You only, O Triune Lord God, are worthy of our worship.]

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Psalm 4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 6, 2018
Psalm 4:6 “Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?’”
 
[This is because many are willfully blind to or continually distracted from, the constant flow of life-giving goodness you pour out on us every day, Lord–your unending provision of our basic needs, your wonderful protection, the great attention from your heart to the details of our lives.
 
There is so much goodness that we cannot begin to count it all! From your keeping the stars in place to holding together every atom in the universe, you are doing what is beneficial for all human beings on every level, in every situation. You are marvelous, you are majestic, you are forever good–powerfully, patiently, persistently, paternally so, and we praise you for it.]
 
“Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.”
 
[And so you do every day, Lord, every minute without ceasing, with love and grace and goodness. We praise you for the privilege of having you as our Heavenly Father.
 
You keep on giving everyone light through creation, events and believers. You speak through the Spirit and your Word, giving conviction, insight, wisdom, guidance and direction, and providing sun and moon, clouds and rain, seasons and years, crops and animals–even though people take them for granted, or complain about what comes.
 
Many choose not to see your light, even though they have it: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:9,4). The people of the world prefer darkness because their deeds are evil: the light of Christ makes unbelievers uncomfortable.
 
You knew, Lord Jesus, that you would have such massive rejection when you came to live in the world as a man; you knew that from a human standpoint your time on earth would appear to be a failure, but you came anyway because you always know what is best, and do it, irrelevant of what people think.
 
Help us to see daily all the God sightings you give us, Lord, to live in the light of your presence, to walk in the light of your Word, to rejoice in the light of your love, seeing all that you provide every day, and give you honor for your generous, gracious and good heart.]
 
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Psalm 4:5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 5, 2018
Psalm 4:5 “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD.”
 
[In all things, including those that “make me angry,” (that is, actually reveal my own selfish agenda), I must make the right sacrifices, by trusting in you, O LORD.
 
It is so easy to do what comes by nature, to offer sacrifices that do not please you: to punish myself, deny myself to make myself better, try to earn your acceptance by my own “good” works.
 
In contrast, what are the sacrifices you desire? A major one is this: “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me…” (Psa. 50:23). Or as it is expressed in the New Testament, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Heb. 13:15).
 
This is what God desires, a response based on heavenly wisdom that honors Him with trust and faith. This means believing He has a good and loving plan for each of us and will use whatever He allows into our lives for good. Therefore, we can sacrifice our natural response to complain on the altar of trust, and instead praise in the midst of distress, thank in the midst of pain, delight in the midst of disappointment.
 
This is a right sacrifice, for it is done by faith, not by sight—and by offering this, all is transformed: suffering, disappointment, hurt, persecution, injustice, loss and difficulties–all become platforms for giving God glory, and bringing transformation in our lives.
 
As the Word says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him” (Heb. 11:6). Offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving is an act of faith, a wonderful way to please God.
 
No wonder Paul could say in 2 Corinthians 12:9,10, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Paul knew that praise brings power from God, that “he who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving…opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord” Ps 50:23b).
 
Paul knew this because God told him directly: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul believed this so deeply that when he had difficulties, he rejoiced, he got excited, he embraced them as positive: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties….” (2 Cor. 12:10).
 
Paul’s understanding of God’s character, of His way of working, of eternal Truth, of the “right-side-upness” of God’s Kingdom compared to the “upside downness” of this world’s, led him to say, “…when I am weak, then I am strong.” That is a “faith sacrifice” that God wants.
 
Lord, may I live that today, understanding the unseen so clearly that the power and truth of your Word may flow out of my life in responses of thanksgiving in whatever comes, in a sacrifice of trust that will bring delight to you!]
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Psalm 4:3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 3, 2018
 
Psalm 4:3 “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;”
 
 
[This is a most wonderful, mysterious statement. You knew what was to come, that we would respond to your call, that we would believe and be brought into your family–and you prepared all for it. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29a).
 
I praise you that you desired to have a relationship with us, that you delight in our being in your family, that you made us godly and continue to move us in that direction.
 
