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Psalm 20:1-3

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

Psalm 20:1
For the director of music. A Psalm of David and a wonderful prayer for us:

“May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;”

[Praise you, Jehovah Yahweh, that you do answer: “I will call upon the Lord in the day of trouble, for he will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).]

“may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”

[You, heavenly Father, are the strong and faithful One, and in your name is power. You kept on working with that rascal, Jacob the deceiver, persisting to the end and finally brought Jacob to surrender in worship on his death bed. And now, in spite of his ugly past, you are not ashamed to be called “The God of Jacob!”

You protected him all through his life, and in like manner, you, O Elohim, the powerful and faithful One, protect me in all times, in every place, in all circumstances. You are rock-solid-sure in your love and power.]

Psalm 20:2 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.”

[Praise you, Lord God, that we can enter your sanctuary any time and know that you will hear and accept us. Praise you that you always send help, just the right help, at just the right time—which may be much later than we want it, but then we have a chance to live by faith as we wait for your perfect and wise timing.]

Psalm 20:3 “May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.”

[Praise you, Lord Jesus, that in your name and by your grace, we are able to offer acceptable worship to you. We are able to give you honor and glory in ways that are pleasing to you. Only in you and by your sacrifice is this possible. Praise you for opening the way for us.]

As we pray this prayer, help us to see your answers in our lives today. Thank you for how you will respond, O Lord, our God.
Selah

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The God of Provision

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 22, 2016

You, Lord, are the God of provision, flooding our lives with  your gracious goodness, your constant kindness, your wide wisdom, your penetrating insight, boundless strength and great grace. Truly, our cup overflows, you have brought us into a spacious place, your have rescued us because you delight in us. What goodness you have poured out on us:

–the great and glorious privilege of being your child, the sons and daughters of the Most High King;

–the grace of  knowing and living ever more intimately with you, the Great and Glorious God;

–the vision-shifting truth that whatever comes into our lives is part of your plan to work good, to give opportunity for us to fulfill the purpose of our lives (giving you glory) and to give us significant parts in moving history to its conclusion;

–the powerful possibility to rewrite every hurt from your point of view and to forgive the offender as you have forgiven us, thereby freeing ourselves from the cruel bonds of resentment;

–the wonder of your love lavished on us in undeserved richness, in marvelous breadth and length and depth;

–the joy of belonging, of having worth, of being competent in you;

–the security of knowing where we are going;

–the anticipated joy of spending eternity with you.

With these shining, beautiful and powerful truths, I can enter this day at your side, joining you in the adventure you have for me, the work you have for me to do in partnership with you.

There may be disappointments, hurts, troubles and difficulties, but each one is a fine tool you will use to shape me more into the image of Christ. And each one will be an opportunity to be weak in myself but strong in you, to praise, to rise on wings of eagles, to see things from on high and to give you glory. What a life you’ve given what joy you share with us, what a God you are!

May you be glorified in my life today by the working of your Spirit and Word on my will to bring me to quick, eager, loving obedience in each situation.

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Great Possibilities With Jesus

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 21, 2016

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, my Shepherd and King, as I woke to find myself with you. My dreams were not very pleasant, having  one obstacle after another. Kind of like real life, but without your presence, so it was good to come back to reality with you!

Thank you for the wonder of knowing you, Lord Jesus, of having your grace, goodness and greatness in my life, of being continually offered rest and hope, a partnership of purpose and power in prayer, of being able to join you in what you are doing.

Thank you that this day before me will be filled with multiple possibilities of honoring you with faith, responding to disappointments, interruptions, problems and challenges with thanksgiving and the chance to thereby defeat frustration, impatience, selfishness, fear and worry.

To respond with faith is to do something that has eternal value, to fulfill the purpose you have given me in life of honoring you rather than focusing on myself and what is visible. Thank you that you have made faith the primary means of joining you, for anyone can do that: young and old, illiterate and highly educated, rich and poor, powerful and weak, new believer or old.

This is an exciting truth, for it shows how everyone in the spectrum of maturity, from the newest believer to the most seasoned saint, can all give you glory at each moment in time, simply by responding in faith, getting up the shield of faith by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

I praise you for what you have before me today; help me to partner with you, knowing that all will flow from your hand of goodness, from your heart of wisdom and grace, from you desire for me to join you in your great plans. Help me to see each negative as a positive possibility to offer you honor through thanksgiving, to grow spiritually and to be a light to those around me. What a privilege! Thank you for it and for what you will do in and through me today.

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Quote from Tim Keller

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

We “are so lost and flawed, so sinful that Jesus had to die for us, but we are also so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for us. Now we are fully accepted and delighted in by the Father, not because we deserve it, but only by free grace.”

–The Meaning of Marriage, by Tim and Kathy Keller, pages 55,56

 

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Rest and Surrender for Today

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

I praise you, Lord, for what will come today: the planned and the unexpected, the accomplishments and the interruptions, the painful and the pleasant. You, Lord God, are my shield, my strength and my stronghold, always there to protect, provide and carry me through whatever challenges you allow. You are all I need for today. You will do what is best in your faithfulness, in your goodness, in your wisdom, in your love, in your righteousness, in your grace and in your power.

I praise you for the privilege of being weak, of resting in your might—there is so much out of my control, while all is within yours. You know what you are doing, you have a plan, you are moving all to a conclusion, bringing it down to an end, from which all will expand into eternity, filling the universe with good, righteous, godly and gracious beings, acts, and events. Because you are the All-mighty One, no one can stop you, no one can thwart you.

I praise you for your Word and for the wonder of meditating on it, having it trickle down into my being to bring cleansing, insight, transformation and joy. You are the infinite One, always having more to reveal to us of your Great and Gracious character.

I praise you now for what you will show today, do today, provide today. May I give you glory all through this day, Lord, by choosing to obey what I know to be true, by trusting you, praising you in and for all things, delighting in my weaknesses, rejoicing in your strength and exalting in your righteousness, wisdom and power.

I bow before you now in worship, I will rise up in surrender, wanting to walk with you in obedience and godly fear, desiring to bring you glory before the seen and unseen hosts. Help me to do this consistently through the day, choosing in each event to trust you by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all that comes. Amen.

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Psalm 19:14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 18, 2016
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,”
 
Yes, Lord, may both my inner and outer speech please you, for out of the heart flow the words of my mouth. Lord, bring the continual transformation I need to please you in my thought life so my public life may honor you before others.
 
Help me to consistently meditate on your Word, think your thoughts, respond with your wisdom and speak your Truth. And may you be greatly pleased with that obedience growing in my being, the result of your good work.]
 
“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
 
[You are my LORD, that is, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Holy God, pure and sinless, separate and other, who hates sin and will judge it, while somehow you love sinners and provide for us a way of escape from your just wrath.
 
You are the God of wondrous qualities, of gracious goodness, of seeming paradoxes, able to join together what looks contradictory from our limited perspective: justice and mercy, truth and grace, judgment and love.
 
As my Rock, you are the stability of my life, the only solid source of rest, of shade, of protection, of hope. In you alone I can take refuge, for you will never be shaken, changed, fail or be defeated.
 
You are my Redeemer, the purchaser of trash so you can turn it into treasure. You are the One who took upon yourself the sins of the world because you want each person in creation to come to you, to believe, to become your child, to be dearly loved, deeply cared for, eternally doted on, doubly cherished and delighted in.
 
You, the great Savior have brought us out into a spacious place, before your throne, before your face, before the hosts of heaven and there you delight in us, your unfinished and cherished children.
 
Praise be to you for your lavish love, your wild wisdom, your glorious grace. You are worthy of our worship today and through all eternity. I bow before you, O King of the universe, Lord of time, Ruler of all creation. To you be honor, glory, praise and exaltation in my life today. Amen.]
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Psalm 19:12,13

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 17, 2016
Psalm 19:12 “Who can discern his errors?”
 
[My inner being is, to a large part, inscrutable and opaque, below the conscious. In there I unknowingly sin with wrong motives, wrong attitudes and wrong desires. These sins are from my flesh, from the inherited residue of sin from past generations, from the subtle working of the devil, from input from the world–and from my giving in to them. These sins are there—but their penalty has been paid in Christ’s death and resurrection, praise be to you, so we can pray:
 
“Forgive my hidden faults.”
 
And know that we are forgiven. As I spend time in worship (giving you honor for who you are), you are slowly increasing the depth of understanding of my inner being, showing me more and more of these hidden faults. Then I can knowing confess and reject them so I can obey you in these areas. Praise you for your persistent, patient and powerful work in my life.]
 
Psalm 19:13 “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.”
 
[This is where I am fully responsible and where I very much need your grace, your help and guidance, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd. I thank you that you have prepared me for this struggle, as it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” I have to learn to take up and use what you have provided.
 
Praise you for the continual upward progress of your transformational work in us that I see daily within and without: the help of the Holy Spirit in warning me, giving conviction, giving insight and protection. You make it possible to give a biblical response to the pressures that push me towards personal sin. As I obey, you are making supernatural responses (praise, denying self, patience and mercy) more natural for me.
 
You are at work: you are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Strength, my Stronghold. In you alone is the needed help in the battle with sin, self and Satan, with you alone is there hope, power and victory.]
 
“Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”
 
[Only in you, Lord, only in you is there the possibility of being blameless, without reproach, innocent of great sin. Praise be to you for your unwarranted desire to help, your unearned love, your undeserved grace.
 
