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True Refuge

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 26, 2016
Psalm 22:22 “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.”
 
[You, the prayer-answering, all-wise, infinitely powerful, all-good God, are worthy of praise. You are Yahweh, Elohim and Adonai, the God of perfect character, marvelous wisdom, rich love, unending righteousness and immeasurable power. Yes, before all I will declare your name and praise you!]
 
Psalm 22:23 “You who fear the LORD, praise him!”
 
[To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of His power and greatness, His hatred of sin and love of righteousness; it is to care deeply what He thinks about things, and obey Him fully. This leads to praise, worship and thanksgiving from us and those who are around us, it leads to honor and glory for Him.]
 
“All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!”
 
[To honor and revere you, Lord God, with enthusiasm and joy are the responses of those who spend time in worship and your Word. Then they can see your beautiful and majestic Character, Lord God, the Triune Ruler and Perfect One.]
 
Psalm 22:24 “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one;
 
[You were very much aware of Jesus’ suffering, Father, and you allowed it, knowing that it was necessary for Him to be the perfect Savior: “Because [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 18).
 
Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 12:4). You valued His suffering because you knew it was necessary; at the same time He was able to reject the shame of his suffering because He looked forward to what it would do in saving many and giving His Father glory.
 
You are also aware of the suffering of your children, ever giving them the grace needed to move through with power and become more like Christ. Help us to not despise or disdain the suffering you allow into our lives, but to look beyond it in joy to what it will accomplish in our lives and to the honor it will bring to you as we respond in faith.]
 
“he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
 
[You came in at the right time and rescued Jesus, not from the cross, but from the grave; you are the absolutely reliable One. You also did this repeatedly for David when he cried out to you, who wrote, “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6).
 
And you do the same in our lives when we flee to you for help: “The angel of the Lord encamps round about those who fear him and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).
 
As David so confidently states in Ps. 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.” Help us to consistently run to you, Lord, for refuge in each situation, to fear you, not men, to trust you, not ourselves.]
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Certainty in Perfection

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 25, 2016
Praise you, dear Lord, that in your gracious goodness, you unfailingly guide and direct, provide and protect us. Praise you for the richness of your character, the perfection of your personality, the graciousness of your goodness, and the firmness of your faithfulness.
 
Thank you that you lead us through difficulties, darkness and disappointments, using each to deepen, mature, chasten and develop us. You are wise beyond words, knowing exactly what is right, always doing what is best, and working out what is wonderful, no matter how it may appear to us.
 
I praise you, Lord, that whatever comes today, I can praise you for it. Confidence in you is never misplaced, praise is always appropriate, trust is always right.
 
To you now I lift my heart and soul in praise, for you are worthy of it in your perfect power, wonderful wisdom, lavish love, great goodness and flawless faith, in your strong sternness and touching tenderness. Every quality needed is there in the exact amount and in perfect balance: mercy triumphs over justice, forgiveness comes before condemnation, love covers a multitude of sins.
 
You are a marvelous Lord, the only God, the perfect Father. You are far better than any god we could make up: in our flawed thinking, anything we could produce would be also flawed, like the Greeks’ human-like sinful gods.
 
Thankfully you are completely different, far beyond any human conception: perfect and eternal, wise and good, being light, love and life yourself. Your essence is totally other than that of your creation, and for that we are thankful.
 
Praise be to you forever and ever. Your faithfulness is the reason we can praise you before anything comes to pass, for you are fully sovereign and are easily able to allow or prevent whatever you desire. It is a certainty that you will bring to us whatever is right.
 
Praise you for our weakness in the events before us now, and for your strength will use all for good in our lives. We give you glory, honor and praise now for what you will do today, tomorrow, next year and forever. You are Lord, you are God, you are worthy. Amen.
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Psalm 22:19-21

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 23, 2016

Psalm 22:19 “But you, O LORD, be not far off;”

[You, Heavenly Father, only turned away from Jesus as long as was necessary. And because you, Jesus, were willing to be abandoned on the cross while becoming sin for us, you have said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb. 13;5 ESV). Praise be to you, Lord God, that you are always near, always ready to help in grace, wisdom and power.]

