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Psalm 4:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 3, 2017

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.

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.]

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Psalm 4:7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 2, 2017
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 more joy than anything in this world can offer.
 
This is clear in our undeserved and rich relationship with you, in your unbelievably great provision which is 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.
 
Oh, that we would learn this, 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 deeper 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 4:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 1, 2017
 
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, your wonderful protection, the great attention from your heart to the details of our lives.
 
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 this 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.
 
You keep on giving everyone light through the Spirit, your Word, creation, events and believers (conviction, insight, wisdom, guidance and direction) and providing good (sun and moon, clouds and rain, seasons and years, crops and animals) even though people take it for granted, or complain about it.
 
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 spiritually 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.
 
Help us to see all the God sightings you give us, to live in the light of your face, to walk in the light of your Word, to rejoice in the light of your presence, seeing all that you provide every day, and giving you honor for your generous, gracious and good heart.]
 
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Psalm 4:5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 27, 2017

 
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? 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 difficulty 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 4:4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 26, 2017
Psalm 4:4 “In your anger do not sin;” [Quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4:26 “ ‘in your anger do not sin.’ Do no let the sun go down while you are still angry.”]
 
We will certainly all be angry at times, but the question is, what do we do with our anger? Will it control us or will Truth rule with the Spirit’s power, as we look to see what our anger is telling us?
 
Am I prepared to cooperate with the Spirit by daily filling myself with Truth, memorizing and meditating on Scripture so I can let Truth, not anger, have free reign? Am I able to look at each situation from God’s point of view, to have His big picture rather than just focus on my own unhappiness?
 
His point of view is, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2, 3).
 
Am I living for my own comfort or for God’s glory?   Have I been consistently calling upon the Lord in my weakness and seeing Him answer, or just limping along on my own? Have I been delighting in His Word, putting it into practice or have I just been living on a human level in feeble human strength, perspective and selfishness?
 
Each moment of anger can be viewed out of all the previous years’ input, obedience and experience of God working things out, and thereby used for good in my life.]
 
“when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.”
 
[When I lie awake at night, emotions riled, angry, blaming others, I must willfully, carefully, realistically look at my own heart and then I will be silenced when I see the sin and selfishness there.
 
I am no better than the others who have offended me. Clearly I am no good to God in my natural self, yet you, Lord, constantly love me, draw me back to yourself, rebuke, correct, forgive and restore.
 
So I must do with others, seeking to help them rather than attacking them, even in my thoughts. I must lay in your hands the right to blame, accuse, get revenge or fight. Revenge is yours; my job is to bless, to pray for, to do good—wow, what a contrast!
 
I praise you for your grace and goodness, for the privilege of being called to live on your level, to open the floodgates of transforming resources into the lives of those around me, especially on those who are against me, who fight me, who hurt me.
 
It is so important to take the time to be quiet before you, Lord, to listen to you, to get your perspective. Help me to remember that you are the measure, I am the follower, that I must submit my intellect to you Word. Yours is the right to decide, it is mine to obey. If I abide in you, I can be the means of grace, goodness and blessing in the lives of others. May I be so today!
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Psalm 4:3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 25, 2017
Psalm 4:3 “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;”
 
[This is a most wonderful, mysterious statement. You have set your children apart for yourself, and did it long before you made us godly in Christ—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, drawing your enemies in to be your children. 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 February 24, 2017
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 glory 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.
 
The wrongness in this is that 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 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, who are 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 hold 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.]
 
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Psalm 4:1b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 21, 2017
 
Psalm 4:1b “…be merciful to me and hear my prayer.”
 
[Praise you, O Triune God–Loving Father, Powerful Jesus, Holy Spirit–that you are merciful. My being alive here on earth is evidence of your mercy: you have a right and obligation in your holiness to punish every sinner, and could do it at any moment, sending us to hell right now. However, you chose to wait, to secure forgiveness in mercy, then to work in every heart to draw to yourself those who were willing to turn and have the veil removed, the condemnation resolved and our rebellion relinquished.
 
You, Lord, are merciful, and you do hear prayer: “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him. He hears their cry and rescues them” (Psa.145:19). “In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me“ (Psa. 86:7).
 
You fill the universe, you are everywhere at once, so you can see and hear each person. And you are capable of hearing the prayers of billions all at the same time, while you have endless resources with which to answer: “Out of your glorious riches strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inner being….” (Eph 3:16).
 
