Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Psalm 22:1b-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 15, 2016

Psalm 22:1b “Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?’

[This is how David felt: he recieved no immediate answer, had no sense of presence, no support, no help, no guidance.

And this was the reality for Jesus on the cross: You, Father, were far from Him, you did not save Him from this suffering, because the three of you had a greater plan.

So it is with us, you send us through suffering because you have a bigger, wider plan than our being comfortable, a plan which will accomplish much more and in a better way than what we desire. Glory be to you for your great wisdom and your persistence in carrying it out. Help us to walk in faith, embracing those times of your silence, trusting you to act when the time is right.]

Psalm 22:2 “O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.”

[There are times when our prayers seem to go no further than the ceiling. These are times of testing our faith, a call to rest in the certainty of your goodness when there is no sign of it.

Jesus did this on the cross and in His descent into death. Becoming sin for us, He was far from you, but in the midst of His separation He also trusted you fully, following through with your plan. So must we.]

Psalm 22:3  “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;”

[David here reminds himself–and you–of who you are, the Perfect Presider, the Supreme Shepherd, the Righteous Ruler, the Glorious Guide, the Ever-present Parent. The first thing we should do when we feel far from you, is to remember who you are.]

“you are the praise of Israel,” and of us!

[As we look over history and see how you faithfully protected, provided for and guided Israel through the centuries, it is so clear how you, in your unwavering love and care, are worthy of the praise of Israel. And you are worthy of our praise for your power and presence in our lives, for your goodness and grace, your faithfulness and fatherhood, your holiness and help, your greatness and glory.]

In the light of this, we must praise you, O Lord God, for your complete knowledge, your deep wisdom, your mighty work, your powerful faithfulness, your persistent love and your unending goodness.

Today, whether I sense it or not, I know that I am with you, that you love me, that you will guide me in the way I should go. I surrender to you and praise you for what you will do. May you be honored in my life as the Holy One, enthroned on high.

Filed under:

Psalm 22:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 14, 2016
[Praise be to you, O Triune God, for your rich and revealing Word. Here we have another prophetic, Messianic Psalm, foretelling your suffering on our behalf and for your glory. Praise you for your wisdom in preparing the way in such a manner that your revelation here helped those before Christ and inspires wonder in us who come after.]
 
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
 
[David felt far from you, abandoned and alone; but this is much more a “pre-echo” of the actual abandonment by you, Heavenly Father, of the God-man Jesus as He became sin for us while hanging on the cross.
 
You, Father, had to turn away, breaking the relationship of the Trinity. The perfect relationship–without strife, without conflict, with perfect harmony, commitment, love and unity–was torn asunder. All three of you, Father, Son and Spirit, suffered great pain in this ripping of the relationship.
 
It was brutally broken by the burden of sin, as you, Father, turned away, and you, Lord Jesus, were left alone. Your shared reason for doing this, was that we would not be left alone, that all might have the possibility of being saved and have a rich, intimate relationship with the Trinity.
 
In offering your enemies such a never-ending relationship with you, Lord God, the possibility of abandonment from your side became impossible, while the possibility of rest, stability and safety became rock-solidly certain, for you are faithful to the end. In you is all our hearts long for, and we can only have it because you were willing to suffer the pain of separation to bring salvation.
 
I praise you, O Triune God, for your great, deep, powerful Love that would lead you to embrace and endure such suffering for the undeserving. You are a gloriously wonderful God, full of love and wisdom, grace and goodness. To surrender to you is such a powerful privilege, embracing the truth that when we are weak, then we are strong. Rule in us today, Lord, and use us for your glory.
Filed under:

Psalm 21:8-13

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 13, 2016
 
Psalm 21:8 “Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes.”
 
[You, Lord God, did just that in the resurrection of Christ. And you will continue to act in righteous justice against those who oppose you, every one of them: Satan and his forces of demons, and all human beings who join him in rebellion against your Word, Truth and Character.]
 
Psalm 21:9 “At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.”
 
[You will appear again, Lord Jesus—this is a certainty–and deal with them in your righteous wrath, having given every one of your human enemies the chance to believe, to respond to the light they have received. Your judgment will be just. Only those who have accepted your gracious offer of salvation, whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will escape this judgment.]
 
Psalm 21:10-12 “You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.””
 
[“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” You will triumph, overcome and win, destroying all evil.]
 
Psalm 21:13 “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength;”
 
[You are strong, you are powerful, you are undefeatable, you will win over all your enemies. For this you deserve to be lifted up on high and exalted. We can be confident in your victories, past, present and future; we can rest in them and rejoice.]
 