“O my Strength, come quickly to help me.”

[Yes, you are my strength, Lord Jesus, the Source of all good, the Spring of powerful provision. Praise you that you give help at the right time and in the right way. And praise you that while waiting, we can be worshiping, trusting and thanking you before any answer comes because you, Lord, are gloriously faithful to help!]

Psa 22:20, 21“Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.”

[Praise you that whatever form the attacks of the enemy take, you, Lord Jesus, can deliver us in the right way at the right time. No one and nothing is strong enough to overcome you.

You let through only the attacks that you will use for good in our lives, for strengthening our faith, for putting to death our wrong desires, natural responses and selfish goals, and for giving us a platform for sharing with others about you.

You are the perfect coach, putting us through the experiences that will equip, mature, prepare and train us for righteousness and faith.

Praise be to you, the Most High, King of Kings, Lord of Glory, God of Goodness. Before you I bow down in surrender. Help me to rise up to trust, obedience, praise and thanksgiving throughout today. Amen.

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Astounding Predictions

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 22, 2016
This section is an amazing prophetic statement, describing what will happen to Jesus 1000 years later; it details the happenings of a crucifixion long before that cruel method of execution was thought up. Truly God stands outside of time, knowing all that will come and revealing to us what we need to know.
 
Psalm 22:12,13 “Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.”
 
[Satan and his forces, using the unbelieving rulers of Israel and the powerful Gentile forces sought to devour Christ, defeating Him in with death.]
 
Psalm 22:14, 15 “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.”
 
[Here is the clear prophetic description of Christ’s crucifixion, with bones out of joint, with extreme thirst, with His heart melting from anguish and grief, with His death and burial.
 
What a wonder for us, Lord God to see how you, living outside of time, can describe what doesn’t yet exist in such detail and exactness. Your knowledge is precise, wonderful and marvelous, showing us the greatness of your character, the might of your wisdom and the grace of your revelation!]
 
Psalm 22:16 “Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me,”
 
[The gentile Romans empowered by the faithless Jewish rulers brought Him to execution.]
 
“they have pierced my hands and my feet.”
 
[In crucifying you, they did exactly this.]
 
Psalm 22:17 “I can count all my bones;”
 
[your bones stuck out as you were stretched and pulled on the cross.]
 
“people stare and gloat over me.”
 
[ “the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One” (Luke 22:35).]
 
Psalm 22:18 “They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”
 
[And the soldiers did cast lots for your garment. The detail of prediction here is astounding, Lord. Praise you for your desire to share this with us, to show us how your knowledge and wisdom are limitless, always at work, waiting for the right time, bringing what is best to pass.
 
You, Lord Jesus, knew from before creation that you would have to suffer these things in order to redeem the universe, and still you created all. Your love and goodness are astounding.
 
Therefore you are worthy of trust, of honor, of glory and worship. You know every detail of what will come in my day today and will orchestrate it for good, for growth, for glory-giving. Therefore to you I bow, to you I give glory now for what will come, to you I give me life.
 
I rise up to obey, to be a glory-giver, to honor you in thought, word and deed. Help me in this, for I can only do this in your grace and strength. You, Lord, are my all.]
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Daily Date

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 21, 2016
As you lead me into worship each day, Lord Jesus, there is a definite sense of solidification within, a strengthening in my inner being. I am more at rest in you, my confidence is shifting from other things to you, there is a growing sense of firm faith in you which stands against self-pity, impatience, discontent and fear.
 
Being weak is no long something to be feared and despised. It has become like a lens, focusing my attention on you, Lord God, and your mighty, loving, wise character.
 
Worship (praising you for who you are) brings transformation as I gaze on your greatness: “…we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2. Cor. 3:18).
 
