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Psalm 24:3-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2017
 
Psalm 24:3 “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?”
[This means not everyone may ascend and stand before you, Lord, for you, being holy and pure, have conditions that we must meet first.
I praise you that you do not bend your standards, but met your demands in Christ so that we can come before you. Praise you that you will not allow sin to enter heaven, that you will definitely eliminate wickedness from the new heaven and earth, while saving those who trust in you. This is a wonderful part of our hope in you, Lord God.]
Psalm 24:4 “He who has clean hands and a pure heart,”
[These we can have only in you, Lord Jesus. There is no way we can purify ourselves of all the sinful tendencies and drives which are an innate part of our natural heart, or clean our hands from all the wrong things we have done.
David did so much wrong with his hands, killing women and children in his raids, having so many wives, committing adultery and murder–yet you, Lord Jesus, provided cleansing and purity for him, and for us. You are the One who paid the penalty so we can have cleansed hands, and a new, pure heart. Praise be to you!]
“who does not lift up his soul to an idol,”
[Here is our part, to worship you alone, Lord Jesus. Praise you, Lord, that you are showing me the many idols in my heart, that is, whatever I demand, apart from you, to be happy. I praise you that you have exposed so many and continually help me to reject them.
You, O Lord God, are the only one worth lifting our souls to, and I commit myself to do that. Help me to quickly spot my idols and reject them.]
“or swear by what is false.”
[To put value on what is false is a serious sin. Only what you, Lord, value is worth our time and energy. I praise you that in you we can be free from what is false, for you are Truth itself and the truth sets us free.
You know all things, therefore your measure of truth is the one we should use. I praise and thank you, Lord Jesus, for shepherding us into freedom FROM falsehood, and freedom IN Truth.
You are the wise God who, through your Word and Spirit, reveals to us what we cannot possibly discover with our feeble intellect. You are the great and wonderful God whom we can worship because you have opened the way to a rich and revealing relationship with you. Help me to walk with you closely through the whole of this day, obeying what I know to be true, honoring you.
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Psalm 24:1-2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 5, 2017
 
Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”
 
[To you belong all things, O Lord Yahweh, the Great Creator God. Every square inch of land, every drop of water, every plant, every mineral, every molecule as well as every creature is yours. You are the undisputed owner by virtue of your creating all out of nothing, simply speaking them into existence.
 
You are, therefore, worthy of glory and honor, of awe and worship. You are also worthy of obedience, for we, too, belong to you as the work of your hands, as creatures before the Creator.
 
Psalm 24:2 “ for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.”
 
[It was you, Lord Yahweh, who spoke and brought the earth into existence, hung it on nothing, spun it at the right speed, correctly tilted the axis for proper seasons, and sent it off in the best orbit around the sun. You are the One who planned all, established the laws of physics, set gravity at just the right strength, who put your stamp of design on every aspect of your creation.
 
Your intelligence is seen everywhere: in the complexity, variety and beauty of flowers, giving you honor in their gracefulness and cheer as they bear seeds for the next year; in the ingenious design of fruits, with their perfect packaging for seeds and as delicious food for creatures; in the reproduction of animals in various ways, each appropriate for their place of life.
 
I praise you, Lord that you are the Founder of all, the Source of all, the Protector of all, the Redeemer of all. You are the God worthy of worship and honor, of obedience and praise, of thanksgiving and self-denial.
 
Praise you that you lead us consistently in the right way, moving us back towards the beauty that was there in the beginning. Praise you that we can know you, walk with you, cooperate with you, be loved by you, the Great Creator God.
 
I give you glory, exaltation and thanks today. May you be honored in my life. May I bring you joy, not pain; gladness, not sorrow; pleasure, not grief. I praise you now for how you will answer this prayer in the day before me, for you are gloriously faithful and fantastically good.
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Perspective In the Midst of Difficulty

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 4, 2017
 
Written several years ago when faced simultaneously with three difficult situations.
 
Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength”
 
[In my weakness, your strength is perfected.]
 
“and makes my way perfect.”
 