“we will sing and praise your might.”
 
[We respond to these great truths with worship of you for your mighty, majestic, multifaceted power which will overcome all evil, sweeping it into the lake of fire and sealing it forever, so that the new heaven and earth can be the perfect paradise you intended with no sin, rebellion or evil to mar it.
 
Your righteous wrath will right the wrongs that ravished creation. You will bring goodness and grace to every atom and every galaxy. We praise you that you have included us, your children in this. To you be glory forever and ever. Amen!]
Filed under:

Psalm 21:6,7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 12, 2016

Psalm 21:6  “Surely you have granted him eternal blessings”

[You granted David the blessing of being an ancestor of Jesus and along with that, eternal life. Jesus now lives forever to intercede for those who believe in Him, blessing us with a rich, everlasting relationship with Him, from which flow further blessings into our lives: grace, goodness, power, protection and wisdom—all a foretaste of what we will have in eternity.]

“and made him glad with the joy of your presence.”

[You, Heavenly Father, have restored the fabric of the Trinity, which was torn when you turned away from Jesus as He became sin for us on the cross. Now there is no end to your joyful, righteous relationship–the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’s rich unity–and your joy of being in the presence of each other. And you share that joy with each of us who believe!]

Psalm 21:7 “For the king trusts in the LORD;”

[In submitting to death, the Lord Jesus trusted you, LORD, Jehovah. He was totally vulnerable, absolutely submitted, helpless in his humanness. He was willing to be weak because He knew and trusted your pure, positive, perfect character which proved true again in the resurrection:]

“through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”

[Your love did not fail, did not leave Jesus in death, but brought about the great victory over death, decay and the devil. And that “unfailingness” continues in our lives, as you, the Most High, the Final Authority, the Almighty One, persist in your perfect love to protect us so we will never be shaken as we rest on the rock-solid reality of your rich and reliable character.

Praise be to you Lord God, Triune King, Gracious Shepherd, Mighty Warrior. Tender Father. To you be honor and glory and praise in my life today and on into eternity forever. Amen.]

Filed under:

Psalm 21:3-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 11, 2016
Psalm 21:3 “You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.”
 
[You crowned David, after his long wait of living as an outlaw; you crowned Jesus, after His 30 year wait, then His intense work and immense suffering; and you crown us now every day with love and compassion (Ps 104:4) as you continually pour 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, for ever 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, now 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. The greatest possible defeat, death, led to the greatest possible victory, overcoming the power of death, the devil and destruction. What great glory Jesus earned in His many victories. And so He passes this possibility on to us, calling us to be more than conquerors with Him in His power; and He wants to share His glory with us, as we triumph through our faith in Him (1 Pet 1:7).]
 
“you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.”
 
[David ruled in the golden age of Israel. Jesus now reigns from his throne on high as the mighty and majestic Ruler of creation and all beyond. You have raised Him up above all principalities and powers, above all might, above all names and 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 majesty of Jesus will be on display forever, and we will be ever with Him in wonderful, wide and endless 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 great 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.
Filed under:

Psalm 21:1,2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 9, 2016
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 weak 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 (his general, Joab and his son, Absalom), as well as those who attacked from the outside.
 
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 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 live are gifts from you, and we can rejoice as you help us move ahead, defeat our inner evil (the flesh), the evil one and evil in the 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. And you answered every one of Jesus’ prayers, Heavenly Father, and so you answer ours, especially when we delight in you 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
 
 
 
Filed under:

Wondrous, Transforming Love

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 8, 2016
Praise be to you, Lord, for the wonder of stability in you, in your amazing, unchanging, ever flowing 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. But you endure this willingly: suffering this pain inflicted by us does not alter the course of your love, your plans or your grace. In your wisdom you take each failure and use it to chasten, teach and bring surrender. You are love itself, so you will never not love.
 
In this truth of your perfect and powerful character, I can rest, sure that my place in your heart is secure, certain, unshakable, “My soul, find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from Him. He only is my rock, my fortress, my high tower, I will never be shaken” (Ps. 62:5)
 
I am deeply thankful, ecstatic, 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.
 
To you be honor and glory, Heavenly Father, for inexplicably drawing me to yourself, for giving me a place in your heart, in your family, in your plan, in your Kingdom, in your eternity.
 
I praise you for your never ending flow of grace, forgiveness and transformation in this 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 in the attacks from the enemy you will allow.
 
I praise you for the opportunities you have prepared for me to give you honor through faith responses: offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving and willful belief in your Word, living in the light of truth rather than in the darkness of what I can see.
 