The light of your character, Lord–pure, powerful, passionate, perfect, positive—is like a Lazar beam, shining deep into the recesses of my soul, exposing the filth of sin, burning away dross, purifying, healing, and guiding me into confession, repentance and the filling of the Spirit.
 
I praise you for the great love you have for us, leading you to work so patiently, so graciously, so faithfully even when we focus elsewhere on the trinkets and trash of earth, on selfishness and security, on busyness and business.
 
Your goodness persists through all, Lord, and I am so thankful that you do not give up on me, but are continually bringing me into a wider place as my first love for you grows.
 
Spending that daily time with you is so good, so powerful, so transforming. I praise and thank you for keeping me consistent in it.
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Ultimate Protection

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 20, 2016

Psalm 22:6,9 “I am…scorned by men and despised by the people…Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.”

[You, Lord God, were with David, and with Jesus from before conception, working in them to prepare them, to give them, protection and guidance, to have them trust you. So you have been with us, watching over our development in the womb, preparing our parents, our upbringing, our education and every other detail in life.]

Psalm 22:10 “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.”

[You know who will respond to your invitation to be their God. In fact, before the creation of the world you saw who would believe and who wouldn’t, and on that basis chose those who would respond to the work of your Spirit: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Rom. 8:29); and “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…” (Eph 1:1). What a great privilege to be thus brought into your Kingdom, Lord Jesus.]

Psalm 22:11 “Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”

[David had only you to turn to. Only you could help Jesus in his earthly life. And so it is in our lives: in the midst of powerful forces swirling around us, only you, Lord God, can actually help. All others are limited and weak, they fail, are faulty, are fickle, but you are faithful.

As it says in Psalm 18:16-18, “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.”]

I praise you, Lord God, that you reach into every aspect of our lives to carry us through whatever challenges come. You take us through the valley of the shadow of death “out into a broad place; [you] rescued me, because [you] delighted in me” (Ps. 18:19).

Thank you that today you will work this way in my life. Save me from the evil one, from evil people, from evil events and from my own evil within. Help me to keep on the armor, to trust in you that you may shield my head in today’s of battle. Amen.

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Right Answer at the Right Time

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 19, 2016

It is a certainty that you, Lord God, are guiding me in making decisions [“Make me to know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul” (Ps. 143:8b)], that you have me where I should be and are giving me significant work to do. I praise you for these good and great truths which hedge my life in, protecting me from evil both without and within.

Praise you, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd, for the wonderful, profound, powerful and complete security you provide for us. My role is to find my shelter, my help and my way in you (Ps. 91:1). Like David, I must embrace my weakness so I can rest in your greatness. He wrote:

Psalm 22:6  “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.”

[Here David experiences the rejection of those around him, and turns to God for support. This foreshadows what Jesus experienced 1000 years later in an even  greater way: rejected by his own people, betrayed by two of His disciples, abandoned by them all, and turned away from by His Father–yet trusting Him.]

Psalm 22:7  “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:”

[This is exactly what happened to Jesus, when even those crucified with Him mocked Him.]

Psalm 22:8  “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”

[Again, exactly what the Pharisees said to Jesus, insulting the Creator of all as He hung on the cross. But you, Lord Jesus, saw the greater picture, so you chose not to defend or vindicate yourself to men, instead staying on the cross to save them.]

So you call us to trust in you, to suffer the scorn of men, to know that you will deliver us because you delight in us—but not in ways that the world would expect, or that we might want. We praise you, Lord God, that your ways are higher than our ways, that you truly see the big picture and will work things out in your perfect understanding, timing and wisdom.

Thank you now for how you will answer various prayers that I’ve been praying for years without visible response from you. I can trust you in your faithfulness to be working in deep ways to bring these to pass at the right time and to work out what is best. I praise you now for answers unseen, unrecieved, but prepared for timely delivery.

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Awesome and Fearful Is Our God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 18, 2016

“For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.” Psalm 96:4

You, O Yahweh, are great beyond comprehension: great in wisdom, great in power, great in patience, great in creativity, great in knowledge, great in holiness, great in love, great in mercy, great in justice, great in strength, great in kindness, great in faithfulness.

