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Help in Darkness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2016
Today’s reading in the book EDIFIED! is very relevant to us as my little wife continues to live under a weight of multiple negative symptoms without any relief in sight. Is this simple depression, or chronic Lyme’s Disease, or something else? No one knows and thus far nothing has helped.
 
In the midst of this we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for He is the one who knows and will both give grace to pass through it and, at the right time, bring relief. Here is the perspective we must have:
“Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’”
Psalm 118:4
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are my Shepherd, that we can know that whatever comes, you have led us into it, as you led your disciples into the storm on the lake, into the opposition of the crowd, into the pain of your death. You have the larger picture, so we can trust and follow you as you walk with us into the future.
 
Psalm 118:5-9 says, “In my anguish I cried to the LORD….” This is the proper response to any situation, going right to you, O God, fleeing from self-pity, worry, fretting and anger to embrace your goodness, wisdom and love.
 
You will respond to our prayer: “In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:7). And your answer begins inside: “I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). “In my anguish I cried out to the Lord and he answered by setting me free” (Ps. 118:5).
 
You, Lord God, are the Freedom-giver—freedom from eternal death, from punishment, from condemnation, from selfishness and Satan, as well as from fretting and fear, problems and difficulties. You are always at work to set us free from things that bind us, on a deeper level, in a higher way.
 
Praise be to you for your wisdom, your insight, your understanding. You operate with full knowledge, certain of which thing to work on next, which enemy to defeat, which sin to reveal, which point to camp out on until we respond. You don’t guess and fumble as we do in life; you know exactly what is wrong and you know exactly how to deal with it, for you are the Creator, the Healer and the Freedom-bringer.
 
“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid” (Ps.118:6). As we look away to you, fear is defeated, fretting is routed, worry is wiped out, unbelief is banished. They cannot stand in the light of your mighty, majestic, magnificent power, of your gracious, great and good heart, of your perfect, powerful, positive character, of your deep, dynamic, everlasting Love.
 
To trust in you is always wise, to take refuge in you is always good, to rest in you is always right. Praise be to you, Lord Jesus: Creator and King, Lord and Savior, Judge and Victor.
 
Prayer: “To you be glory in my life today and forever more. Help me to flee to you with each challenge, problem and difficulty, so the answer can come from you and bring you glory. Help me today to distrust myself and to trust in you instead. Amen.”
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More on Trust

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 4, 2016

More thoughts on this passage.

Psalm 62:6  “[The Lord] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

[This is an exact copy of verse 2, a repetition of the truth of where real security is found, and if I seek refuge there, I will not be shaken, no matter how traumatic the events.]

Psalm 62:7  “My salvation and my honor depend on God;”

[We so naturally seek our salvation in our own efforts, and our honor from the opinions of others. However, both our salvation and our honor actually depend fully on God, not on us or others.

He has provided salvation for eternity, and for every day; we know where we are going, and we know He is with us in the nitty gritty events of life, protecting, guiding and providing.

He is the One who has already given us great honor–making us children of the Creator of the Universe,  granting us membership in the Kingdom of light, giving us each a special part in His plan.  What else could we desire? Yet we stubbornly tend to seek our salvation and honor elsewhere. Forgive us, Lord, help us to seek salvation and honor only from you.]

“he is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

[The unshakable, unassailable, unconquerable God is the One to be trusted. When all else seems to fall apart, He is there, unchanging, reliable, good, wise and sure.]

Psalm 62:8  “Trust in him at all times, O people;”

[There is that command again: “Trust!”  When we trust, we can rest. And this is possible all the time because God is always there in His goodness and grace. You, Lord, are sufficient, you are faithful, you are absolutely trustable.]

“pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

[Lord, It is right, good and necessary to pour out before you all our fears, desires, feelings and thoughts. When our heart is emptied of these, with the Spirit’s help we can fill it with Truth and Trust. Then we are safe in your refuge.

You will never reject us for being honest with you—you know all about us already—and you are delighted when we are open, transparent and truthful with you. You desire to be our refuge, you call us to yourself, and in you we are safe.]

Help us, Lord God, to trust in you more and more, to find our rest, our refuge, our salvation, our honor, our safety, our joy in you. You are worthy of trust, you are worthy of praise, you are worthy of worship. May my life give you honor and glory today as I trust in you alone.

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Trusting

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

I praise you for your wonderful Word, Lord, and the power of it in our lives. During a very trying time in my life, the following was written.