I thank you, too, that in each of these you also give the possibility of earning honor which you will bestow on us at the appearing of Christ. 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 join you in what you are doing. Help me to do that today, grant me discernment so I can see what you are doing, Lord, 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.
Filed under:

More Meditation Fruits

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 7, 2016
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.
 
There is an ongoing, deep, transformation that flows from basking in the truth 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 reject what people think, to be free from their disapproval, their denigration. 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, positive view , even a warmth as I think about them.
 
What a change you are bringing in my being through meditating on your Word, Lord. This is certainly a foretaste of heaven. This is your bringing 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 and exposing as you know is best. I praise you for the negative feelings that may come: frustration, a sense of uselessness, the perception of 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 I’ve memorized from your Word, to be a glory-giver rather than a glory-stealer.
 
I praise you for what you will lead me to accomplish and for what you will block. Before anything happens today, I give you glory now, Lord Jesus, trusting in your Great, Good, Glorious and Gracious character.
Filed under:

Meditation Transformation

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 6, 2016

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 plan to use each event for good, especially those that humanly speaking are distressing, unwanted and uncomfortable.

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 patiently 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).

Filed under:

The Greatest Privilege Possible

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 5, 2016
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
 
Heavenly Father, I share John’s wonder at this astounding truth: that you, the Holy God, the Righteous One, the Just Judge, the Good Creator King, would take your enemies–evil, depraved, ugly, stubborn, rebellious and destructive as we naturally are—and transform us into new creatures, adopting us as your children! What a turn-around: to bring your adversary into the palace and place him into your family, making him your heir!
 
Your astounding act of justification is the great gem of Truth in the New Testament—you, the Just Judge, by the propitiation of Christ’s shed blood, satisfied the law and bought for us, your enemies, complete forgiveness. By your work, Lord Jesus, we stand justified before the court of heaven.
 
Adoption, however, is another matter all together. Justification is a forensic idea, meeting the demands of the law, coldly correct, handed down in court. In contrast, adoption is a family idea: warm, welcoming, accepting, being exalted to a new position of honor, privilege and grace.
 
This Agape love of yours is astounding. In one way it is a brutal love, brutal to you the Lover, who gives and gives, unswayed by the lack of positive response from the rebellious, self-centered, unbelieving, negative objects of your love–us. This love, so painful to you as you are grieved daily by our rebellion, is so gracious to us: caring, kind, forgiving, correcting, guiding, rebuking, nurturing, providing, directing, cherishing.
 
We must stand in awe, in wonder, in thankfulness, Lord God, at your ability and willingness to love us so. You have made us those in whom you delight and rejoice. You are gloriously great in your patience and goodness as you faithfully work in us, suffering grief every day at our hands. We, in our laziness, selfishness, pride, rebellion and unbelief, choose to disobey you and do our own deadly deeds according to our own puny plans instead of responding to your invitation to join you in your glorious and great scheme for restoring the universe to its pristine pre-fall condition. But you forgive us and continue to work lovingly in our lives.
 
As J.I. Packer puts it in his powerful book, Knowing God, the Judge becomes, “our perfect parent—faithful in love and care, generous and thoughtful, interested in all we do, respecting our individuality, skillful in training us, wise in guidance, always available, helping us to find ourselves in maturity, integrity and uprightness….”
 
In making us your children, Heavenly Father, you have invited us into the deep, intimate relationship you have with the Lord Jesus, giving us what you gave Him in His time on earth: affection, fellowship, honor, and authority. As you loved your only begotten Son, so you love your only adopted children. “Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”!!! (1 John 1:3).
 
Praise be to you for the greatness of your gift to make me part of your family, your child who is desired, treasured and deeply, dearly loved.
 
However, the real point of these monumental truths is not my acceptance, fulfillment or joy—and these are certainly some of the gifts you pour out on your children—no, actually the point of all this is that you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are worthy of praise and exaltation, worship and honor.
 
You are a wonder—no, you are THE Wonder of the world, of the universe and I praise you, Eternal Ruler, Lord God, my Father; I praise you, Lord Jesus, my brother, my fellow heir, my Savior and God; I praise you Holy Spirit, the indwelling, transforming One. I give you glory and honor, exaltation and praise, for that is what you deserve and more.
 
Prayer: “Forgive us for failing to marvel at, revel in, exalt in and glorify you for this great and uplifting privilege of being your children. I thank you, praise you, rejoice in and honor you. I commit myself to obey you, Father, just as my elder brother, the Lord Jesus, loved you in obedience. May glory be to you forever and ever. Amen.”
Filed under: