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The God of Compassion and Graciousness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 16, 2016
 
I praise you, Lord God, for the beauty of your Character as shown in Psalm 86:15 “…you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
 
You lean over the side of heaven and in compassion follow carefully every aspect of my life, preparing each day in detail, providing protection, chastening, guiding and blessing.
 
In compassion you also take me through difficulties to break, shape and transform me. You are wholehearted and full orbed in your compassion.
 
You are gracious: kind and good in your dealings with me. You are richly generous, pouring out upon me blessing after blessing. You have given me health, strength, the ability to see, hear, walk and talk, you have given me a fine family, good friends, meaningful work, constant protection and many belongings. And even if I had none of these, I have you! I lack nothing because you are my Shepherd.
 
You are slow to anger: deeply patient, graciously patient, perfectly patient and therefore persistent in our relationship. I so often fail, especially in my thought life and in my motives, and in each sin grieve you, giving you pain.
 
Yet you do not respond in anger, but instead kindly correct me over and over. You start with very small alerts and if I don’t respond, slowly work your way up to larger rebukes, patiently giving me chance after chance to see, confess and repent of one sin after another. I praise you for your great, rich, comforting, healing patience.
 
You are abounding in love: you are an overflowing spring of grace with an endless stream of goodness that pours out of your rich person, for you are agape love itself.
 
Praise you that your love is unaffected by any of my failures, that your love flows deeply, widely and powerfully forever. It evokes from me an answering love, a desire to do what is pleasing to your heart. Your love transforms, cleanses, equips and leads us on, consistently, abundantly and graciously.
 
You are abounding in faithfulness: you are perfect, unchanging, unwaveringly consistent. You are faithful to your Character, to your Word, to your wisdom to your promises, to your plan. We can trust you wholly, wholeheartedly, totally and eternally. You are faithful when we are not; you are faithful when it costs you. You are faithful forever.
 
Glory be to you, Lord God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are totally worthy of worship, of honor, of exaltation. I bow before you today in awe, I rise up in surrender to obey in praise and thanksgiving. May you be lifted up, glorified and honored in my life today, in my motives, thoughts, words and deeds.
 
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Psalm 32:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 15, 2016
Psalm 32:6 “you forgave the guilt of my sin…Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;”
 
[In every situation this is what we have the privilege of doing: running to you in prayer, seeking you and your help first. I praise you that you can always be found by your children, for you are consistently with us, always watching, always ready to help: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).
 
Praise you that this is a partnership you have called us to, where we must seek you, come to you in prayer, and then you will answer. It is a relationship: wonderful, positive and powerful. It is a responsibility: we must reject the desire to fix things ourselves and instead come first to you. Praise you for the possibility of entering into your presence at each moment and finding help. “In the day of my trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).]
 
“surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.”
 
[This danger is not an “if” but a “when.” Floods of trouble will come, but you will set us high upon a rock and keep us safe. “God is our refuge and strength…. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof” (Ps. 46:1-3).
 
This is true today and forever. I praise you, Lord, and give you glory and honor, praise and exaltation, because, whatever might come, you are there in power, love and grace. “My soul, find rest in God alone; my hope comes from Him” (Ps. 62:5).
 
Help us rest in you and your greatness today, Lord Jesus, rejecting worry, fear and anxiety, instead embracing love, joy and peace, trusting in you.
 
“May the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace AS YOU TRUST IN HIM, so that your lives may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).
 
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Unbelievable Goodness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 13, 2016
I praise you, my Heavenly Father, for your steadfast, unwavering love and goodness. I am so much the opposite: my emotions are up and down, my sense of achievement and worth waver, and my happiness with myself fluctuates with what I perceive to be success or failure. My feelings change with how people interact with me, with how well I sleep and even with my dreams.
 
But you, Lord God, have made yourself my Rock, my Protector, my Fortress, my Forgiver, my Cleanser and my Father. I praise you for the whole-hearted, deep and full acceptance you have given me in Christ. I thank you for the gracious correction, the loving help, the continual support from your glorious riches, from your constant presence, your protection and provision.
 
In you I am forgiven, in you I am being transformed, in you I am on the upward journey to heaven. In you I have worth and meaning and unfailing love.
 
Lord Jesus, my wonder at you grows as I consider what I am in myself: selfish, proud, weak, unstable, lustful, lazy, impatient, unbelieving and rebellious. And then grows mare as I consider what I deserve: rejection, punishment, suffering, failure, death and eternal separation from you.
 
In the light of this, I am more and more amazed at your unending, rich, powerful and enthusiastic love, poured out me every day. You are too good to be true, too wonderful to be real, too positive to be grasped–you are beyond human conception.
 
Yet, your love is real, demonstrated at the culmination of history at the cross and resurrection–and then repeatedly affirmed in my life each day by your forgiveness, patience, kindness and grace.
 
What a privilege to bask in your love, to revel in your acceptance, and to rejoice in your forgiveness. May I never take any of this for granted, may my wonder at your great goodness ever increase and spill over into ongoing revival, seen in worship through obedience, praise through faith, and rejoicing through surrender.
 
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Psalm 32:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 12, 2016
Psalm 32:3,4 “When I kept silent,
[not confessing, not acknowledging my sin]
my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
[this is your love, moving us towards repentance.]
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah”
Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to you
[may I ever do it quickly, immediately!]
and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
 
[Because you are Love, Lord Jesus, because you are Faithful, because you have paid the great price and you love to forgive, we can eagerly and boldly come to you to confess. We are safe in you, we are protected in you, for “The Lord is good and ready to forgive and abounding in mercy to all who call on you” (Ps. 86:5).
 
Why hold back, why prolong the painful resistance? And for what? A little more indulging in anger or resentment or lust? We only end up with a mouthful of gravel!
 
Let us instead run to His open arms, eager to lay our sin at His feet, to be forgiven, cleansed and back into fellowship. This is wisdom, this is freedom, this is what He desires for us, restoring our joy in Him.
 
In speaking of surrender and obedience, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). And in such surrender, we give Him honor and love as He gives us joy.] Selah
Help me to walk in the light of your presence today, Lord, clearly, unreservedly accepting what you have to say to me about my sin and about your love. Help me to rest in the position of sonship that you have whole-heartedly given me.
 
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd, my Brother, My Lord, my King, my Creator and Sustainer, my God. You are worthy of worship, of honor, of glory and exaltation. May I give you these
through whole-hearted faith, quick repentance, immediate obedience and ongoing praise in all things.
 
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Psalm 32:1,2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 10, 2016
Psalm 32 Of David. A maskil.
 
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, Triune Ruler, the Great Holy One, that you have provided forgiveness for my many sins, wiping clean the record of my multitude of transgressions, including the ones to come.
 
I thank you, with all my heart, that you took me from being a correctly condemned criminal to being a dearly loved son. I praise you for qualifying me to be a partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in the Kingdom of Light, when what I deserved was to be cast out into eternal darkness.
 
What a wonder to be cleansed, transformed, adopted, accepted and delighted in–all contrary to what I actually deserve! You are truly the God of Grace, the King of Kindness and the Lord of Love.]
 
Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”
 
[Lord, I praise you that you not only erased my guilt, taking it upon yourself, but that you consistently work in me to bring transparency, making my spirit one of truth, instead of deceit.
My soul certainly has deceit—I do not like being exposed even to myself and naturally seek to cover up. And there is much hidden there that I don’t even know about myself yet, but I do know that it is natural for me to be selfish, impatient, impolite and curt, proud and negative, thoughtless and overly focused.
 
Praise you, Lord, that your Spirit works in my spirit to change all this, making me aware of what is wrong so I can abandon it, and what is right so I can embrace it.
 
Help me to stand in ever-growing awe of your greatness and goodness, to fear you, not man. Help me today to follow the leading of your Spirit and to be wise and effective for you, basking in the truth that you will never count my sin against me and that you are ceaselessly at work to move me forward in sanctification. I thank you now for what you will do today.
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Psalm 31:23-24

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 9, 2016
 
Psalm 31:23 “Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful,”
 
[There are an infinite number of reasons to love you, LORD Yahweh! Not the least of which is your faithfulness to your Word, to your promises, to your Character, to your love. We can be sure that whatever you allow into our lives, you have a plan, a purpose and will give provision.
 
Because you are faithful, Lord Jesus, you preserve, protect and deliver those who trust in you, who walk in awe of you, in obedience to your desires, living in the light of your great and holy presence. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them” (Ps. 34:7).]
 
“but the proud he pays back in full.”
 
[You will act against those who are proud–including against me if I need it. I praise you, Lord Jesus, that as the Good Shepherd you do rebuke us, correct us, chasten us and punish us when needed to get our attention. I praise you, Lord God, for your working in every way, for your guidance in all things.
 
Thank you that you will deal with those who in pride act against your children, against your Word, against Truth. Help us to be humble before you, not listening to our hearts, but to you.]
 
Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
 
[When our hope is in you, the Star-breather, the Dawn-bringer, the History-ender, we can be strong and encouraged, for you, Lord God, are powerful and good and wise. You are the One who can deliver, protect and guide, and you will do these things, because it is your nature to love.
 