Psalm 62:5  “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;”

[This is a command (not a suggestion), while in verse 1 the same truth is given as a statement “My soul finds rest in God alone,” telling us where rest is possible. Here we are called upon to make a choice to find our rest in You, Lord.

We need to turn away from what we naturally pursue for rest– getting what we want, resolution of situations and tensions, positive reactions of people, removal of conflict.

The fact is that each of these solutions is fleeting and superficial, so quickly replaced by other stresses. But finding our rest in you is deep, powerful and eternal. Help us to willfully, volitionally find our rest in you alone.]

“my hope comes from him.”

[Again, this statement is a bit different from verse 1 (“my salvation comes from him”). Here is hope, the possibility of receiving what we desire: rest. We need to turn from our desire to desiring the One who can grant it.

As it says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”  You. Lord, are to be the focus of our affections; then you can safely give us good things, knowing that they will not become idols.

You are giving us great responsibility and possibility here, Lord. Romans 15:13 clarifies this: “May the God of hope give you all joy and peace as you trust in Him (there is our part, trusting, finding our rest in Him), so that your lives may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

As we trust, the power of the Spirit comes; as we find our rest in you, Lord, then you pour out all kinds of goodness in our lives.]

We can trust you because you are Elohim, the incredibly powerful and faithful One. You show your power in creation–you are the star Breather, the galaxy Former, the planet Hanger, the dawn Bringer. The variety and detail of every aspect of this world you spoke into existence is mind boggling. You are great beyond comprehension.

You are also incredibly faithful–you promise and it happens; you plan and it comes to pass. At the right time you came to be our Savior. No one and nothing can stop you.

So I choose to embrace your character as Elohim, powerful and faithful. You know what you are doing as you shape, guide, change and transform my life. Therefore I gladly join you wholeheartedly by trusting you today–in the midst of uncertainty and disappointments–with total praise.

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Jesus is the Most High

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 2, 2016
You “…O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:9 You, Lord Jesus, are the exalted One, the highest One, towering far above all creatures, all creation, all time, all eternity. You are the final Authority, the Almighty King, the Measure of all good, the Determiner of what is right.
You see all, you judge all, you will end all. Your righteousness shines out from your being; in your purity you bring light; in your holiness you illuminate the world. You are truly the Most High.
To bow before you in worship is the response of those who know you, see you, love you. You are the One to be praised, adored, exalted and lifted up.
In worship our eyes are opened, our understanding is enhanced, our knowledge is deepened, our souls transformed. As a result we will say: “Let those who love the LORD hate evil” (Ps. 97:10a). Yes, Lord, to love you is to hate evil, for you are purely good.
In your goodness you “guard the lives of your faithful ones and deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Ps. 97:10b). As we worship you, obey you, walk with you, we can rest in the power of your goodness: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the All Mighty” (Ps. 91:1).
In your goodness, you pour out your grace upon us: it flows out of your being like water from a deep, pure spring, like love from a new mother, like light from the sun. As we look upon you in worship, “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart” (Ps. 97:11).
 
You, Lord Jesus, are so loving and kind, so gracious and pure, so giving and forgiving. To you belongs all glory, all honor, all praise, all exaltation, both now and throughout all eternity!
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light of your presence today, thinking your Word, living worthy of you, pleasing you in all I do. Amen.”
–from the devotional book “Edified!”
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Psalm 33:19,20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2016

Psalm 33:19 “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him…to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.”

[Here, O Lord Jesus, is the true picture. You are the only One who can and consistently does deliver us from death. How many times have you saved me from near accidents, including potential head-on crashes–and how you protected us in the one head-on crash we did have. You are at work in seen and unseen ways, delivering us from death daily.

And in the greatest way, Lord Jesus, you have delivered us from eternal separation from you by your own death and resurrection. We are saved and safe now for eternity!

And you are the One who keeps us alive by supplying our daily bread, often in great abundance. You see our need and provide it. You are the Source of all, you are the Provider of all that is necessary and far more.

Psalm 33:20 “We wait in hope for the LORD;”

[Instead of trying to save ourselves in our feeble strength, we must wait for you to act, Lord and then join you in it. Sometimes we wait for a long time, but you are faithful and will act at the right time, just as you did with Joseph.

You kept him in prison until he had learned all that was necessary. Then at the right moment you brought him out, ready for the great work you had prepared for him. In you there is hope, a certainty of provision at the right time, the hope of love moved by wisdom and power to bring about what is best.]

“he is our help and our shield.”

