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Amazing Grace: Further Thoughts on Psalm 18

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

Psalm 18:32 “It is God who arms me with strength”

[In my weakness your strength is perfected]

“and makes my way perfect.”

[You know exactly what should happen, what should come, what is right, and that is what you bring. You know how I should respond and guide me in that direction.]

Psalm 18:33  “He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.”

[It is in your power that we can accomplish, for without you we can do nothing. It is in your grace that we can move onward and upward in life, keeping on the whole armor, standing in the day of evil, doing all you desire from us.]

Psalm 18:34  “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

[You give me ability, strength, endurance and discipline, which I must then develop in cooperation with you.]

Psalm 18:35  “You give me your shield of victory,”

[This is important—it is your shield, it is your victory, the glory goes to you. You want to share with us your victories in your power, to defeat the true enemy in your strength, to triumph in praise, prayer and obedience.  You give you shield, we have to use it. In the three difficult situations before me, I must get that shield up, to rest in you, praise you in my weakness, trust you in prayer and rejoice in the unseen that you are doing behind the scenes.]

“and your right hand sustains me;”

[as I tire and droop in the battle, you lift me up, strengthen me, support me so I can continue on in the fight against the real enemy.]

“you stoop down to make me great.

[This is a beautiful and amazing truth: we are so far below you, yet you lean way down to lift us up and make us great in your sight. This is sharing your glory, giving us your power, wisdom and grace that those around us may see your work in our lives and rejoice in you.]

Psalm 18:36  “You broaden the path beneath me,”

[you, Lord God, are at work in all the details. You open the doors, prepare the way, deal with things we are not aware of and protect us in your love.]

“so that my ankles do not turn.”

[you know what will cause us to stumble, to fall, and to be crippled—and these things you prevent so that we can press on in the battle, thinking truth, praising you, joining you in prayer, doing what your Word says is right.

Praise you, Lord God, for your goodness and graciousness and love. Praise you that I can live in these truths, bask in your light, revel in your love and rise up to run in obedience to you, bringing honor and glory to your name. May that happen today.

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Worship is Needed

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

Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Sovereign King, the One who will work things out, who will bring good things to pass in the best way, no matter what we do.

Help us to play the part you desire, joining you in what you are doing. Today I face two difficult situations; in each a person is bound and determined to do what is wrong and I cannot change them. But I can surrender the outcomes and my desires to you and trust you to do what is best. Help me to not fret, worry or be angry, as those only lead to sin. Praise you, Lord, for what you will do, for how we can trust you.

Praise you, too, Lord Jesus, for reminding me last night that you must be the One I delight in. It was good that you drew me away from work so I could be quiet and hear your reminder. I was in danger of veering off into delighting in projects.

No, as you reminded me, my passion, my first love, my delight must be in you, Lord Jesus, the Creator of all, the Owner of all, the Ender of all. You are the One and Only to be exalted.

Worship is very much is wrapped up in delighting in you, intentionally nurturing our first love for you.  So I delight in you now, remembering that your love is perfect in wisdom and complete in knowledge. In love you are magnificent in power, creating galaxies just by speaking. You are majestic in your grace, forgiving where justice demands punishment. You are mighty in your goodness, pouring it out on both the righteous and the rebel.

In you there is no evil, no sin, no wrong, no error. You are the kind King of Goodness, the righteous Hater of Evil, the just Judge of wrong, the gracious Forgiver of sinners.

Praise you for your loving care, shepherding your rebellious children, displaying great patience in the face of our disrespect, unbelief, disobedience and selfishness.

You, Lord, are worthy of worship. I praise you for the joy you give as I think on how you have worked in my life: personal, powerful, persistent, patient intervention to bring me to my senses and to surrender.

What a wonder you are, Lord Jesus, in your willingness to suffer the anguish of the cross, the despair of abandonment, the pain of rejection, the battering of Satan’s attacks, the horror of becoming sin, the crushing weight of the Father’s judgment, the banishment to death.

There was no need for you, the Righteous One, to suffer these things, but love led the way, faithfulness stayed the course. Praise you for this great display of your rich, loving, gracious Character, O heavenly God!

I love you, I rejoice in your all-sufficient grace, I praise you for your all-encompassing goodness. You are worthy of all-absorbing worship, so I bow down now and give you honor in my thoughts, desires and words. To you be all glory today in my life. May you be the One I delight in.

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Powerful Protector

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

Praise be to you, my marvelous Lord and Shepherd. I awake in the night, and find you there, watching over me. I awake in the morning and find you waiting for me.

You are faithful in your love, passionate in your care, gracious in your provision and persistent in your protection. As thoughts of evil threats came in the night, I can easily reject them by thinking of your presence and power presented in Psalm 18.

You are the protector of the weak and the provider for the poor in spirit, so I can trust you. Your Word firmly corrects my churning thoughts, sweetly soothes my anxious soul, provides positive, encouraging perspective and safely shields me from Satan.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Ps 18:1)—you have drawn me graciously into a rich and strong relationship with you, making yourself my Lord, pouring into my life your strength, sharing with me your power–even though you know I will at times miss use it, rebel, disobey and disbelieve, wounding your heart. You are so gracious!

Your love is lavished on your lazy and illogical sheep because of your majestic and marvelous Character: you are faithful and forgiving, gracious and good, pure and positive. We do not deserve your love and protection, but you are insistent in having a warm relationship with us, pouring your time, grace, care, protection and guidance into our lives 24/7.

You are faithful in the face of our faithlessness. You are good in the face of our rebellion. You are constant in the face of our unbelief.

I praise you, my Lord, my Rock, my Fortress, my Defender, my Shield, my Tower of power, my Stronghold of safety. I call to you, who are worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Ps 18:3). I praise you for your protection, glorify you for your deliverance, exalt you for your unbelievably wonderful grace at work in me each day.

You are Lord, you are Life, you are Light and you are Love. You are my Lord, my God, my Savior, my Deliverer and my Protection. You are worthy of praise, worthy of exaltation, worthy of obedience. To you I bow down, to you I surrender, to you I give myself: I lay down before you all that will come in this day: my desires, my plans, my preferences. I give you my will and take yours in its place.

May you be glorified in me today, may my responses be from your heart, your Word, your power. May your Spirit overflow from my life onto all those around me so they, too, may taste of your goodness, and thereby may your Name be lifted up before all I meet today.

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Another Adventure

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

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, so we went for a walk in the woods with Josh, Sarah and the kids. About halfway through I noticed that one of my hearing aids was missing. Instantly I realized what had happened: I’d been carrying little Kenan on my shoulders, and when I put him on or took him off, the hearing aid was dislodged. It had fallen off that point, or somewhat later.

My first reaction was natural, “Oh no!” But the Holy Spirit immediately prompted me to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, “Thank you, Lord, for allowing this. I pray that you’ll help me to find it, as you know where it is.” I then retraced the several hundred yards we’d covered, looking carefully for the missing item, but no success.

As I was searching, the Spirit reminded me of how our car in had been stolen shortly before we moved to Germany in 2009. I had looked for that, too, but did not find it. We’d hoped to sell it and buy a car in Germany, but, as you may remember, the Lord had something much greater in mind for us.

He not only supplied a car through our new friends, Dr. Chris and Melanie, but they paid for the insurance, taxes, repairs and all our fuel for the whole 3.5 years we were there! But much more importantly, He gave opportunity to share the gospel with Dr. Chris, answering his questions so that near the end of our time there, he came to Christ. That was certainly worth losing my 15-year-old rusty car!  So what does God have in store through this loss? We shall see!

I returned to join my family, again looking carefully as I retraced my steps and then we all looked again as we walked back home–but no hearing aid. I returned later in the afternoon with a magnetic stick and swept through the leaves, but nothing. The next morning I brought a young friend who is really good at finding things—but again nothing.

Each of these searches was another chance to trust God in praise. He certainly knows where that hearing aid is, but has chosen not to show me. I don’t know what He intends to do with this, but I can trust Him to know and to reveal it at the right time.

It is so good to relax in His love, to let go of what is temporal (it belonged to God anyway), to hold on to the truth of His goodness and grace, and to rise above the situation.

As it says in Hebrews 12:1-2, remembering that I am surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, I am told to lay aside every weight (loss) and the sin that so easily entangles me  (worry, fretting, anger) and run with patience and perseverance the race He as set before me, looking to Jesus (not to people, possessions or success), the Author and Finisher of my faith (He will carry me through).

Like Him, for the joy set before me (of being His child, of having Him as my Shepherd, of His protection and provision, of a certain future, of spending eternity with Him), I can endure whatever cross may come and despise whatever shame I may feel (for my failure and weakness), knowing that I will be set down in heaven with Him.

What a freeing, empowering perspective! I encourage you to pray that passage for yourself every day for a month and see what God does! And I will wait to see His further purposes in this adventure of loss.

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Promises Kept

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 18, 2016
 
Praise be to you, Lord God, the Triune One, for you keep your word forever. As Solomon proclaimed in 2 Chronicles 6:14,15,
 
“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.”
 