You are such a good God. You are so kind and gracious, even when we grieve you with unbelief and disobedience. You are loving when anyone else would be impatient, insulted and angry.
 
Praise you that you consistently move us towards being more godly. You chasten us, discipline us, rebuke us, shape us and guide us. You are forgiving, forbearing, forever faithful. We belong to you, we are yours alone and rejoice in this fact.
 
“the LORD will hear when I call to him.”
 
Because I belong to you, you hear and answer, you watch over me, care for me and protect me. You are the mighty LORD, the great I AM, the King of Glory–and yet you are attentive to even the least of your children, giving tender, compassionate, consistent attention.
 
How wonderful! How unbelievable! How marvelous! I praise you, O Lord, for your great grace, your lavish love, your persistent patience, your powerful provision. To you be glory for all that you are doing in our lives. To you be glory for who you are!
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Psalm 4:2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 2, 2018
 
Psalm 4:2 “How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?”
 
[It is the nature of human beings to worship, and you, Lord God, are the only One worthy of such adoration, honor and obedience.
 
Yet we so often leave your glorious Being to worship the tinsel and lights of this world: shiny new cars, flashy new electronics, exciting sports events, absorbing work, stimulating relationships, a focus on food, the slippery slope of sensuality, or the latest electrifying entertainment.
 
We seek our fulfillment, our excitement, our security, our significance in these things. We worship them as our idols, meaning we demand these things to be happy. I can get so absorbed in a project that I will snap at anyone who interrupts me. I focus on the feeling of accomplishment, not on my fellow followers.
 
In seeking elsewhere for what only you can give, we turn our backs on you, shaming you, the Creator and Source of all, the Provider of the possibility of these momentary pleasures. We willfully forget that it is you alone who are Eternal, it is you alone who are Almighty, it is you alone who holds time in your hand, who sets up and takes down kings, who breathes out stars and fills the heavens.
 
You alone are the glorious One to be worshiped, adored, exalted and obeyed, yet we let the momentum of the moment divert us away from your majesty to focus on the microscopic. Forgive us, Lord, lift our eyes to your greatness and free us from our idol worship.]
 
“Selah”
 
[which can mean, “Think on this.” Lord, to think on you, to lift up your name, to look on your glory–this is the purpose for which we were created. But in our twisted state, even as believers, we turn from you to the physical world for our gratification, strength and significance.
 
Forgive us for our rebellion against Truth, for our rejection of your Reality, for our regression to idols, for our repetition of Israel’s sins, for our return to the repulsive ways of our natural selves. It is the nature of our fallenness to worship what makes us happy, instead of you, who desires to give us all joy and peace, you who are the actual source of all goodness, righteousness and truth.
 
Help us to deny self, to let go of our natural tendencies, to hold on to you and fall at your feet in obedience and worship. Help us to live in praise for your great faithfulness and love, whether we are in pleasure or pain, goodness or grief, happiness or heaviness.
 
Glorify yourself in our lives today, Lord. We bow before you as your unworthy servants, as your redeemed and beloved children, as your dearly loved family. May the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths be pleasing in your sight today, O Lord, our mighty Rock and Redeemer (Ps 19:14).]
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Living out our purpose

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 1, 2018
I praise you, O Lord, for you are “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13). You are a shield around me (Ps 18:30), you shut me in behind and before and lay your hand over me (Ps. 139:5). You are my refuge and strength (Ps. 18:2).
 
To you I am a valuable inheritance, a beloved son, a cherished family member, bought with a price, adopted with fervor, loved with passion, sung over with joy and cared for with power. In you there is safety, in you there is help, in you there is goodness and grace.
 
You are the great Transformer, using the attacks of the enemy, the power of sin, the consequences of our rebellion to bring growth and goodness to us and glory to your name. You use them to unmask, break and undo then to reshape, redo and restore us towards the original image of yourself, to make us more like Christ.
 
Therefore I choose to live today in the truth that “Knowing Jesus is enough for joy!” I choose to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving for each thing that comes–as all comes with your permission and in your plan–and thereby fulfill the purpose you have given me of bringing honor to your Name!
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