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Psalm 23:1a

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 14, 2017
Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd”
 
[Five short words that hold infinite grace. You, Lord God, are the Holy, Pure and Triune One, utterly other, totally Just and the Punisher of sin–yet you decisively and wholeheartedly chose to make yourself the Shepherd of rebels.
 
We are by nature the antithesis of you: finite, sinful, polluted through and through, nurturers of negatives, lovers of lusts. Yet you were willing to stoop down, to reach into this sin-soaked, iniquity-infused, evil-endowed world and make yourself Shepherd to your saved, yet selfish sheep.
 
We, in our old nature, deserve only condemnation, suffering, punishment, despair, hopelessness, meaninglessness and eternal banishment from your presence and all good.
 
But, in your magnanimous love and in your gracious goodness, you have offered to all and granted to those who respond, the right to become the children of God. And with that right, you have also granted us a whole host of privileges, at the top of which is, having you be our Shepherd.
 
A good shepherd is consistently and intimately involved in the lives of his sheep, aware of all that is happening, providing all that is needed for their health, protection and prospering. The sheep don’t choose their shepherd, the shepherd chooses his sheep. So have you chosen to be our good Shepherd.
 
You have made a total commitment to our good: patiently and persistently guiding, providing and protecting us. You do this even though we daily grieve you with our rebellious love for sin, our stubborn selfishness and our unholy focus on things rather than relationships.
 
Because you are good, we can be sure, on a moment by moment basis, of your faithfulness, of your goodness, of your wisdom, of your grace, of your power at work in our lives–no matter what failure there may be on our part.
 
As the Psalmist, Asaph, wrote, “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory” (Ps. 73:21-24).
 
We praise you that you have chosen to be our Shepherd. Help us to follow you faithfully, trusting your Truth, obeying your wisdom, submitting to your shepherding moment by moment today and always.]
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Psalm 22:29-31

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 13, 2017
Psalm 22:29 “All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive.”
 
[No one can keep himself from dying, none of us can defeat old age or death. And no one can avoid judgment: all human beings will come before you, Lord, and bow their knee, whether willingly or not. No man will be able on his own to stand in your magnificent, holy presence, for the strength of your mighty power and majestic authority will force all to bow in submission to truth and the judgment to come.
 
But you offer us the privilege of bowing before you now in willing surrender, in belief, in faith. This brings us into your presence through the blood of Christ, where we, as your children, can joyfully bow to your Kingship, O Triune God. And we do so willingly, wholeheartedly, in wonder.]
 
Psalm 22:30 “Posterity will serve him;”
 
[There will always be an ongoing line of believers, sustained and guided by you, no matter what the era may be–just as there were in the Dark Ages, in the Middle ages, in the Enlightenment, in modern times, in postmodernism and now in the “me culture.” Man tries to go his own way, but there are always those who respond to your invitation to walk in your way.]
 
“future generations will be told about the Lord. Psalm 22:31 They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it.”
 
[There will also always be a witness, there will always be propagation of the gospel. You, Lord, in your righteousness, truth and grace have done all, prepared all by sending out your Word in creation, in the Book, in spoken witness, in dreams or visions if necessary.
 
You have everything ready and will bring all history to your desired end: the elimination of evil, the entrance of eternity, the enlightenment of all by your eternal character. Praise you for your greatness, your goodness, your glory that was, is, and is to come!
 
You alone are worthy of faith and obedience, of trust and praise, for you are wonderful: you only are to be worshiped. Help us to do so every day, all day!
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Psalm 22:26-28

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 12, 2017
 
Psalm 22:26 “The poor will eat and be satisfied;”
 
[You, Lord, are the Provider of all the physical needs of the world. You remember the needy and weak, being “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.” You “set the lonely in families, and lead out the prisoners with singing…” (Psa 68:5).
 
And you also provide the spiritual bread that nourishes and satisfies in all your children. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty'” (John 6:35).]
 