You are marvelous in your Might, great in your Grace and wonderful in your Wisdom as you usher us farther up and further into the freedom, growth and grace of your Kingdom. Glory be to you. Help us to follow you wholeheartedly in this journey.]
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Psalm 19:9b-11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 16, 2016
Psalm 19:9b “The ordinances of the LORD are sure”
 
[There is no doubt, no shakiness, no uncertainty in your Word, Lord. What You command and reveal is absolutely true and correct. We can trust in, have confidence in, rely on and rest in all that you reveal to us by your Word.]

 
“and altogether righteous.”
 
[There is no sin, no wrong motive, no dark side, no hidden evil, no selfishness, no imbalance in your ordinances, Lord. They are purely, positively, powerfully right. We can always bank on them, for you promise to “lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3).]
 
Psalm 19:10 “They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;”
 
[Your ordinances last forever, they are perfect, they are pure, they cannot perish, their value is immeasurable, and they are vast beyond conception. Much greater in value than gold—and much easier to transport from one situation to another.]

 
“they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.”
 
[In revealing Truth, they bring the sweetness of life, the nectar of joy, the taste of heaven, the joy of life.]
 
Psa 19:11 “By them is your servant warned;”
 
[They reveal danger, show the way around evil and protect us from our own wrong desires. We must pay attention to your warnings, for it is up to us to obey what you have revealed.]

 
“in keeping them there is great reward.”
 
[Not just preservation from danger and disaster, but immense rewards come from obeying your commands, Lord. These rewards are both for now and forever: peace, joy, strength, wisdom, grace, love, positive relationships, fulfilling significance and purpose, security both for today and for eternity, continual growth and many others–an ongoing stream of your goodness being poured out on your children who love you with all their heart and strength and mind and soul.]
 
Today, Lord, help me to care deeply about what you think in all my decisions, and to do what will last forever, making them based upon your perfect and pristine Word, rather than on my own feeble and faulty reason.
 
May I wholeheartedly, consistently, confidently, humbly exalt and obey your Word in every area, every situation, every thought of my life so that I may constantly give you an ongoing flow of glory and honor, O Lord, my Shepherd and King.
 
 
 
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Psalm 19:9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 15, 2016
Psalm 19:9 “The fear of the LORD is pure,”
 
[To obey you out of reverence, awe and fear takes us in the direction of genuine holiness, away from the pollution of our flesh, the world and the devil. To obey you takes us towards fearing you, that is, caring deeply what you think about our issues and actions, while we fear the negative consequences of following our own reasoning.
To fear God, not man, to obey you while rejecting the fear of man–this leads to purity. The “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov. 29:25).]

 
“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.”
 
[And what we do out of great reverence of you will last forever. To obey Truth because we love you, even if it is a tiny, one second act (rejecting grumbling and instead offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving ; rejecting self-pity and thinking truth instead), is something that will have significance for all eternity.
Every decision is potentially a glory-giving, grace-displaying, goodness-giving opportunity–even if it’s internal and no one else knows but God–where we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created: to bring honor to you. This perspective can change our motives, from doing what is natural, to bringing glory to you by revealing you to those around us through our actions and reactions.
Help us to make multiple “enduring forever” decisions today!]

 
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Psalm 19:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 14, 2016

Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the LORD are right,”

[You, Lord, make the lines clear: this is right, that is wrong. And praise you that you do it as much in principles as in particulars (“honor your father and mother,” which can be lived out differently in different cultures), and presenting us with the wisdom to know how to apply these principles in various situations in our lives, giving us guidance in the grey areas.]

“giving joy to the heart.”

[Knowing brings security, for it gives clear boundaries, lessening the stress of decision making. Knowing brings joy, one of the gifts you have for us, one of the pleasures you desire us to have in growing amounts.

As you said, Jesus, in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Joy is there, offered to us for the taking–we just need to take your Word seriously, reject the tendency to complain and choose to live the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy. Such joy does not come from circumstances (as happiness does) but from our relationship with you, which will never be altered from your side–meaning joy is always available, no matter how we may feel.]

“The commands of the LORD are radiant,”

[Your Word shines like the noon day sun, showing us the way, illuminating what is right and wrong, falling on our path so we can know what can cause us to stumble, where to step and what to avoid]

“giving light to the eyes.”

[With your Word, I can know what to do: do not lie; do not steal; do not commit adultery; be faithful; be kind; forgive; love by obeying Truth; find your delight in God; do what is best; pray all the time.

There is no question about many things. And where it is not so clear and simple, you wholeheartedly give wisdom to discern. Help us to walk in your light today, seeing and circumventing the traps that the world, the flesh and the devil have set for us. May we, living in the light of your Word, be more than conquerors with you.]

 

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