[You know exactly what should happen, what should come, what is right, and that is what you bring. You know how I should respond and guide me in that direction.]
 
Psalm 18:33 “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.”
 
[It is in your power that we can come out on top, for without you we can do nothing. It is in your grace that we can move onward and upward in life, keeping on the whole armor, standing in the day of evil, doing all you desire from us.]
 
Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
 
[You give us ability, strength, endurance and discipline–which we must then develop in cooperation with you.]
 
Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory,”
 
[This is important—it is YOUR shield, it is YOUR victory, the glory goes to YOU alone. Yet you call us to share in your victories by your power, to defeat the true enemy in your strength, to triumph in praise, prayer and obedience. You give you shield, but we have to use it. In the three difficult situations before me now, I must get that shield up, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, resting in you, praising you in my weakness, trusting you in prayer and rejoicing in the unseen work you are doing behind the scenes.]
 
“and your right hand sustains me;”
 
[as I tire and droop in the battle, I can turn to you, and you lift me up, strengthen me, support me so I can continue on in the fight against the real enemy.]
 
“you stoop down to make me great.
 
[This is a beautiful and amazing truth: we are so far below you in every way, yet you lean way down over the side of Heaven to lift us up and make us great in your sight. This is sharing your glory with us, giving us your power, wisdom and grace that those around us may see your work in our lives and rejoice in you.]
 
Psalm 18:36 “You broaden the path beneath me,”
 
[You, Lord God, are at work in all the details. You open the doors, prepare the way, deal with things we are not aware of and protect us in your love.]
 
“so that my ankles do not turn.”
 
[you know what will cause us to stumble, to fall, and to be crippled—and these things you prevent, or guide us around, and as we follow, we can press on in the battle, thinking truth, thanking you, joining you in prayer, doing what your Word says is right.
 
Praise you, Lord God, for your goodness and graciousness and love. Praise you that I can live in these truths, bask in your light, revel in your love and rise up to run in obedience to you, bringing honor and glory to your name. May that happen today.
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Arrived!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2017
Writing today from my son’s home in the Middle East! Had a good trip, arrived safely and in reasonable shape. And after a good night’s sleep we both are ready to go! Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.
 
Today’s devotional.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Sovereign King, the One who will work things out, who will bring good things to pass in the best way—even out of all that is negative.
 
Praise you, too, Lord Jesus, for reminding me last night that you are the One I am to delight in. It was good that you drew me away from work, so I could be quiet and hear your reminder. I was in danger of veering off into delighting in projects. You reminded me that my passion, my first love, my delight must be in you, Lord Jesus, the Creator of all, the Owner of all, the Ender of all. You are the One and Only to be exalted.
 
Worship is very much wrapped up in delighting in you, intentionally nurturing our first love for you. So I delight in you now, remembering that you are perfect in wisdom, complete in knowledge, always doing what is best for your children. You are magnificent in power, creating galaxies just by speaking. You are majestic in your grace, forgiving where justice demands punishment. You are mighty in your goodness, pouring it out on both the righteous and the rebel.
 
In you there is no evil, no sin, no wrong, no error. You are the King of kindness, the God of goodness, the holy Hater of Evil, the just Judge of wrong doers, the faithful Forgiver of sinners.
 
What a wonder you are, Lord Jesus, in your willingness to suffer the anguish of the cross, the despair of abandonment, the pain of rejection, the battering of Satan’s attacks, the horror of becoming sin, the crushing weight of the Father’s judgment, the banishment from His presence, and condemnation to death.
 
There was no need for you, the Righteous One, to suffer these things, but love led the way, faithfulness stayed the course, obedience brought the glorious conclusion. Praise you for this great display of your rich, loving, gracious Character, O Everlasting God!
 
Praise you for your loving care, shepherding your rebellious children, displaying great patience in the face of our disrespect, unbelief, disobedience and selfishness.
 
You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship for boundless reasons. I praise you for the joy you give as I think on how you have worked in my life, providing personal, powerful, persistent, patient intervention to bring me to my senses, to surrender and out of trouble.
 