[Your mighty, majestic power moves in love to support us in our weakness. You pour upon us grace, wisdom, insight, peace, joy and rest. Out of your superb strength you move to shield us from the attacks of the enemy, from all that would harm us spiritually. You hold your hand of power over us to ward off evil and evil men. You only are our true help and shield.]

You are the God who is beyond our dreams, beyond our hopes, beyond our understanding. You are Great and Powerful, Glorious and Perfect, Gracious and Pure. You are the fulfillment of the longing of our hearts and far more. Glory and honor belong to you alone! May they flow from my life to you today.]

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Psalm 33:18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2016
Psalm 33:18 “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”
 
[It is wise to choose to fear You, Lord, rather than people. This means to stand in awe of your wisdom, to care deeply what you think about each thing, and to live in submission to your Truth rather than culture or personal preference. Fearing you leads us to choose what is right rather than what is comfortable.
 
Our hope must be in your gracious, good heart of love, not in people, or circumstances or our own efforts. We must choose to come to you, to seek your help, to rest in and trust in you. Then you will act on our behalf.
 
You call us to an active partnership role. King Jehoshaphat demonstrated this for us in 2 Chronicles 20 when he was suddenly confronted by a massive invading army. He chose to fear you rather than the enemy and demonstrated this by immediately coming to you for help and guidance rather than turning first to his generals.
 
He then demonstrated his trust of you by sending out a choir of praise before his army. And as the choir began to sing praises to you, you caused the enemy soldiers to turn on each other and the whole attacking army was destroyed.
 
You saved Jehoshaphat and his people by your power poured out in response to praise generated by trust that flowed from fearing you.]
 
Lord help us to find our hope in you, to fear you rather than whatever threatens us. Help us to actively trust you by coming to you first in any challenge, and by offering praise to your name instead of complaining and living in fear, hopeless and despair.
 
May we walk in the light of the truth that, “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining on ever more brightly until the full light of day” (Prov. 4:18).
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Psalm 33:16,17

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 28, 2016
Psa 33:16 “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.”
 
[A king and a warrior may be saved and escape in battle but large armies and great strength are not the deciding factor–God is.
 
–I think of the huge multinational army that came against King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. He turned to God for help and God caused the enemy soldiers to turn on one another and destroy themselves.
–I think of the great army of Assyria that came against King Hezikiah and how the Lord put to death 185,000 of them in one night (2 Kings 19:36).
–I Think of David versus Goliath, and of Daniel versus the lions.
–Then there is Paul, attacked and beaten by the Jews at the temple, but God sent the Roman commander to save him.
 
In each case the deciding factor is not might or size, but God. So it is with us, Lord, for we are weak and vulnerable to powerful forces around us. But we can and must turn to you for help, rather than looking to the puny powers of this world.]
 
Psalm 33:17 “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.”
 
[In David’s days a horse was the strongest weapon available in battle, the most powerful military means, but it was not enough to deliver. The rider needed help from God, or he was doomed.
 
So it is with us: technology, machines and weapons are available, but they are just tools, useless without you. Your plan is stated in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.”
 
You, Lord, are the Ruler, the Decider, the Helper of all who turn to you. “My salvation and my honor depend on God. He is my mighty rock and my refuge” (Ps. 62:7). We must turn first to you: “This poor man called and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6).]
 
Lord, forgive me for first looking for help in the wrong places: my own efforts, people, professionals, possessions, money and machines. Help me instead to call out first of all to you. Then deliver me in such a way that you get the glory and that all around me will see that it is your work, not that of mere human beings. Thank you now for how you will answer this prayer in all that is to come.
 
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Psalm 33:13,14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 27, 2016
Psalm 33:13 “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;”
 
[Such all encompassing ability, such penetrating power, such total focus that you can look down and see ALL mankind. No one is hidden from your sight. What a grief it must be to you to see your creatures continually sin, to hurt others, to dishonor your name, to rebel left and right—yet in your love and mercy you keep on looking down and working among us.]
 
Psalm 33:14 “from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—“
 
[Again the word “all”—every single human being is fully in your sight, having your complete attention, for you are infinite in your abilities.
 
This should strike fear in the hearts of rebels, for nothing can be hidden from you. It should give encouragement to us who are your children, knowing that we can be totally honest with you for you already know it all. You are beyond comprehension and worthy of our worship and trust!]
 
Psalm 33:15 “he who forms the hearts of all,
 
[You are our Maker, you know how things should work, and you enable us to live according to what is right by providing direction, guidance, power and desire so join you in all you do. “By his divine power he has given us all we need for life and godliness through our knowlege of him…” (2 Pet. 1:3)].
 