“they who seek the LORD will praise him—“
 
[You are so worthy of praise, Father God, King of the universe, Lord of the nations, Creator and Sustainer of all. When you turn our hearts to seek your face, as we begin to see you as you are, what can we do but praise you in and for all, rejoicing in your being, boasting in our weakness, exalting in your faithfulness and forgiveness.]
 
“may your hearts live forever!”
 
[And this is the reality you have promised for your children. You are the Giver of eternal life, the Author of all eternity, the Defeater of death: in you we will live forever.]
 
Psalm 22:27 “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,”
 
[You, Lord, are at work in all the world, among all peoples, bringing from every group those who respond to your call. Praise you for revealing yourself through your creation, which speaks to us every day of your presence and power, as well as through your Word and the work of your Spirit.
 
Praise you for your love for every single person, for providing salvation for all, for convicting each of sin, of righteousness and the judgment to come. You are good and merciful, gracious and kind. You are love itself.]
 
Psalm 22:28 “and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.”
 
[You are the Sovereign One who reigns, you have control, you use all for good, making your major plans come to pass while still giving us moral and ethical responsibility in our own spheres. And in the end, all will come and bow before you, whether willingly in belief or grudgingly at the judgment seat. Praise you, Lord God, for the wonder of knowing you and bowing before you now, the King of All, the Lord of Lords, the Ruler of the universe.
 
Help me to live today in the light of your greatness, standing in awe of you, of your love, of your Word, of your commands. May this result in fearing and obeying you instead of raising my thoughts or those of others above your Word. You are worthy of my full conformity, my total surrender, my wholehearted obedience, so I bow before you now, that I might bring you great honor today.]
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Gazing Upon His Beauty

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 11, 2017
A clear and sunny day with early morning fog rising off the pond. Praise be to you, Lord God, Creator of all the beauty before us, beauty which shows us your great heart of love. You share all the reflected glory of your Being through the vast variety of flowers and trees, colors and scents, creatures and shapes, landscapes and seas.
 
Your mind has no limit, your wisdom has no boundary, your knowledge has no border, your greatness has no end. On the other hand, I praise you that your Character does have limits in the right places: no sin, no evil, no selfishness, no lying, no double-mindedness, no hypocrisy, no failure, no faithlessness. In you there is only goodness, purity and holiness.
 
I praise you that you also limit yourself by making promises: you give your Word and you always keep it. You make your vows, you fulfill them. All other possibilities are set aside and you bind yourself to your promised prophecies, always following through.
 
The choosing of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was your greatest promise, made before creation, and brought to pass at the right time. I give you praise and honor and glory for this marvelous Truth of your faithfulness, for this wonderful reality of your steady heart of truth and love.
 
I praise you, too, for your unending presence; you are everywhere at the same time, while in another way, you are especially near to those who seek you, those whose hearts are open to you. You are near the brokenhearted. You are near the repentant. You are near those righteous in Christ. You are near the obedient. You are deeply at work in the elect, those you know will believe.
 
I give you glory, Lord God, for how we can trust you with all our hearts because you are faithful with all your heart. Wherever I go, whatever I do, you are always watching, protecting, guiding, keeping, equipping, teaching, revealing, convicting, blocking, loving. You are worthy of praise and glory, of adoration and obedience.
 
You are the great One, the wise One, the loving One, the holy One, the pure One, the faithful One, the true One, the eternal One.
 
To you I bow down today, to you I give my heart, my mind, my soul, my body, my time, my possessions, my money, my relationships, my future, my desires, my projects, my health, my strength, my will, my all. I am your son, your steward, your servant, your subject. Praise you for what you will do in me and through me today to bring greater glory to your Name.
 
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Psalm 22:25

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 10, 2017
Psalm 22:25 “From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.”
 
[You, O Lord, are the praiseworthy One, the great Shepherd, the One to be obeyed no matter what. You are the ultimate in Leadership, the true and only God.
 
I thank you, Lord Jesus, for the privilege and wonder of memorizing and meditating on your Word, so I can go over it as I lay in bed, soaking in the richness of truth, the beauty of your mind, the power of your perspective. You are great and gracious and good; I thank you for your wonderful love and care, for your guidance and direction.
 
