Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Psalm 6:8-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2015

Psalm 6:8 “Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.”

[Here is a statement of pure faith—nothing has changed, there is no sign of an answer, yet David, after looking to God in prayer, is ready to trust, to act on unseen Truth and believe the faithfulness of his heavenly Father.]

Psalm 6:9 “The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.”

[He is certain, sure, convinced of God’s faithfulness,  so he can state with trust that Jehovah has heard him and will answer.  He looks to the character of God, the heart of his Lord, and is sure of an answer in the right time and right way. “I will call upon the Lord in the day of trouble, for he will answer me” (Psa. 86:7). ]

Psalm 6:10 “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.”

[David ends his psalm with the statement of certainty and confidence. He does not have any visible sign of help yet, but he is sure of the outcome because he knows the living God who can and does act in power.

Praise be to you, Lord, for your great and wonderful character, full of unfailing love, unfailing wisdom, unfailing grace, unfailing help. You see all that is going on in our hearts, you know our troubles, you hear our prayers and answer in wisdom, power and grace. We praise and thank you for your wonderful provision out of your glorious riches, your endless grace and your loving heart. May we live today in the light of these truths. Amen.]

Filed under:

Psalm 6:5-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2015
Psalm 6:5 “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?”
 
[While he is right that the dead cannot praise in this world any longer, David here did not seem to have a clear view of what came after death, for we will praise you, Lord,we will glorify you, we will see you face to face and bring you honor as we see your glory more clearly.]
 
Psalm 6:6-7 “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”
 
[David was overwhelmed with worry, with fears, with anguish over what faced him: his difficulties, his problems, his many enemies. In the night his mind raced from one problem to the next and sleep eluded him. His attempts to deal with this have met with failure; his strength is too little, his resources too meager. So he cried out to you, Lord, the only true source of help, the only actual salvation available.In lifting his soul to you, he was able to pour out his burdens before you and be open to a renewed filling of the truth.
 
May we turn to God early on and not wrestle with our worry and fear, not depend on our finite insight and wisdom.Help us to lift our souls to you, telling you what we are thinking, feeling and wanting, and submit this all to your Word.
 
Lord we praise you that you are our Rock, our Salvation and our High Tower. May we rush to you for help in each challenge so that you may be lifted up before men and angels as you save us yet again from our enemies who are too strong for us.]
 
Filed under:

Seasons of Life

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 27, 2015

Another glorious September morning after a bright night with a full moon. Now the sun strokes the cool land, sending shafts of light and long shadows across it while drawing mist from the swamp and sending wisps of fog over the pond.

The landscape is settling, drooping, going from green to earth tones as the growing season is over and all is preparing for the coming of winter. The petunias are still blooming, but are a bit bedraggled from the cool night temperatures. Trees are beginning to show some color, more from dryness than cold. Change is coming, but clothed the sameness of seasons.

I have never liked the coming of Fall, for it signals the end of easier living, the beginning of shorter days, more darkness, more clothes and more expense. However, the Lord is teaching me to embrace whatever comes, to praise Him for it and to let go of what I cannot keep.

This is also true of my life, for I am in the Autumn of my years; I cannot remain perpetually in the Summer of my life. Old age is the process of losing things; maturity is letting them go. Certain things naturally fall away (strength, hair, sharpness of memory, quickness of reaction and drive). The leaves of life go from green to a blaze of color as we move from active, productivity to mentoring and coaching. Then the leaves will fall as we shed our areas of influence and we’ll be left with the bare branches of life, caring for our basic needs until the axe of God cuts into the trunk and we fall into the arms of eternity.

None of this can be thwarted, all of it is allowed by God as part of life in a fallen world. So why not embrace it with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, joining God in His great plan for ending evil and beginning perfection?

We praise you, Lord God, for your marvelous, majestic and mighty love that carries us through the seasons of life to the threshold of death and on into eternity with you. Praise you that we needn’t fear any of this, but can confidently follow you as our good Shepherd who knows where you are going. You, Lord God, are worthy of our trust, obedience, worship and praise at each stage, each step, each season. And so we submit ourselves to you today. Carry us on and bring glory to yourself in our lives in whatever season we are.