As Zechariah, the father of John the baptist said in Luke 1:68-79:
 
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child [John], will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
 
As Simeon said when he saw baby Jesus in the temple: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised… my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
 
This is the fulfillment of your word given in the beginning: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen 3:15).
 
Yes, you Lord God, fulfill your promises, you bring to pass what you desire, your timing is perfect, and therefore you are the one to be trusted and glorified. You have saved us all, both Jew and Gentile, from our enemies and those who hate us—that is, Satan and his hordes.
 
I praise you that we can now walk in the light of your presence, in the warmth of your love, in the illumination of your Word, in the fullness of your Spirit. I praise and extol you, lift up your name and exalt your Word. May I continually walk in the shining light of all this truth so that you be glorified in my life today.
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Psalm 23:6b

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

Psalm 23:6b  “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

[This, Lord Jesus, turns my gaze ahead, to the end point of our journey: being with you forever in a sinless, unending, glory-giving relationship.

We will live in your light, revel in your Love and embrace your gift of the abundant life, unfettered by any darkness, brokenness, negativeness or failure. We will live with you!

There will be joy without sorrow, happiness without regret, celebration without interruption and relationship without sin. We will be able to live in perfect patience, selfless service and a surplus of self-control. There will be surpassing beauty, unending joy and incomprehensible glory.

Praise you, Lord, for this unspeakably marvelous future you have prepared for us through your terrible suffering, your becoming sin for us, your taking on yourself the punishment my rebellion deserved.

When I look to this future, and see this certain hope revealed in these powerful promises, the pressures and problems of this world fade into the background. I still have to deal with them, but their importance shrinks, their significance lessens, their power to hold me drops away.

What is happening in the world politically, economically and socially shifts from being a source of fear to a window into your wisdom, power and grace, as you use the evil of men and devils to strip away illusion and bring all who are willing into your Kingdom of light. You, Lord God, are Sovereign, nothing escapes your attention as you inexorably move ahead with your mighty and marvelous plan of redemption and transformation.

As we look back, we can see your love, mercy and goodness. As we look forward, we can see greatness and glory awaiting. You have done it all, prepared it all, therefore you deserve all obedience and submission, all praise, honor, glory and love.

And I do praise you, Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit, for your great work to bring this all to pass. You are the only One worthy of eternal praise and worship, and I begin that right now!]

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Psalm 23:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 16, 2016
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love [mercy] will follow me all the days of my life,”
 
[What a beautiful promise. Lord Jesus, my Great and Faithful Shepherd. Your goodness, love and mercy will be with me all the time, without fail, although I will often not see them in the midst of a difficulty because they follow me. I can’t see them yet, but I can know that they are there, supporting, protecting and finishing your work.
 
Therefore I can trust you that in any circumstance which is allowed through your love and goodness. I think of what you did in one situation as we faced uncertainty and the threat of loss. In your mercy we did lose, but know that you had a higher, greater purpose. In your goodness we won by losing.
 
Praise you for what you did in our friends’ situation where they were assigned to a dangerous, difficult and down trodden place. Looking back now, we can see your goodness and mercy and love at work in their lives, bringing deepening, protection, provision and faith.
 
To you be glory, Lord, to you be honor, for your goodness and mercy are at work amongst us even though we can not see them. I give you praise now for the outcomes you will bring today.
 
You are truly the God of goodness! I praise you, Lord, you for the stability this brings into my life: stability flowing from your consistent and warm love. I praise you that I am always with you because you promised to never leave or forsake me. No matter what I do, you are always there, like the father of the prodigal son, ever waiting with open arms, gracious thoughts and forgiving heart.
 
In you I am safe, stable, on sure ground, even though I may not see your goodness or mercy at the moment. In you alone I can find rest, protection, acceptance, approval, affirmation, worth and significance. In you there is shelter, a shadow for protection from the heat of the day and a sovereign grace to erase all my guilt.
 
I praise you, Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit—for your wondrous, gracious and rich love: undeserved, unending, unquenchable and ever unfolding.
 
Your thoughts are higher than ours and if we don’t seek your input, we will certainly not follow your greater ways. Help me to be consistent in seeking your higher thoughts and ways. Help me, Lord, to partner with you each day, each moment, to be open to your direction, to come to you very frequently to ask for your perspective on the situation. Thank you for your goodness, mercy and love.
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Psalm 23:5b

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

“You anoint my head with oil;”

[This is the act of choosing, of giving worth, of blessing, of providing.

You chose me before the foundation of the world.

You poured out your Spirit on me at the point of belief.

You sealed my adoption as your son by placing your spirit in me.

