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Psalm 21:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 22, 2017
Psalm 21:3 “You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.”
 
[You crowned David as king, after his long wait of living as an outlaw. You crowned Jesus as Savior, after His 30 year wait, and His 3 years of intense work and immense suffering. And you crown us as children of the King every day with love and compassion (Ps 104:4)–continually pouring out abundant, good and gracious blessings on us.]
 
Psalm 21:4 “He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, forever and ever.”
 
[In his death, you granted Jesus resurrection; He rose to eternal life, and passes it on to all who believe in Him, David included. We, as your children, have eternity before us–length of days forever and ever–and can rejoice now in the certainty of it.]
 
Psalm 21:5 “Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;”
 
[David was given many victories, beginning with Goliath and spanning his whole reign. Jesus, in His incarnation was strengthened by your power and had one long string of victories: no sin, no failure, no losses, only obedience and triumph in every temptation. Even the greatest possible defeat, death, led to the greatest possible victory–destroying the power of death, the devil and destruction.
 
What great glory Jesus earned in His many victories, and He passes on this possibility of being victors to us, calling us to be more than conquerors with Him in His power. He also wants to share His glory with us, as we triumph with Him through our faith (1 Pet 1:7).]
 
“you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.”
 
[David ruled in the golden age of Israel. Jesus now reigns in the church age from his throne on high as the mighty and majestic Ruler of creation and all beyond. You, Heavenly Father, have raised Him up above all principalities and powers, above all might and majesty, above all names and titles. You have seated Him, the eternal Victor, at your right hand to reign forever and ever.
 
Evil can now be eliminated. A new and sinless start can be had through our physical death, into the new heaven and earth where the splendor and supremacy of Jesus will be endlessly on display and we will be forever with Him in wonderful, wide and eternal love.]
 
Praise be to you, Heavenly Father, for revealing these things by the pen of David, by the triumph of Christ and by bringing us into your bountiful and beautiful Kingdom. Help us to live daily in this unseen reality, rejoicing in you, in your love for us and in the certainly of what you will bring.
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Supreme Stability

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 21, 2017
Praise be to you, Lord, for the wonder of stability in you, in your amazing, unchanging, ever flowing and perfect love. I praise you for your gracious and good commitment to us, your beloved children who are so often selfish, unbelieving and rebellious.
 
Every day we grieve your Spirit, choosing to exalt our ideas and agendas over your Word. You endure this willingly, and thankfully, your suffering this pain inflicted by us does not alter the course of your love, your plans or your grace. You are love itself, so you can never not love. In your wisdom you take each failure and use it to chasten, teach and bring surrender.
 
In this reality of your perfect and powerful character, I can rest, sure that my place in your heart is secure, certain and unshakable. “My soul finds rest in God alone…for my hope comes from Him…” (Ps. 62:1,5).
 
I am deeply thankful for this. I am both quietly and wildly joyful that you chose me to be your child, to be your partner in your plans, to be a fruitful branch in your vine. Thank you that nothing can separate me from your love and that my place in eternity is secure.
 
I praise you for your never-ending flow of grace, forgiveness and transformation in this present life. I praise you that today is a gift from your hand, prepared and packaged perfectly so that I might walk with you through every event in the light of your presence, as your ambassador, as your servant-warrior, able to stand in the attacks which you will allow from the enemy.
 
I praise you for the opportunities you have prepared for me to give you honor through faith responses: offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving and having a willful belief in your Word–living in the light of Truth rather than in the darkness of the human condition.
 
I thank you, too, that we have “all kinds of trials…so that the proven genuineness of [our] faith…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Pet.1:7,8).
 
This is life on a high and wondrous level, where every event, every interaction is filled with potential significance–if we will just join you in what you are doing.
 
Help me to do that today, Lord; grant me discernment so I can see what you are doing an join you in it, so that you may be honored, that the enemy may be defeated and that your light and hope may overflow from me to all those around me. Praise be to you now for what you will do in this day.
 
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Psalm 21:1,2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 19, 2017
 
Psalm 21. For the director of music. A Psalm of David.
 
[This Psalm has a triple message: first it speaks of David’s relationship with The Lord; secondarily it is a Messianic prophecy, predicting the victory of Jesus over death and the devil; third, it speaks truth about the life of each believer.]
 
“O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.”
 