When I call to you, you are there, you listen and you answer. Praise you for the times we have to wait, knowing that you have actually answered before we called, and that the manifestation of your answer will come at the right time in the right way, whether it be now, later or after we die.
 
We can praise you for the answer before we see it, knowing that you are faithfulness itself: faithful to all your promises and loving towards all you have made (Psa. 145:9). You are the God worthy of worship, of trust and praise in the midst of our difficulties, suffering, troubles and persecutions.
Lord God, help us to live in the light of your presence and to exalt in the beauty of your faithfulness long before we can see the answers to our prayers. Help us to praise you, the faithful One, who will answer out of your righteousness, your love, your mercy; who answers for the sake of your glory, your name, your good desires.
 
I praise you now, for what you are going to do today: the events you will allow, the positives as well as the disappointments, the difficulties and the downers, for these valleys are death to self and bring growth to your children. I pray that, in the power of your Spirit, my thoughts, motives, words and actions will bring joy to your heart today, my Lord and Savior!
 
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Psalm 4:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 20, 2017
 
Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.”
 
[Praise you, O Lord God, that you are righteous: sinless, pure, without fault, full of good motives and faithful. You only do what is right, you never fail at it. You are the light shining in my darkness, bringing beauty of each storm. You are a wonder, a marvel, amazing, the paragon of goodness, the epitome of love, the pinnacle of mercy. Therefore you are absolutely trustable.
 
I praise you that you answered my original prayer for help–that you reached down and–in spite of what I am in my sin and rebellion–drew me to yourself to make me your child. You wanted me, you bought me. Now you delight in me and rejoice in your relationship with me, ever giving me the opposite of what I deserve. This is beyond human understanding, showing the beauty of your grace-filled heart.]
 
“Give me relief from my distress;”
 
[You, Lord Jesus, in your power, your wisdom, your creativity are able to bring relief in the right way at the right time, for you exist outside of time and are the Master of all.
 
You know how long to leave us in distress to bring growth and deepening, to teach and equip, to strengthen and train. You know how much pain and suffering I have at the moment and you give all the grace I need to move through it.
 
In fact, you gave grace even before the distress started, more than enough grace to be prepared, to endure, to pass through with power. You enable me to embrace and utilize what may superficially appear be only the attack of the enemy, but is actually a gift from your hand. I must wholeheartedly move into this opportunity with your grace and with praise, to embrace it with obedience, and emerge from it with glory for you, empowered as better and stronger. And with your power, grace and help this is possible!
 
You have made yourself my God and I bow before you in thankfulness. Help me to join you in what you are doing in this distress by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving at each point of pain, that you may be honored before all around me.
 
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Psalm 3:7,8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 18, 2017
Psalm 3:7 “Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.”
 
[David’s call was desperate, he needed help now. He knew that you, Lord, were completely capable of bringing down his enemies, and wanted you to act right away. And, as we know from the story in 2 Samuel 17 and 18, you did so, bringing defeat to Absalom’s forces.
 
Although David said “all my enemies,” he did not really want you to bring down of his son, and mourned his death greatly.
 
You answered, but he did not like the answer: you allowed that Absalom would get his hair caught in the tree, that Abner would be the one told about this and then go and kill him. Absalom had been pardoned before and had proved himself unworthy of trust. So it would have been all over again if he had lived–and you prevented that. You know what is best, so we must trust you in whatever answer you choose to give.]
 
Psalm 3:8 “From the LORD comes deliverance.”
 
[From you alone, Lord, by you alone, for your glory alone comes deliverance. “He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD watches over all who love him…” (Ps.145, 19,20a).
 
We must look to you, LORD, the great I AM, the King of glory, the Lord of all, for deliverance, not to people, to our own efforts or some other source. Forgive me for looking first elsewhere for help–to medicine, to friends, to influential people, to money–before coming to you. You may use these to help me, but I must first come to you.
 
You are the Source of all good, the Creator of all existence, the Sustainer of all life. Praise be to you that you are the answer and the Answerer; you are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Help me to keep you as the focus of my existence!]
 
“May your blessing be on your people.”
 
[You are the One true source of blessing—genuine happiness and true joy come only from you—all other sources are temporary and many are destructive, addictive. With you, however, is the fullness of joy combined with the freedom to live in ever growing obedience to Truth.
 
You are worthy of worship and I give you honor, praise and glory now; I give you obedience, respect and joy. May you be glorified and honored in this day in me and before me. Bless me with reminders to check in with you at each juncture for your direction and wisdom that I may join you in what you are doing.]
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