I praise you for your marvelous Character: pristine, pure, perfect, powerful, prolific, the paragon of all positives. You are worthy of worship no matter what my circumstances. You are the God of goodness, who is great in glory and the Giver of all grace.
 
May you rule in my life today, may I walk in response to the leading of your Spirit as He uses the Word in me. May you be exalted by my motives, honored with my responses and gratified with my obedience. May your name be lifted up before all those around.]
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Another edifying passage from the devotional book "EDIFIED!"

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 9, 2017
 
“He [the Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”
John 16:14
 
Praise be to you, this morning, Lord Jesus, for your great and good character: pure, positive, powerful and perpetual.
• You are the Way, laying down your life to pave the path to the Father.
• You are the Truth, revealing to the world the face of God.
• You are the Life, bringing resurrection to the spiritually dead.
• You are the Light, bringing sight in the land of darkness.
• You are Love, pouring acceptance out to your enemies.
• You are Goodness, giving sun and rain to all the undeserving.
• You are Grace, bestowing help on those worthy of rejection.
• You are Faithfulness, following through no matter the cost.
• You are Wisdom, understanding what is best in each situation.
• You are Righteousness, being consistently right and spotless in Word and deed.
• You are Lovely, being totally beautiful and pure.
• You are Eternal, having no beginning or end.
• You are Just, leaving no sin unpunished.
• You are Gracious, providing salvation for all while knowing many will reject it.
• You are Trustworthy, being unable to lie, ever keeping your Word and being eternally good.
• You are Great, having created the stars by the breath of your mouth, the earth with your Word.
• You are Powerful, holding together all things, including every atom in the universe.
• You are Glorious, being exalted above all in your holiness, power and love.
• You are God, eternally the Son in the Trinity, the One to be obeyed.
• You are our Savior, our Lord, our Intercessor, our Shepherd, our big Brother, our Friend who loves to spend time with us.
You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship for you are Marvelous, Majestic, Mighty and Master of all. You are to be obeyed as the Holy Spirit glorifies you. We bow before you, Lord Jesus, we exalt your Name, we lift you up, we magnify you, we love and glorify you, for you are worthy of all honor, power and praise.
 
Prayer: “You alone are the One to be obeyed. May you be lifted up this day in my life, worshiped in my words, magnified in my mind, glorified in my goals, exalted in my emotions, submitted to in my soul, praised in my whole being. Amen.”
 
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Pristine Stability

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 8, 2017
Praise you, dear Lord, that in your gracious goodness, you unfailingly guide and direct, provide and protect. Praise you for the richness of your character, the perfection of your personality, the graciousness of your goodness, and the firmness of your faithfulness.
 
Thank you that you lead us through difficulties, darkness and disappointments, using each to deepen, mature, chasten and develop us. You are wise beyond words, knowing exactly what is right, always doing what is best, and working out what is wonderful, no matter how it may appear to us.
 
I praise you, Lord, that whatever comes today, I can thankc you for it. Confidence in you is never misplaced, praise is always appropriate, trust is always right.
 
To you now I lift my heart and soul in praise, for you are worthy of it in your perfect power, wonderful wisdom, lavish love, great goodness and flawless faith, in your strong sternness and touching tenderness. Every quality needed is there in the exact amount and in perfect balance: mercy triumphs over justice, forgiveness comes before condemnation, love covers a multitude of sins.
 
You are a marvelous Lord, the only God, the perfect Father. You are far better than any god we could make up: in our flawed thinking, anything we could produce would be also faulty, like the Greeks’ human-like sinful gods.
 
Thankfully you are completely different, far beyond any human conception: perfect and eternal, wise and good, being light, love and life yourself. Your essence is totally other than that of your creation–uncorrupted and uncorruptable–and for that we are thankful.
 
Praise be to you forever and ever. Your faithfulness is the reason we can praise you before anything comes to pass, for you are fully sovereign and totally powerful, easily able to allow or prevent whatever you desire. It is a certainty that you will bring to us whatever is right.
 
Praise you for our weakness in the events before us now, and for your strength you will use for good in our lives. We give you glory, honor and praise now for what you will do today, tomorrow, next year and forever. You are Lord, you are God, you are worthy. Amen.
 