You pour out continual blessings of grace, goodness, strength, wisdom, weakness and power.

Every day You provide me with protection, guidance, insight, goods, money, relationships, opportunity to give you glory, chances to share your Word, time to be with you, enough health to serve you and most of all your presence and love, a rich and enduring relationship, the one I was made for.

You are most generous, especially when we think of what I actually deserve: condemnation, rejection, punishment, suffering, pain, failure, separation and eternal death.

“my cup overflows.”

[You promise that my needs will be met, but you give far more. Nothing I have can contain the blessings you pour out. Your gifts that overflow my life so I can share them with others. Some of these gifts are joy, praise, peace, insight, wisdom, strength, faith, vision, love, grace and goodness. Along with these are material gifts, also to be shared with others.

We bow before you in belief, Heavenly Father, exalting your high and holy Name. We rise up in faith, trusting in your goodness and wisdom, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving so that we may honor you and open the way that you may show us the salvation of the Lord.

Praise you for what you will do today and in the coming days, Lord, as you lead us in paths of righteousness, and for how we will be able to trust you in everything that comes because you are absolutely faithful and unchanging in your generosity and grace.

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Peace and Safety in the Presence of Danger

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 14, 2016
 
Psa 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
 
[We think of peace as being the absence of any threat, but you give us a different perspective, Lord. Here we have a sumptuous table set on the lawn, decked out elegantly, filled with delicious food, ready for the guests. And on the edges of the lawn are a roaring lion, a growling bear, a prowling tiger, a slinking jaguar and a menacing rogue elephant trumpeting his anger. The sight and sound of any one of these dangerous enemies is enough to strike fear in our hearts.
 
Yet there stands Jesus, calm, quiet and smiling. He calls us to the table and motions for us to sit down. The threatening roars and growls increase, but our enemies dare not come close when the All-Mighty Shepherd is there.
 
As we turn our focus to Him, the threat, the noise, the fear all fade. Peace comes because of His presence, contingent not on the absence of danger but on the absolute power of Christ. We eat in peace, enjoying His company, the conversation and the feast provided by His hand.
 
He could remove the enemies if he wanted, but as we live in a fallen world, he allows Satan and his cohorts to exist, for he uses them to accomplish his purposes of bringing all who are willing into the Kingdom, of maturing His children, of giving us opportunity to live out the Truths of His Word. We are safe in spite of the presence of danger.
 
Lord help me today to live in the power of your presence, ignoring the threats of the enemy, focusing instead on you and your might, on your beautiful character, on your being the One in control and on the fact of your provision. Praise be to you, the Conqueror, the Protector and our Provider.]
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A God Worthy of Our Enthusiasm

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 13, 2016
A God Worthy of Our Enthusiasm
 
Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of waking from disturbing dreams and finding you there, strong and gracious, kind and firm. The stability of your goodness is such a support. It is so comforting to know that you do not change, for you never tire, grow impatient or fade in your love.
 
You are my resting Place, my Shelter, my Shield, my high Tower, my Fortress, my Deliverer. As I think of the past, a long stream of God sightings come to mind, events where you have provided, protected, intervened and answered prayer—all showing your love, commitment and goodness.
 
As I look to the future, which is uncertain–every day could harbor a disaster—knowing you as the unchanging, mighty and gracious God, I can relax in your love, rejoice in your goodness and be ready to embrace whatever comes.
 
Not only do we have you as our personal Shepherd, you have given your children a wide and high perspective on history, both past and future. You have great and comprehensive plans which you will bring to pass. You are dealing with injustice, violence and evil. You are working to bring as many as possible into the Kingdom.
 
In addition, you are giving your children multiple opportunities to mature, deepen and earn rewards by responding to all in faith, as we offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving for whatever you allow. We can, like Jesus, for the joy that is set before us, endure whatever cross you give us, despising the shame, knowing that we are going to be set down with you in heavenly places (Heb. 12:2).
 
We can know that whatever challenges you bring to us, you will give us more than enough grace to move through them with power: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). You will give us more than enough insight, answers, direction and resources.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, for your mighty grace, your majestic love and your magnificent plans, into which you have brought us. I praise you for the purpose, the meaning, the hope and the future you have laid out before us.
 
I praise you for your giving us your Spirit to teach, rebuke, guide and provide for us whatever we need to live for you. I praise you that no matter how I may feel, the truth is that you, Lord Jesus, in your “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of [you] who called us by [your] own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
 
Help us to live in the light of these Truths, Lord Jesus, to walk in wisdom, in faith and in grace so that we may be hope carriers, light bringers and faith givers to all those around us today.
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