[In realizing how helpless we are, Lord, it is wonderful to know that your strength is at work in our weakness. David struggled with his own weakness in dealing with inner danger from his men (his general, Joab and his son, Absalom), as well as those enemies who attacked from the outside.
 
In like manner, Jesus made himself vulnerable and weak as a human being, having to rely on prayer, the help of the Spirit in His ministry and your power to rise Him from the dead.
 
We, also, on an everyday basis, face enemies who are too strong for us, both human and spiritual, but we have your strength to rely on.]
 
“How great is his joy in the victories you give!”
 
[The victories in our lives are gifts from you, Lord, and we can rejoice as you help us move ahead, defeat our inner evil (the flesh), and the outer evils (the devil and wickedness in the fallen world), just as Jesus did. To know you, Lord Jesus, to intentionally live in your Truth, is to experience your power, and to receive your joy.]
 
Psalm 21:2 “You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.”
 
[You consistently answered David’s prayers, giving guidance, help, protection and victory—in the many battles he was involved in, there is no mention of him ever being wounded.
 
You answered every one of Jesus’ prayers, Heavenly Father. And so you answer ours, especially when we delight in you, opening the way so you can put in our heart the right desires and grant these “idol-proofed” requests at the right time.]
 
Help us, Lord, to ask according to your Word, to find our delight in you and to rejoice in whatever answer you give, whether it be “Yes!” “No” or “Wait.”
 
Selah (think on that)
 
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From EDIFIED!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 18, 2017
“When I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10b
 
Facing me is a situation where others, who are at odds with me, are going to decide my future. In this I am weak–and that is good. Yes, good, but uncomfortable. Praise you, Lord, that being comfortable is not the measure of anything important, spiritual or significant.
Knowing your Word, trusting you, living in praise, obeying what we know to be true, these are what is important.
We need to train our faith to respond biblically to whatever comes. As Lilias Trotter, pioneer evangelist in Algeria in the 1800s, said, “Swinging out over the abyss without anything other than you, Lord, rejoicing in this need to trust in you and your power, praising for your goodness before any solution can be seen, this is trained faith.”
Praise you, Father that you are at work in ways I cannot see or foresee. I praise you for what you are doing and what you will do in this, for you are great, you are good —you are God.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in Him” (Ps. 34:8). I have certainly tasted and seen your goodness over and over again, Lord. You have protected me many times in near accidents; you have provided an inner stability that in my past has prevented suicide, relational crashes and personal failure.
You have also guided me through a maze of difficulties in my life: the journey through depression, adjustments in marriage, transition to life in the Middle East, dark days of deprivation and difficulty, accidents and expulsion, team turmoil, arrests, trials and uncertainty.
You not only carried us through, but strengthened, deepened and matured us while utilizing us in your Kingdom. What a privilege to walk with you, to join you in the great plan you are carrying out to bring history to a conclusion and take us with you.
I have tasted and seen that you are the King of kindness, you are the Lord of love, you are the Ruler of righteousness and the Sovereign of selflessness. I praise you that you are only good–stable, unshifting, sure good. In you there is no wavering, no toying with the fate of people, no partiality, no failure to pay attention, no being late, no compulsiveness, no capriciousness, no mood swings, no lack of knowledge, no hesitation, no uncertainty, no inconsistency.
You are the God who is pure in motive, perfect in planning, persistent in values, perceptive in understanding, purposeful in love. You are flawless in execution, abundant in mercy, rich in resources, overflowing in love, generous in giving, gracious in provision, limitless in creativity, slow in anger and positive in patience. You are a marvel, you are majestic, you are trustable, you are great. To you be glory both now and forevermore.
 
Prayer: “Lord, I praise you now for how you are going to work things out in my present uncertainties. I give you honor without seeing the end, for you are absolutely trustable. Keep me thinking these truths, help me to respond with love and grace and goodness, to fight the real enemy with praise, prayer and persistence in obedience. Amen.”
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Fruits of Meditation on Scripture

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 17, 2017

As I continue to memorize and meditate on your rich and powerful Word, Lord, you continue to transform my being.

There is a growing grasp of your great supply of significance and honor, poured out upon me every day. This is part of an ongoing, deep, transformation that flows from basking in the truth, listening to Scripture telling me that I am yours, that I am with you, treasured by you, delighted in by you, invited to join you in your mighty purposes, that you freely and consistently give me worth, belonging and competence.