I love you, I rejoice in your all-sufficient grace, I praise you for your all-encompassing goodness. You are worthy of all-absorbing worship, so I bow down now and give you honor in my thoughts, desires and words. I rise up to enter this day, giving you all glory in my life. May you be the One I continually delight in.
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Traveling Today

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 1, 2017
Today, Sunday, we leave on our long trip to visit our sons and their little families in the Middle East. We’d be glad if you prayed for the trip to go well, for Barbara to be calm and actually enjoy it.
 
Here’s a picture of another piece of old farm equipment, a chopper-blower to process field corn and blow it up a pipe into the silo, just like the one my grandfather had.
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Aid for the Lost

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2017
It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, so we went for a walk in the woods with my son Josh and his little family.
 
About halfway through, I noticed that one of my hearing aids was missing. Instantly I realized what had happened: I’d been carrying my smallest grandson on my shoulders, and when I put him down, the hearing aid was dislodged. It had fallen off at that point, or somewhat later.
 
My first reaction was natural, “Oh no!” for this was an expensive item. But the Holy Spirit immediately prompted me to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving: “Thank you, Lord, for allowing this. I pray that you’ll help me to find it, as you know where it is. And if I don’t find it, I’ll praise you anyway.” I then retraced the several hundred yards we’d covered, looking carefully among the leaves for the missing item, but to no avail.
 
As I was searching, the Spirit reminded me of how our car had been stolen shortly before we moved to Germany in 2009. I had looked for that, too, but again, to no avail. We’d hoped to sell it and buy a car in Germany, but, as you may remember, the Lord had something much greater in mind for us.
 
He not only supplied a car for free through our new friends, Dr. Chris and Melanie, but they paid for the insurance, taxes, repairs and all our fuel for the whole 3.5 years we were there!
 
But much more importantly, the Lord gave opportunity to share the gospel with Dr. Chris, answering all his questions, so that near the end of our time there, he came to Christ. That was certainly worth losing my 15-year-old rusty car for!
 
So, what does God have in store through this loss? I don’t know yet, but we shall see!
 
I returned to join my family, again looking carefully as I retraced my steps and then we all looked again as we walked back home–but no hearing aid. I returned later in the afternoon with a magnetic stick and swept through the leaves, but nothing. The next morning, I brought a young friend who is really good at finding things—but again nothing.
 
Each of these fruitless searches was another chance to trust God in praise. He certainly knows where that hearing aid is, but has chosen not to show me. I don’t know what He intends to do with this, but I can trust Him to know and to reveal it at the right time.
 
It is so good to relax in His love, to let go of what is temporal (it belonged to God anyway), to hold on to the truth of His goodness and grace, and to rise above the situation.
 
As it says in Hebrews 12:1-2, remembering that I am surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, I am told to lay aside every weight (sadness at the loss) and the sin that so easily entangles me (worry, fretting, anger) and run with patience and perseverance the race He has set before me, looking to Jesus (not to people, possessions or success), the Author and Finisher of my faith (He will carry me through).
 
Then, following His example, for the joy set before me (of being His child, of having Him as my Shepherd, of His protection and provision, of a certain future, of spending eternity with Him), I can endure whatever cross may come (loss) and despise whatever shame I may feel (for my failure to find it), knowing that I will be set down in heaven with Him.
 
What a freeing, empowering perspective! I encourage you to pray that passage for yourself every day for a month and see what God does! And I will wait to see His further purposes in this adventure of loss.
 
[Epilogue: I never did find the hearing aid, but the Lord provided money to pay for a new one in an interesting way. A friend was unable to sell his pickup truck, so I bought it to help him out, then was able to resell it with enough profit to pay for both a new hearing aid, and a crown from my wife’s tooth! God has it all in hand, if we will only cooperate: “He who offers the sacrifice of praise, honors me, and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Psalm 50:23]
 
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When I Awake

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2017

Praise be to you, my marvelous Lord and Shepherd and King. I awake in the night, and find you there, watching over me. I awake in the morning and find you again, waiting with a freshly prepared day to share with me.