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Psalm 22:22-24

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 7, 2017
 
Psalm 22:22 “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
 
[You, Heavenly Father, are the prayer-answering, all-wise, infinitely powerful, all-good God, worthy of praise. You are Yahweh, Elohim and Adonai, the God of perfect character, marvelous wisdom, rich love, unending righteousness and immeasurable power. Yes, before all I will declare your name and praise you!]
 
Psalm 22:23 “You who fear the LORD, praise him!”
 
[To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of His power and greatness, His hatred of sin and love of righteousness; it is to care deeply what He thinks about things, and therefore obey Him wholeheartedly and fully.]
 
“All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
 
[To honor and revere you with enthusiasm and joy, Lord God, are the responses of those who spend time in worship and in your Word. They can see your beautiful and majestic Character, the eternal, Triune Ruler and Perfect One.]
 
Psalm 22:24 “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
 
[You, Father, planned Jesus’ suffering, knowing that it was necessary for Him to be the perfect Savior: “Because [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 18).
 
Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 12:4). You valued His suffering because you knew it was necessary; Jesus was able to reject the shame of his suffering because He looked forward to what it would do in saving many and giving His Father glory.
 
You are also aware of the suffering of your children, ever giving us the grace needed to move through persecution and problems with power to become more like Christ. Help us to not despise or disdain the suffering you allow into our lives, but to look beyond it in joy to what it will accomplish in our lives and to the honor it will bring to you as we respond in faith.]
 
“he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
 
[You came in at the right time and rescued Jesus, not from the cross, but from the grave. You are the absolutely reliable One, as we see in your repeatedly helping David when he called out to you, “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6).
 
And you do the same in our lives when we flee to you for help: “The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).
 
As David so confidently states in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Help us to consistently run to you, Lord, for refuge in each situation, to fear you, not men, to trust you, not ourselves.]
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The Secret Life of Walter M. Christian, Part 2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 6, 2017
 A continuation of how one man keeps on and uses the armor of Eph. 6:10-18
 
On the way home Walter sat quietly on the train looking out the window, polishing his sword by meditating on the passage he’d been memorizing. A billboard swept into view, featuring a semi-clad girl. Although Walter quickly looked away, he’d already been hit with a dart of lust and was taken down.
 
He immediately sprang up and pulled the dart out with confession: “Look at what I just thought, Lord. I agree with you that it is totally selfish, destructive, and caustic to my soul. It is pleasing to Satan and grievous to you. I repent and ask your forgiveness, especially for grieving you who love me so much.”
 
Then he went on the offensive and in the powerful name of Jesus withdrew any ground he’d given to the enemy in this attack, asking God to fill him again with the Spirit.
 
Just in case any more such attacks came on the way home, he kept his shield of faith up by thanking God for all that had happened during the day–and he decided not to stare out the window any more.
 
When he came in the door at home, the kids were arguing and his exasperated wife welcomed him with, “Well, I’m glad you’re finally home. See if you can do something with these three fighters!”
 
Walter skillfully got his shield up as the dart of anger flew at him, followed by one of self-justification. “I was hoping for a better reception and some peaceful interaction, Lord–but I thank you for the chance to fulfill the role you have for me in serving and protecting my wife, and of helping my 3 boys learn to follow you!” Both darts hit the shield and were extinguished.
 
But then the dragon of selfishness took a swipe at him and almost knocked the shield out of Walter’s hand. He quickly came around with his sword, “I praise you, Lord, that I can keep my eyes on you; I confess my desire to do my own thing here and have some ‘well deserved relaxation’ before supper, but as your disciple I’m called to deny myself, take up my cross and follow you. I thank you for the chance to obey you in this moment.” This sent the dragon squealing in retreat.
 
Walter strode to the kids and scooped two of them up in his arms. “Hi Dad,” they shouted. “Can we go to the park for a while before supper?”
 
“Sure!” Walter replied. “Get you shoes and coats on.”
 
The three little bodies scurried to the hall while Walter went to the kitchen and gave his wife a hug. “Hard day, huh?”
 