There is also an ongoing shift away from the fear of man to a fear of God: a desire to please you and a corresponding ability to reject what people think–to be free from their disapproval, their denigration, their disrespect. Your approval is enough to rest in, live in, die in.

Another aspect of this is a better grasp of the joy of being weak, the opportunity to trust you to work where I am without influence, leverage or power. If I want adventure, trusting you in my weakness is it!

This, combined with the daily reminder that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil, brings me a changed perspective of those who oppose me: a compassionate, forgiving, positive view–even a warmth as I think of them.

What a change you are bringing in my being through meditating on your Word, Lord, especially Psalms 18, 34, 37, 62 and 86. This is certainly a foretaste of heaven as you bring me out into an ever more spacious place, into growing freedom, into a greater joy. Glory be to you for these changes that carry me forward in every area of my life.

I praise you for what you are going to do today, Lord, as you orchestrate the flow of events, protecting me from evil and exposing me to challenges as you know is best.

I praise you for the negative feelings that may come: frustration, a sense of uselessness, failure in my plans, anger, impatience and a feeling of worthlessness. Each of these is an opportunity to think Truth, to surrender to you, to praise you, a chance to use negatives as a stimulus to respond with a positive that I’ve memorized from your Word, to be a glory-giver rather than a glory-stealer.

Before anything happens today, I give you glory for it now, Lord Jesus, trusting in your Great, Good, Glorious and Gracious character to bring what is best.

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Rest in God's Design

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 16, 2017

I praise you, Lord God, for the way you are using Scripture to transform me, bringing change in my thinking, my will, my emotions, my responses, my values and my motives.

To memorize your Word and meditate on it is powerful. It is pouring your perspective down into my soul, into secret areas where it brings cleansing, transformation and a greater grasp of your glory.

It also brings a wider picture of your power, purposes and plans, which results in a greater trust of you. And this leads me to praise you all the time, knowing that you have a design to use each event for good, especially those that, humanly speaking, are  unwanted, uncomfortable and distressing.

It is clear that this trust and the resulting praise are the way to trigger the flow of your patience in my life. When I see the big picture of you having absolute control over where the events of the world are going, that you are molding them to fit your overall plans, that whatever comes to me comes with your permission and purpose–then I can reject my natural impatience, take up Truth and your Patience to move through each event, trusting you to work it out.

This is the outcome of drawing my security from you, Lord, you who are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Strength and my Stronghold. (Psalm 18:1,2). In you I can rest, sure that you will shield my head in the battles of today, that in you is all I need and that my soul can find complete contentment in you, for from you alone comes my hope (Ps. 62:5).

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Amazing Trinity

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 14, 2017
 
Praise you, O God, my Three in One Lord–Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Within your Trinity is a great demonstration of unity and diversity, of submission in equality, of humility in cooperation, in perfection beyond comprehension. I praise you that in you there is no lack, that you are totally self-sufficient, that there is nothing in all of creation that is necessary for you.
 
You are the One who exists outside of time, outside of space, outside of all other relationships, outside of need. All that you give, all that you do flows from a self-sufficient heart of love, for the good of others, out of perfect motives and pure desires.
 
Praise you for your engaged, committed, consistent, unwavering and intimate love for your creatures and creation, demonstrated clearly in not destroying all evil immediately after the fall—in spite of your great grief at this terrible failure. You press on with the creation story because you have higher and deeper, longer and wider purposes than your own comfort and ease.
 
You are the God of Wisdom, the Lord of Understanding, the Ruler of Insight, able to see into the next million years and know all that will come to pass.
 
I praise you that it is with this complete and rich knowledge that you make all the decisions concerning what will come today: what opportunities you will provide for glory-giving in obedience, what challenges, problems, pains and persecutions you will allow, what successes, achievements and victories you will bring.
 
You are trustable, you are worthy of praise in it all, for you are the God of Glory, of Goodness and of Grace. You are always holy, holy, holy, the Three in One, Author of all.
 
I praise you now for all that will come today and for what you will do. To you be honor and glory in my life at each juncture. Amen.
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[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 13, 2017

[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]

Praise you, Lord, for the knowledge that you are the manager of my life. In your goodness, wisdom, grace and love you are constantly at work, arranging events, filtering out evil, giving guidance, protecting and directing.