You are truly most worthy of praise and honor and glory and exaltation, “For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens” (Ps. 96:5).

You stretched out the tent of the skies, driving in its pegs firmly, tying its ropes securely, making it strong and sure: it cannot be changed without your desire. You spoke and the stars became, you shepherded them into galaxies, assigning them their places and names, and at your command they settled there. You spread the galaxies across the vast empty stretches, forming immense patterns, beyond the perception and comprehension of man. You, O Lord, are immense in power, wonderful in wisdom, awesome in creativity.

We exalt you in your greatness and your goodness; we submit before you in amazed submission, leading us to whole-hearted obedience. We proclaim among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” You are truly God and I bow before you in awe, in smallness, in humility that flows from a vision of your holiness. You are God, you do what pleases you and it is always good. We tremble before you, the Holy One, the great I AM, the righteous Judge, the faithful Father. You alone are worthy of obedience, of submission, of trust and praise.

Prayer: “You reign rightly, O Lord. Reign in me today. Convict me of where I am following my own whims and desires instead of your great goodness; bring me up short, bring me to submission. Amen.”

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Weakness is Good

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 17, 2016

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for working daily in me, helping me to see my weaknesses as positives, rejoicing in them.

One can do this only in the light of your Being, knowing the goodness of your heart and the desire you have for the benefit of your children. We can know that your power will work to bring what you know to be best.

Yesterday was a “topsy-turvey” day, as my plans were over ridden by the needs of another, and trusting you I could let go and move wholeheartedly into a different program of heavy, difficult work–which we were able to finish just in time for an evening appointment. To let go, hold on and rise above is a wonderful thing, as I could leave my plans behind with joy.

I praise you now for what you will do today, whether it be what I desire or the opposite, or anything between. In you I can trust: “my soul, find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from Him.” Ps. 62:5

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Psalm 22:4,5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 16, 2016
Psalm 22:4 “In you our fathers put their trust;”
 
[Throughout the history of Israel with Abraham, Moses, Joseph, David and Daniel, you were the One they could depend on. They turned to you and were saved in and through their difficulties.]
 
“they trusted and you delivered them.”
 
[This describes what you desire: a partnership with your children. We are to trust, then you act. Without our joining you in trust, there is no certainty of getting answers. As it says in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in him….” Without that trust, joy and peace won’t come.]
 
Psalm 22:5 “They cried to you and were saved;”
 
[Trust is demonstrated by crying out to you first, not seeking answers elsewhere. If we trust in ourselves, or others, or circumstances, or luck, God waits, allowing us to suffer the consequences of our poor decisions so that we might come to ourselves and turn to Him in trust.]
 
“in you they trusted and were not disappointed.”
 
[You, the faithful One, always come through in the right way and at the right time, which is often very different than what we would like you to do and when we would like you to do it.
 
As it says in Psalm 46, “God is with her [Jerusalem then, now He is in us], she will not fall, He will save her at break of day.” We would like help before it gets dark instead of having to wait through the whole cold, long night—but you act at the right time and we can praise you while we wait.]
 
You, O Triune God, are our unfailing Rock, our unassailable fortress, our undefeatable deliverer. When the darkness closes in, when pain and sickness come, when disappointment dominates and failure flows, you are there, making sure we have enough grace, that we can move through in faith, giving you great glory in trust.
 
Praise you for these opportunities you give to fulfill the purpose for which we were created: giving you glory, honor and praise. And the greatest way to do this is through praise and trust before we get any answers, rejoicing in our weakness and your greatness, in our difficulties and your power.
 
As you said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then Paul said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” He embraced his weakness, realizing it was partnering with you.
 
I praise you now for all you are doing in the unresolved things before us, for your perfect timing, help, protection, deliverance and guidance that will come. I see none of this now, but know that you will provide at just the right time. Praise be to you forever and ever for all you are doing and will do.
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