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Psalm 10:1-11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 17, 2015
Today we will begin looking at an example of “Lifting our souls to God.”
 
Psalm 10:1
“Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
 
[So it seems many times. Here the psalmist is lifting his soul to you, Lord, pouring out his thoughts, feelings and desires, wondering why you seem to be doing nothing about the suffering of the weak. However we know from your Word and our experience that you are actually at work behind the scenes, setting things up, preparing to act, working in deep and effective ways. The psalmist goes on in his complaint about the wicked:]
 
10:2 “In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
10:3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.”
 
[Sounds like current events.]
 
10:4 “In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
 
[Brutal, selfish, proud, greedy and arrogant–this man does not think of God at all. Instead he bulls his way through life taking, getting, having his own way–while God seemingly does nothing.]
 
10:5 “His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
10:6 He says to himself, ‘Nothing will shake me;
I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.’”
 
[However, in all his seeming success and strength, he is a deluded man, caught in the web of Satan’s lies while enjoying it—but only for a time, for you, O Lord, are prepared to act at the right moment, to bring him low, to bring justice.]
 
10:7 “His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
10:8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
10:9 He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10:10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.”
 
[As ever, the wicked prey on the weak, never on the strong. They are cowardly and utterly selfish. Their goal is power, domination, wealth, control and comfort—and they will find it temporarily.]
 
10:11 “He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees.’”
 
[This is the utmost in arrogance, claiming that the all-seeing Creator, the all-knowing Sustainer isn’t aware of what is happening! This man’s concept of God is fatally flawed, being twisted, and much too small—he has made God in his own image—his world view is willfully devoid of truth. And he will pay for it.]
 
May we, Lord, be exactly the opposite of such a person; may we live in the light of your presence, rejoicing in Truth, reveling in Grace, submitting to Love. May we carry goodness, mercy, kindness and grace to the weak and weary. May you thereby be glorified in our lives today.]
 
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Incomprehensible But Knowable

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 16, 2015
Praise you, Lord God, King of the universe, Director of details, Lord of lavish love and the God of goodness. You are the Shepherd of my soul, my very personal and present Helper and my wise and wonderful Guide.
 
You are seated in the heavenlies, but, being infinite and a Spirit, are able to be with each of your children at every minute, giving us your full, warm and rich attention.
 
I praise you for how you are orchestrating the things that are beyond our control, while giving us the ability to make decisions within our realm of responsibility.
 
This delegation of decision within your sovereignty shows your greatness, wisdom and goodness. You did not make us as puppets but as people who can have a real and personal relationship with you, loving you out of choice, not because we are programmed to do so.
 
Your complexity is proof that you are God, beyond our comprehension, being one God with three persons! No human being could ever think up a God like you: incomprehensibly complex, great and good, perfect and powerful. You are full of love, forgiving and just, gracious and righteous, hate sin but love the sinner.
 
Truly, to you belongs all honor, glory and praise. May those flow from my life to yours today.
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Appreciation

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 13, 2015

Praise be to you, Lord, for how you are guiding and directing us in all.

I thank you for your goodness, which is seen all around us: the sun comes up each morning, we have air to breath, food to eat, a bed to sleep in and water to drink.

We have bodies that work—we can see, hear, walk, talk, eat and sleep—we have minds that still function, hands that work and feet to carry us forward.

You give grace for every event, guidance at every turn and security in your power and presence.

You give us friends, church fellowship, peace with others, and a relationship with you.

In you we have a future, a certain hope, meaning, purpose and joy.

We have a daily invitation to join you in your great work through prayer, through praise and through obeying what we know to be true, including denying self, taking up our cross daily and following you.

Praise be to you for your goodness, Lord. Help us to walk with thankfulness in the light of your presence and provision today.

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Contentment

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 12, 2015
From the devotional book EDIFIED
 
“My soul finds rest in God alone.”
Psalm 62:1
 
The Puritan writer Burroughs says that contentment is not what we have when looking back, able to see what God was doing through a difficult time. It is being at peace in the midst of difficulty and suffering without any visible clue as to what our Shepherd is doing, and in that knowledge vacuum resting in Him.
 
Knowing the character of God is enough: He whose wisdom created the world, made the human body and gave man dominion over the earth; who did not give up when Adam sinned and twisted the whole of creation; He who secured salvation at huge personal cost, and loves us to the end, He is trustable when all else is hidden from our understanding.
 
Knowing You, Lord God, the great Yahweh, holy, glorious, entirely other, hater of sin, lover of the sinner—to know you is enough to give us contentment when everything goes wrong, when we suffer pain, when we are mistreated, when we fail and are, humanly speaking, hopeless.
 