When my heart is down, discouraged and disappointed, I can find my hope in you, the great and glorious God whose power is immeasurable, whose might is eternal, whose strength is unending, whose love guides all you do: “My soul, find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from him” (Ps. 62:5).
To hope in you is wisdom, to trust you is good, to obey you is freedom. Praise be to you, Lord God for what you will do today in the plans and events before me. I choose to trust you, honor you and worship you. Be glorified in my life today.]
 
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Psalm 31:21-22

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 8, 2016
Psalm 31:21 “Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.”
[More than once David was trapped in a city (1 Sam. 23:7-13), but each time, in David’s danger, you protected him, you acted to keep him safe when all seemed lost, when he appeared to have no way out.
 
So you do with us, when we are trapped by tragedy and loss, difficulty and destruction, negativity and evil, you are there, and you show us your wonderful love by giving us a way out.
 
You are the God of hope, who stands ready to “fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in you so that our lives can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).]
 
Psalm 31:22 “In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.”
[What seems to be impossible is changed when I remember that you are there, Lord, that you are acting behind the scenes and will do what is best.
 
I think of the times we were threatened with expulsion from the country we were working in, but you heard our cry for mercy, Lord, and kept us there in spite of the plans of high ranking men.
 
You always are prepared to act at the right time, and you often give us the privilege of going by faith for a while, believing you when we have no outward evidence, and thereby giving you glory before all. Help us to do that daily obeying your call to:
 
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Ps. 50:14,15).]
 
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Psalm 31:19-20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 8, 2016
Psalm 31:19 “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,”
 
[You, O Lord, know the future and all that will come; you know what is needed for us to stand, and have prepared a rich supply of grace for us. Your one requirement is that we trust you–fear you, stand in awe of you–rather than fear men who speak loudly and destructively.]
 
“How great is your goodness…which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”
[As we hide ourselves in you, Lord, you bless us clearly, publicly, visibly. You give grace and peace, you supply our needs, you carry us through difficulties, you empower us to be more than conquerors rather then just coping.
 
We can hide in you mainly through thinking the truth of your Word and responding in praise and thanksgiving for what you allow. I give you praise now for your wisdom and goodness as you go before to guide, protect and deliver.]
 
Psalm 31:20 “In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”
 
[To others we may appear to be defenseless and totally vulnerable, but in your unseen presence we are sheltered and shielded. Our responsibility is to stay in your presence, in your refuge of truth, in your Word of wisdom: “He who dwells in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1).
 
This means that in the midst of such pressure we can trust you, praise you and respond to evil with what we know to be right: forgiving, returning good for evil, resting in the truth that you are doing good in what appears to be bad.
Then in your mighty power you will protect us, work to guide and direct us and bring us out into a spacious place. To you be glory and honor, Lord for your goodness, power and love.]
 
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Psalm 31:17-18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 6, 2016
Psalm 31:17 “Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you;”
 
[You, O Lord, desire to grant us honor, not shame: “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved” (Col. 3:12), “my salvation and honor depend on God, my mighty rock and refuge” (Ps. 62:7).
 
So we can be confident that as we bow before you and live for you, you will act in your faithfulness, in your goodness, and in your kindness to save us from shame. I praise you now for how you will act in the difficult situations before me and bring both resolution and honor.]
 
Psalm 31:17b,18 “but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.”
 
[There are so many lies and false accusations uttered these days against followers of Jesus–even to the point of calling us terrorists! Doing good is denigrated; committing evil is exalted. I praise you, Lord, that in the midst of this you are at work and will use the attacks of the enemy to advance your Kingdom.
 
And I thank you for your guidance on how to respond to these verbal attacks. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and being consumed with anger and discouragement, you call us to, “delight in weaknesses, hardships, INSULTS, persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
 
Praise you, Lord, that these situations are opportunities to give you glory through trust, praise and doing good to those who do evil to us. May we so walk in faith, bringing you great honor before all the unseen hosts.]
 
 
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Psalm 31:15-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 3, 2016
 

Psalm 31:15 “My times are in your hands;”
 
[A strong declaration of God’s great powers, of sovereignty at work. We cannot control our times, our lives or the events that come into them, but God actively, intimately and lovingly works to bring to us what is best for us–a further reason to trust Him fully through praise before any answer to our cry comes.
 
As it says in Psalm 33:18-20 “…the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”]
 
Psalm 31:15b-16“deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”
 
[David is unwaveringly looking to the right place, to the right One for help. He is confident that God is going to answer. As David said in Psalm 27:13-14 “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, that no matter how bad things appear, you are going to bring out of them positive and constructive happenings as we join you in faith.
 
I give thanks, Lord God, for your care and protection, your grace-filled help in each difficulty, and for your allowing challenges into our lives to deepen, mature and equip us.
 
Help us to keep our eyes on you this day. I bow before you, O Lord God, wanting to give you the honor due your name by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all.]
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