Thank you for the surety that, as I pray about the day, you hear, you answer, you reach down from on high and take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters, you rescue me from my powerful enemy, from my foe who is too strong for me. You bring me forth into a spacious place. You rescue me because you delight in me. (Psalm 18:16-19)

What wonderful, rich, peace-giving, joy-providing, rest-producing Truth. Whatever comes I can praise and wait for your wise and good timing in bringing me through it.

In relation to Barbara’s mother, Omi, and the potential end of our time here, whether we leave in August or December, it’s fine: your timing is perfect. I can trust you to work things out: Omi’s accepting the change; a place opening up at the right time in the nursing home (she’s had an application in for 10 years and still no place); the selling of her house in a glutted market; the outworking of disposing of all her goods; the shutting down of all utilities; the closing up of our apartment; the actual leaving.

Praise you, Lord, that you have all these things in hand, will guide us through the maze and will cause each thing to happen at the right time. Praise be to you ahead of time because you are always good, gracious and righteous.

Epilogue: the Lord answered and brought every one of these events to pass–later than we expected (almost a year later, by March of 2012), but at the right time and in the right way, including providing Omi a place in a brand new, beautiful nursing home, with her being willing to go and then in the very last week of our time in Germany, the selling of Omi’s house for the price she wanted.

Truly, Lord God, you are the God of hope, who wants to fill us with all joy and peace, if we will only trust in you. Then you will cause our lives to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, blessing all those around us (Rom. 15:13). Help us, Lord Jesus, to trust in you continually, fully, richly and willfully so we can be carriers of hope to all those around us.

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Psalm 20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 12, 2017
Psalm 20:8 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses…They are brought to their knees and fall,”
 
[Horses die, chariots shatter, people pass, strength subsides, and every person in the world comes to the end of his or her rope where there is no further hope.]
 
“but we rise up and stand firm.”
 
[But in you, Lord Jesus, strength endures forever: your love is everlasting and your grace goes on through all eternity. When we come to the end of our rope, we can switch to your infinite and eternal rope, surrendering to you, trusting in you, crying out to you.
 
In you and in your power, we will be able to advance against a troop, to scale a wall , for we are shielded by your goodness (Ps. 18:29). We will always be able to stand firm in you, if we have on the full armor of God.]
 
Psalm 20:9 “O LORD, save the king!”
 
[Praise you that you saved king David in every battle and in every difficulty–and through his line brought us our Savior!]
 
“Answer us when we call!”
 
[Every day we pray, and every day you answer in your faithfulness. You are my Rock in whom I can take refuge (Ps. 18:2); you are my high tower in whom I can hide; you are my hope in whom I can rest (Ps. 62:5). For this I give you praise and honor and glory, Lord. I give you exaltation, worship and thanksgiving. In your faithfulness you are worthy of all surrender, all obedience, all submission.
 
So I bow before you, the Mighty Creator, the Powerful Sustainer, my Strong Defender. I rise up in this day so that, by your power, I can obey you in praise, in patience, in trust, in thought, word and deed. Glorify yourself in my life today, O Lord God. Amen.]
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Psalm 20:7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 11, 2017

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,”

Yes, Lord, sometimes we trust in other powers: money, might or men of position. Sometimes we trust in training, technology and theological systems. And sometimes we trust in planning, persuasion and people.

But all these fall far short of what we actually need; all are pitifully weak in comparison to our enemies: the world, our flesh and the devil. “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise….He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (Ps. 18:3,17).

All our enemies are less than nothing in comparison to you, Lord Jesus, the Star-breather, the Earth-spinner, the Dawn-bringer, the History-ender. Therefore we must reject confidence in anything else.]

“but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

[You are the only One who is trustable to the end: you are the eternal God of all might, the Lord of all power, the Creator of every creature, the Ruler of all dominions and kingdoms, the Lord of all principalities and powers. No one and nothing can stand against you.

“The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”  (Ps. 33:10,11).

You, Lord God, can do no evil, no wrong, no sin; you only do what is good and righteous and wise–therefore in you we can trust. In your Name we can exalt by believing and obeying your word. In your Name we can take refuge, for “the LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2). Praise be to you.]

Help us to walk today in the greatness of who you are, Lord Jesus, rejecting our tendency to primarily trust in other helps, which are feeble and futile.

Help us to instead trust in you, coming to you first in prayer and dependence, believing you to use whatever you chose to protect, provide and guide us through this day. Praise be to you now for how you will work, our great King and powerful Savior.

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