“who considers everything they do.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, that you are not just aware of each person, but you think on, weigh, evaluate every motive, thought, word and action–every single thing we do. That is scary! Not one thing goes unnoticed and unweighed, and if it weren’t for your great mercy, we would be immediately, eternally dammed by these things we do.
 
As it says in Rev 20:13,15 “each person was judged according to what he had done…If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
 
Our own works bring not salvation but damnation. But there is that wonderful “IF” in this sentence “if our names are…written in the book of life.” And praise God, that in the lives of believers this is a reality: our names are written in that book by the Lamb of God Himself!
 
That fact alone is enough for us to rejoice forever, even if every other thing goes wrong in our lives. We can wholeheartedly follow the example of Habakkuk who proclaimed, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls…”–this is a terrible, hopeless situation of despair.
 
But Habakkuk goes on in faith: “…yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Knowing God, being His forgiven child, having Him as our Savior, Shepherd, God and King who watches over us every moment is certainly enough for joy in any circumstance–we can choose to rejoice in Him no matter what, knowing that whatever happens, He has a plan for us, and it is a good one!
 
Glory be to you, Lord, the all-seeing God, for you are worthy. May you be honored, lifted up and praised throughout this day in my life. Amen.
 
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Psalm 33:12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 26, 2016

Psalm 33:12  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.”

[Blessed is way too weak a word for the wonder of being the people of God, being chosen for His inheritance, being included in His Kingdom and future.

These great privileges are highlighted when I consider what I actually deserved as an enemy of God, incapable in myself of obeying you. You would have been right and righteous to strike me down upon birth, sending me to hell and separating yourself from me for eternity.

Yet you called me to be one of your children, a princeling in your family. You cleansed and transformed me, you chose and cherished me, and I stand before you dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in. Not because of what I am, but because of who you are: Love itself, Light itself, Life itself, breathing new creation into a life born a ruin, giving worth to what was destructive, making useful what was dangerous.

To belong to you, O Holy God, is a marvelous shift of fortune, a wonderful change of status, an undeserved privilege of grace, a miraculous outcome—all dependent on your goodness. Praise be to you that you gave worth where there was waste, you gave value where there was viciousness, you gave life where there was death. In you we are wanted, worthwhile, wondered about and watched over. To be your people is a privilege beyond comprehension.

To think on this brings praise to my lips. Praise is your due, praise is our privilege, praise is our gift, praise is our joy. You are worthy, O Lord, in every way.

So we eagerly give you glory, honor and praise for the incredible goodness of your heart, the unbelievable forgiveness of your character, the incomprehensible love of your being.  We bow before you in thankfulness, gratitude and joy. We rise up to return your love in obedience, rejoicing and praise. Glory be to you in our lives today. Amen.

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Psalm 33:10,11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 24, 2016
 
Psalm 33:10 “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.”
 
[You, O Lord God, rule. You are absolutely Sovereign. You see all that people and devils are planning and in your might, power and majesty thwart the wrong that contravenes your great goals.
 
You frustrate our destructive desire for selfish independence; you prevent us from reaching joy and peace apart from you; you hold back the tide of evil. What you do allow, you will use for good in the lives those involved.
 
Praise be to you for your greatness, Lord, for your wisdom, for your power, all of which are continually at work to transform the evil of men into the goodness of God.]
 
Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
 
[In contrast to us weak humans and the limited evil spiritual powers, you are unthwartable, unconquerable, undefeatable and eternally triumphant.
 
You will bring about the results that you have planned, no matter what men and demons may do. You are able to weave their rebellion and rejection truth into the overall fabric of your purposes for the redemption and recreation of the universe. In the process you rescue from the kingdom of darkness all those who are willing to believe and sweep them into the Kingdom of Light.
 
You are firm and faithful, you are unchangingly consistent, ever present and perfectly powerful. What you planned from the beginning has come to pass despite Satan’s constant attempts to thwart your desires: the line of Judah was preserved, the Messiah came at the right time, making the necessary sacrifice, rising from the dead and providing salvation for all, especially for those who believe.
 
No force could prevent this, no power exists that could thwart it. “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” (Prov. 21:30).
 
You, Lord God, are the star Breather, the galaxy Former, the planet Hanger, the earth Spinner and the dawn Bringer. You are great beyond comprehension and mighty beyond imagination.
 
We praise you that you are ever at work to thwart what is wrong and bring to pass what is right. In you we can rest, in you we can find peace. Help us to live in trust, in praise and in wholehearted obedience to you today.
 
 
 
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