Prayer: “When all is meaningless, when all we do seems foolish, when pain obscures our vision, Lord, still our hearts to know your heart of love and grace. Help us then to rest in contentment. Glory be to you, the Great God of contentment, worthy of all worship and wonder and trust. Amen.”
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Psalm 9:19-20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 11, 2015
Psalm 9:19 “Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;”
 
[Yes, Lord, as we see the attempts of terrorist groups on the Middle East to wipe out anyone who disagrees with their beliefs, let them not win. Prevent sinful man from overcoming your plans, your purposes and your people; bring them low, defeat them in their attempts to bring harm so that your name may be honored.]
 
“let the nations be judged in your presence.”
 
[Praise you that you will judge nations in righteousness and people with justice. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord (Rom. 12:19). We don’t have to carry the burden of making it all right, we are just called to be your lights in our sphere of influence and trust you to bring judgment to the nations.]
 
Psalm 9:20 “Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.”
 
[Yes, Lord, may terror overwhelm them because of your greatness, may fear seize them because of your righteousness, may anxiety grip them because of the judgment to come.
 
May many be brought to belief and surrender to you by a supernatural fear descending on them: fear of death , fear of judgment and condemnation, fear of the future, fear of what lies beyond death. May they realize clearly that they have nothing to trust in and turn to you–who offers them forgiveness, cleansing, adoption and eternal life–instead of trusting in their traditions which can give them nothing in the end.
 
Break through, Lord, bring great awakening, sweep many in to your Kingdom!]
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Psalm 9:17-18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 10, 2015
 
Psalm 9:17 “The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God.”
 
[In you, Lord, there is justice: those who forget you will be forgotten. You are the most important One in existence, the most important Being in history, the most important Point of the Universe—how could we forget you–you who are the source of all good–and not be guilty of the fatal sin of unbelief (John 16:9)? You, O Lord, are worthy, not just of remembering, but of totally absorbing our attention, our affection, our adoration!]
 
Psalm 9:18 “But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.”
 
[You, O Mighty and Loving heavenly Father, remember and watch over the needy, you see each one, you care for every one. You are the God of goodness, giving support to those who are hurting, comfort to those who are suffering, help to those who are hopeless. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18).
I praise you that you are the God of hope, giving “joy and peace to those who trust in you so” our lives can “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).
 
In you, Lord God, there is all we need and desire: there is hope, there is meaning, there is purpose, there is a certain and positive future because you are moving history to a definite conclusion and taking us, your children, with you.
 
Help us to keep our eyes on you, to let go of what is temporal, to hold on to what is eternal and to rise above the turmoil and tragedy of life in a fallen world, remembering that we are destined for a re-created and perfect world, where there will be no sin, rebellion or evil. In you, Lord Jesus, we are safe, secure and can be satisfied, no matter what our situation may be.
 
Help us to live out today this truth of your faithful guidance, protection, provision and plan by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in every circumstance (Ps. 50:23), thereby honoring you in faith and cooperating with you in being open to the help you will bring.]
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The Call to Greatness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 9, 2015

An excerpt from the devotional book EDIFIED!

Paul writes in Colossians 1:9 “…we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

You, Heavenly Father, have made it possible that we can know you and know your will, not just on a human level, but on a supernatural level, for you have granted us spiritual wisdom and understanding through your Spirit. We can know and understand you far beyond what we could before being born again. How wonderfully you love us, provide for us, reveal yourself to us, and give us understanding of your will!

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way….”

Praise you, Lord God, that you make it possible for us to live according to your character, to please you in spite of our being sinful creatures, still having our flesh to fight against. You call us to join you in your great work, then you help us, you guide us and strengthen us.

I praise you for this demonstration of your rich and powerful love wherein you delight in us, you love us dearly, you are pleased when you think of us. You invite us into your presence through prayer and are glad when we come in intercession, for then we give you honor: acknowledging our weakness and your power, our inability and your mighty competence, our ignorance and your deep wisdom, our fickleness and your absolute trustworthiness.

To be your child, to be able to please you, to know your rich, warm, wholehearted delight in us—not based on our performance, but upon being justified in the shed blood of Jesus—to bask in your love, your acceptance, your delight and pleasure in us because of what you, Lord Jesus, have done—this is one of the great gifts your salvation has brought into our lives.

Glory be to you, Lord God, Eternal King, Mighty Shepherd, Ruler of all. Lead me today in walking in your way, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of your Being. Help me to spend time in your Word because I love you, in worship because you are worthy, in working for you today and every day because you invite me to join you in your great plans. Amen.