You are faithful in your love, passionate in your care, gracious in your provision and persistent in your protection. I am like a feeble vine clinging to you, my solid, unshakable Rock. As thoughts of evil threats came in the night, I could easily reject them by meditating on your presence and power as presented in Psalm 18.

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You are the protector of the weak and the provider for the poor in spirit, so I can trust you, as I am both. Your Word firmly calms my churning thoughts, sweetly soothes my anxious soul, provides positive, encouraging perspective and safely shields me from Satan’s subtle subterfuge.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Ps 18:1)—you have drawn me graciously into a rich and strong relationship with you, making yourself my Lord, pouring into my life your strength, sharing with me your power–even though you know I will at times miss use it, rebel, disobey and disbelieve, wounding your heart—you continue on in your unquenchable mercy. You are so gracious!

Your love is lavished on us, your lazy and illogical sheep, because of your majestic and marvelous Character. You are faithful and forgiving, gracious and good, positive and pure. We do not deserve your love and protection, but you are insistent on having a warm and rich relationship with us, pouring your time, grace, care, protection and guidance into our lives 24/7.

You are faithful in the face of our faithlessness. You are good in the face of our rebellion. You are constant in the face of our unbelief.

I praise you, O my Lord of lavishness, my Rock of refuge, my Fortress of faithfulness, my Defender of the defeated, my Shield of strength, my Tower of power, my Stronghold of safety. I call to you, who are worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Ps 18:3). I praise you for your protection, glorify you for your deliverance, exalt you for your unbelievably wonderful grace at work in me each day.

You are Life, you are Light and you are Love. You are my King, my God, my Savior, my Deliverer and my Protector. You are worthy of praise, worthy of exaltation, worthy of obedience. So to you I bow down, to you I surrender, to you I give myself: I lay down before you all my desires, my possessions, my plans, my preferences. I give you my will and take yours in its place.

May you be glorified in me today, may my responses flow, not from my puny thoughts and understanding, but from your Heart, your Word, your Power. May your Spirit overflow from my life onto all those around me so they, too, may taste of your goodness, and thereby may your Name be lifted up before all I meet this day. Amen.

 

 

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Psalm 23:6b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 28, 2017
Psalm 23:6b “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
 
[This powerful statement of certainty turns my gaze ahead, beyond the end point of our journey here on earth, to being with you forever, Lord Jesus, in a sinless, unending, glory-giving relationship.
 
We will live in your Light, revel in your Love and embrace your eternal Life, unfettered by any darkness, brokenness, negativeness or failure. We will live with you face to face!
 
There will be joy without sorrow, happiness without regret, celebration without interruption and relationship without pain. We will be able to live in perfect patience, selfless service and a surplus of self-control. There will be surpassing beauty, unending joy and incomprehensible glory.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for this unspeakably marvelous future you have prepared for us through your terrible suffering, your becoming sin for us, your taking on yourself the punishment our rebellion deserved.
 
When I look to this future, and see this certain coming reality revealed in these powerful promises, the pressures and problems of this world fade into the background. I still have to deal with them, but their importance shrinks, their significance lessens, their power to hold me drops away.
 
What is happening in the world politically, economically and socially shifts from being a source of fear and frustration to being a window into your wisdom, into your power and grace.
 
You use the evil of men and devils to strip away illusion and bring all who are willing into your Kingdom of light. You, Lord God, are Sovereign, Almighty and All Knowing–nothing escapes your attention as you inexorably move ahead with your mighty and marvelous plan of redemption, transformation and re-creation.
As we look back, we can see your love, mercy and goodness following us. As we look forward, we can see greatness, joy and glory awaiting us. You have done it all, prepared it all and will bring it all to pass. Therefore, you deserve all obedience and submission, all praise, honor, glory and love.
 
And I praise you, Triune God–Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit–for your great work in bringing this all to pass. You are the only One worthy of eternal honor, exaltation and worship, and I begin giving you those right now!]
 