“Sure was! I wish I had a quiet and easy life like yours!”
 
Walter smiled as he deftly raised up his shield with his left hand to quench the flaming arrow of competitiveness, wanting to tell her how hard his day had been. Resting his right hand on his sword, he thought, “If you only knew!” He kissed his wife gently and turned to take the kids to the park.
 
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The Secret Life of Walter M. Christian, Part 1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 6, 2017
 
Walter ran up the last few steps and walked swiftly to the door. He didn’t want to be late for work and unnecessarily bring any negative attention to himself from the boss.
 
Suddenly he stopped. “Wait! I don’t have my helmet of salvation on! I’m looking for security from others, not God.” He put on the helmet with a quick prayer, “Lord I confess I’m walking in the fear of men and repent! Help me to rest in you and your approval.”
 
He took a deep breath, opened the door and entered the office. Sure enough, there was the boss waiting for him; but instead of dread or a sinking feeling, Walter now had his helmet on and rested in the truth of who he was–a Child of God, a Prince whose real work was joining God in His great plans.
 
“Ah, Walter,” said the boss, towering over his diminutive employee. “How’s it going with the coding on that new project? It’s really important that we make our deadline on this one.”
 
Walter calmly adjusted his glasses and blinked up at his boss. “It’s going well. In fact, I’m ahead of schedule and have the whole thing mapped out. I should be done by the end of the week.”
 
“Great!” replied his boss, smiling. “Keep it up the good work.” Walter nodded and headed to his cubical where he hung his coat over his chair and got down to work.
 
Walter was well into his coding when something caught his attention. At first he thought maybe he’d imagined it, but no, there it was again: a movement in the back of his mind. He reached for his sword and shield, and swung around just in time to face his foe, the dragon of jealousy.
 
The hot flames of the dragon’s breath swept over him, reminding him of how he’d been passed over for that promotion he’d wanted and a less experienced guy had gotten it–but Walter kept up his shield, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, warding off the flames, “Thank you, Lord, for your care and protection in all.” He brought his sword up, slashing with skill at the dragon’s vulnerable areas: “You, Lord, are sovereign, and if getting that promotion had been good for me, you would have given it. I can praise you for not allowing me to have it, for your Word says, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.’”
 
The dragon drew back and stumbled off into the brush. Walter leaned on his sword, panting. He wiped the soot from the dragon’s flames off his face, reminding himself, “My soul finds rest in God alone. He only is my rock and my salvation.”
 
Then he heard a twang and whirled around, raising his shield in one smooth motion, intercepting the flaming arrow of self-pity. “Thank you, Lord, that you cause my cup to overflow, and lead me in paths of righteousness; I thank you for what you give and what you withhold, for you are good and wise and loving. I can trust you in this situation.” The arrow thunked into his shield and sizzled out.
 
Walter waited for another attack, but when nothing stirred, he went back to his coding, glad that he’d kept his armor on with his sword and shield handy.
 
The rest of the morning went well, but later in the afternoon, there came another sneak attack. Things weren’t progressing as fast as he’d planned, with some unforeseen glitches arising that he’d have to solve.
 
He was somewhat unhappy with himself for not anticipating these problems. As a result, his breastplate was hanging awry and he didn’t get his shield up in time, so a flaming arrow of worry was able to strike him in his chest. He immediately felt the poison of anxiety begin to seep into his heart.
 
He reached up and pulled out the arrow with the glove of confession and threw it down. “Lord, forgive me for not trusting you; you promise to lead me through whatever comes, even if it’s the valley of the shadow of death–so I can trust you to help me work out these issues. As it says in Psalm 86:7, ‘I will call upon you in the day of my trouble, for you will answer me.’ I praise you now for how you will guide in overcoming these obstacles in my work.”
 
Stamping out the still smoldering arrow with his shoes of peace, Walter put some truth-salve from Psalm 62:5 on his wound “My soul, find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from Him. He only is my rock, my salvation and my high tower. I will never be shaken.” That quickly lessened the pain and he was able to think clearly again and get back to his work.
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