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Amazing Love

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 8, 2015
After lifting my soul to God, receiving His insight, conviction and forgiveness.
 
Praise you, Lord God, for you are the King of Glory and the Lord of Grace, who reaches down into my life consistently: guiding, providing, protecting, teaching, correcting, forgiving and transforming.
 
It is such a wonder to belong to you, the Creator of all, the Sustainer of all there is. On the level of universe-wide thinking, I live on a tiny speck of cosmic dust, tucked under one arm of the Milky Way, which is a smallish, inconsequential galaxy among millions of others—and yet you have the desire and ability to be intimately, consistently involved in my life.
 
You can do this because you are infinite, you are powerful, you are loving and good.
 
Forgive me to taking for granted your love for me–I so easily forget how great you are, how huge the universe is, and how much I deserve the opposite of your love and tender care.
 
You are marvelous in your love, magnificent in your forgiveness, munificent (splendidly generous) in your provision and magnanimous in your grace. You are truly worthy of wholehearted worship, lavish love, supreme surrender and outlandish obedience.
 
Help me today to remember your greatness, my unworthiness and your rich, redeeming love, so that I may respond by living worthy of your Name and calling.
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Psalm 9:15-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 7, 2015
 
Psalm 9:15 “The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.”
 
[Praise you for your faithfulness to judge in righteousness, Lord: you bring on evil doers what they have prepared for others. At the top of the list is Satan himself, who has been judged and will end up in the lake of fire where he has sought to send so many others.
 
I think of the destruction that came on Germany and Japan after WWII for the cruel and oppressive regimes that ruled there. I think of how the dictators ruling in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia were taken down in the Arab Spring. It takes time, but in the end evil doers are consumed by their own plans.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, that you bring justice at the right time: “Fret not yourself because of the man who prospers in his way…for evil men shall be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord shall inherit the land.” (Ps. 37:7,9)]
 
Psalm 9:16 “The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.”
 
[Your justice, O Lord, is strong and broad, sure, right and certain. You will bring judgment on all who, in their evil independence, refuse the refuge of your love and forgiveness. The evil we do will come back to capture us if we refuse your refuge, forgiveness and cleansing. This is good, for evil without justice brings hopelessness.
 
Praise you, Lord God, that your character is the measure of all. You are all we truly seek: the Great Good, the Perfect Peace, the Total Truth, the Wholly Holy and Loving Lord.
 
To you belongs exaltation, glory, praise and honor. To you I bow in worship, for you I rise to obey, with you I go forth into the day to join you in your great and beautiful plans. May you be glorified in my life today.
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My Wonderful God, Jesus

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 5, 2015

Hello, Lord Jesus, it’s good to wake up and know that you are waiting for me, ready to spend some time visiting with me, giving encouragement, direction and guidance. I praise you for your wide wisdom and complete knowledge, for you understand what is right and wrong, what is good and evil. You know the outcome of every possible choice and you are willing and desirous of giving me the input I need to make good, healthy, constructive decisions.

I thank you for your deep, rich, powerful love which is unwavering, immutable, gracious and firm. To be loved by you is such a privilege, the opposite of what I, in my natural rebellion and unbelief, deserve. You are kind, patient, gracious, good and wise.

As you embrace me this morning in greeting, sit with your arm around my shoulder and talk with me about yesterday, about today, about my growth, you constantly radiate warm affection, full affirmation and gracious acceptance. These flow out of your pure and pristine heart, out of your beautiful being: you don’t just love, you are love itself, a step far beyond loving; there is no way you can’t love.

I am glad that part of your love is chastening (“for whom the Lord loves he chastens” Heb. 12:6), as well as correction and rebuke when necessary, with ongoing teaching and guidance. I praise you that you don’t let me continue in my own self-centered, unhealthy thinking, but draw me out into a wider place by your wisdom and example. Through your Word and Spirit you help me to see things from your point of view. This gives me a higher, broader, bigger understanding of life, of events, of the role you have given me of being your hands to those around me.

Thank you for your provision of prayer, which is your invitation to join you in your great plans to spread Truth, to proclaim the gospel, to nurture and equip believers for the ministry. Praise you that you call us into eternally significant activity which affirms the meaning, purpose and significance you have bestowed on your creatures by loving them.

I praise you that you have bestowed upon us worth, belonging and competence. As you had Paul express it in Ephesians 1:18-19, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you [belonging], the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people [worth], and his incomparably great power for us who believe [competence].

Help me to live in these great Truths today, Lord, knowing you, living in your presence, joining you in your plans with all you have given to make me an effective instrument in your hands. Glorify yourself in my life today by keeping me resting in the shelter of the Most High.

 

 

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