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Psalm 23:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 27, 2017
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love [mercy] will follow me all the days of my life,”
 
[What a beautiful promise. Lord Jesus, my Great and Faithful Shepherd. Your goodness, love and mercy will be with me all the time, without fail. However, I will often not see them in the midst of a difficulty because they follow me; later I will look back and see how you used them in my life. I may not see them yet, but I can know that they are there, supporting, protecting and finishing your work.
 
Therefore I can trust you in any circumstance which is allowed through your wisdom and purpose. I think of what you did in one situation as we faced uncertainty and the threat of loss. In your mercy we did lose, but know now that you had a higher, greater purpose, so in your goodness, we won by losing.
 
Praise you for what you did in our local friends’ situation where they were assigned to work in a dangerous, difficult and down trodden place. Looking back now, we can see your goodness, mercy and love at work in their lives, as you protected them from attacks by terrorists, as you brought new maturity and deepening, provided for their needs, and helped them live by faith, including giving them courage to share about you when it was dangerous.
 
To you be glory, Lord, to you be honor, for your goodness and mercy are always at work amongst us, even though we can not see them. I give you praise now for the outcomes you will bring today as I face uncertain situations.
 
You are truly the God of goodness! I praise you, Lord, for the stability this Truth brings into my life: stability flowing from your consistent and warm love. I praise you that I am always with you because you promised to never leave or forsake me. No matter what I do, you are always there, as the perfect Father, ever waiting with open arms, gracious thoughts and forgiving heart.
 
In you I am safe, on sure ground, fully protected, even though I may not see your goodness or mercy at the moment. In you alone I can find rest, protection, acceptance, approval, affirmation, worth and significance. In you alone there is shelter, a shadow for protection from the heat of the day and a sovereign grace to erase all my guilt.
 
I praise you, Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit—for your wondrous, gracious and rich love: undeserved, unending and unquenchable.
 
Your thoughts are higher than ours and if we don’t seek your input, we will certainly not follow your greater ways. Help me to be consistent in seeking your deeper thoughts and higher wisdom. Help me, Lord, to partner with you each day, each moment, to be open to your direction, to come to you very frequently to ask for your perspective on the situation. Thank you for the goodness, mercy and love that will follow me in every event.
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Psalm 23:5b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 26, 2017
 
Psalm 23:5b “You anoint my head with oil;”
 
[This anointing is the act of choosing, of giving worth, of blessing, of providing and protecting.
 
–You chose me before the foundation of the world.
–You had your Spirit convict me of my need for you.
–You poured out your Spirit on me at the point of belief.
–You sealed my adoption as your child by placing your Spirit in me.
–You pour out on me continual blessings of grace, goodness, strength, wisdom, weakness and power.
–Every day You provide me with protection, guidance, insight, goods, money, relationships, opportunities to give you glory, chances to share your Word, time to be with you, and enough health to serve you as you desire now.
–And most of all, you give me your presence and love in a rich and enduring relationship, the one for which you created me.
 
You are amazingly gracious and generous, for I actually deserved the opposite of all this: condemnation, rejection, punishment, suffering, pain, failure, separation and eternal death. Praise be to you for your gracious, glorious goodness you pour out on the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve!]
 
“my cup overflows.”
 
[You promise that my needs will be met, but you usually give far more. Nothing I have can contain the blessings you pour out. Your gifts overflow in my life so I can share them with others. Some of these gifts are joy, praise, peace, insight, wisdom, strength, faith, vision, love, grace and goodness. Along with these are material gifts, which I can then share with others.
 
So, we bow before you in belief, Heavenly Father, exalting your high and holy Name. We rise up in faith, trusting in your goodness and wisdom. We move into this day in trust, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving so that we may honor you and open the way that you may show us the salvation of the Lord.
 
And I have opportunity to practice this right now, as yesterday I got a big bill for my trip to the emergency room last month. I can rest in you in the midst of this surprise, trust you to work this out and provide in whatever way you choose. It is wonderful to face difficulties with you, knowing you will carry us through.
Praise you for what you will do in the coming days, Lord, as you lead us in paths of righteousness, and for how we will be able to trust you in everything that comes because you are absolutely faithful, unchanging in your generosity and grace. Amen.]
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