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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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Psalm 31:9-14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 2, 2016
Psalm 31:9 “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;”
 
[You, Lord, are the One I should flee to immediately when anxiety and fear, worry and distress strike, for you alone have the power to do something about it.
 
You are mighty and merciful, you are gracious and good, you are wise and wonderful. Praise you for how you will help us in our situations, few of which could be more distressing than David’s, which involved every area of his life, emotional and physical, social and positional:]
 
Psalm 31:9b-12 “my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;”
 
[What a devastating picture of severe distresses, ones which you, Lord, allowed, for you were at work with them, doing significant things in David’s life. And so you are in ours as we move into and through difficult times. In these we can trust you, no matter how painful it may be, as David goes on to describe.]
 
Psalm 31:12b-13 “I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me and plot to take my life.”
 
[David was weak and vulnerable, surrounded by threats, assaulted by fears and attacked by men–in real danger of death. It looks bad. However, the next word makes all the difference:]
Psalm 31:14 “BUT I trust in you, O LORD;”
 
[In spite of the circumstances, in spite of how he felt, in spite of the very real dangers, in spite of getting no answers yet, David makes the choice to trust in Jehovah, the great and holy God, to expect help from Him based on His perfect character and wide wisdom.
 
In using the word “BUT,” David chooses to reject the natural tendency to let his feelings, thoughts and circumstances rule him, saying instead,]
 
“I say, ‘You are my God.’”
 
[This is looking away from the seen to the unseen. It is a declaration that Jesus is his final authority and David is going to trust Him and obey Him, not feelings, “facts” or fear. David is submitting his intellect and perceptions to the higher authority of Scripture.]
 
And this is what you call us to do, too, Lord God. This is the response of faith, “But, I trust in you, O LORD!” What a privilege to be able to think and act in faith in the face of fears. Thereby we can bring you great honor, demonstrating to all around us the power of your grace, the wisdom of your way and the support of your Spirit.
 
Help us to be honest before you about how we feel, lifting our souls to you, Lord, while always ending with “But, I trust in you, Lord!”
 
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Psalm 31:7,8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 31, 2016
 
Psalm 31:7 “I will be glad and rejoice in your love,”
 
[Your love is enough for rejoicing, O God, for you are love itself. You, heavenly Father showed your love in sending Jesus into this violent, deadly world; you, Lord Jesus, showed your love in suffering immeasurably to save your enemies; you, Holy Spirit, show your love in working here in this fallen, twisted world to bring the elect to faith and to mature them in Truth.
 
You all three show your love in patiently allowing us to grieve you daily as we zigzag through life, bouncing from belief to selfishness, from obedience to rebellion. Truly your love is great, powerful, wise, endless, enduring and wonderful. To know you is enough for joy, to be your child is more than enough reason to praise.”
 
“for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.”
 
[You, Lord God, are omnipresent and omniscient. You see and know the difficulties of my life, my disturbed soul, my anguished heart. And you are consistently at work bringing the healing fruit of peace and righteousness as you help me respond to your gifts of guidance and grace. May I consistently cooperate with you in belief and surrender.
 
Psalm 31:8 “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
 
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Protector, for you brought me out of the prison of sin into a spacious place. And you did this because you delighted in me—against all reason, all odds, all facts, you delight in me, your enemy, your rebellious son, your uncooperative child.
 
I praise you that your love is not dependent on my performance, but upon your unchanging, rock solid Character of holiness, purity, love, wisdom and mercy that triumphs over justice.
 
To you be endless glory and honor, Lord Jesus, for your great work of salvation, your continued work of sanctification and your future work of recreation. May you be honored in all my responses to the little things of today as I actively trust you.
 
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