Filed under:

Psalm 6:1-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 26, 2015
Psalm 6:1 “O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”
 
[Our guilt is so great and your corresponding wrath is so heavy that we would be crushed in an instant if you so disciplined us in anger. I praise you, O Jehovah, that you are the holy, sinless, pure God who hates sin, yet loves sinners and has provided a way of shelter and escape from your righteous wrath through the death and resurrection of Christ. Praise be to you for your gracious, kind and forgiving heart, and for your mercy triumphing over justice. You, Lord Jesus, took the wrath and anger we deserved, and you, Heavenly Father were willing to pour your righteous wrath on Him rather than us, opening the way for us into your Kingdom, into your family, into full forgiveness.]
Psalm 6:2-3 “Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?”
 
[You have made body, soul and spirit so intertwined that the anguish of one strongly affects the others. Praise you, Lord, that your healing touch in one also brings healing to the others. You are the answer to our anguish, you are the healer of all that troubles us. You are merciful in our need and we can turn to you, knowing that our salvation comes from you, you only are our rock, our salvation and our high tower. Our soul finds rest in you alone, and when our soul is at rest, so is the whole of our being.]
 
Psalm 6:4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.”
 
[You, in your wonderful wisdom, bring us through dark valleys where we must walk by faith, where all seems to go wrong, where we are overwhelmed with failure and anguish. And in this, we can appeal to your unfailing love—it is the ground for approach to you, for we in ourselves do not deserve to even think of speaking to you: naturally we have no access. But you opened the way with your love, your everlasting, unfailing agape love. You, Lord God, are great in love, glorious in mercy, marvelous in grace, mighty in forgiveness. We revel in your goodness, we rejoice in your love and we rest in your grace.]
 
Filed under:

Psalm 5:12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 25, 2015

Psalm 5:12 “For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;”

[Yes, you do, Lord, you bless those who have bowed before you, have received your pardon, have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and have become members of your family. You bless us daily with your presence, your love, your grace, your goodness, your wisdom, your power, your protection and your purpose. To be your child, to know you is to be blessed beyond conception, beyond imagination, beyond belief!

“Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).]

“you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

[Every day we live in your favor as your dearly beloved children, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in.  You are enthused to meet us each morning as we awake (are we?), you are pleased when we come to you in prayer, you are delighted when we bring our problems to you, you are glad when we intentionally walk with you through the day.

Your favor surrounds us, covers us, protects us, guides us, provides for us.  “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 18:30).

You, Heavenly Father, are fully, truly, absolutely worthy of worship, obedience, exaltation and love.  So I bow before you this morning, I give myself to you anew. I pledge my obedience to love and praise you for what you will bring today, no matter how it may appear to me. May you be glorified in my life today.]

Filed under:

Psalm 5:11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 24, 2015

Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.”

 

[Yes, you, Lord Jesus, are our Refuge and Strength, our Mighty Rock, our Fortress in the day of evil. You invite us into your protection, you open the way, and for those who come, you give joy. Truly, knowing you is wonderful; you are the Mighty Shepherd, the Powerful Creator, the Strong Sustainer, the All-knowing King, the Majestic Victor over all evil and our High Priest who lives forever to intercede for us. Yes, knowing you is enough for joy!]
“Spread your protection over them,”

[And you do this, Lord Jesus, putting your tent of shelter over us every day, ever minute: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty”!!! (Psalm 91:1). As we choose to live in the light of your presence, your light banishes darkness, you are our protection and you are totally trustworthy in your provision.

We can praise you for whatever comes, good or ghastly, delightful or difficult, nice or nasty, for you are wise and powerful and protecting, allowing only what can be used for growth, good and your glory!]
“that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

[One reason for your protection is so that we may rejoice more in you. It is such a privilege to love your name, Lord Jesus. You are Yahweh, the Eternal One, the Holy I AM. You are Elohim, the Triune Creator and Faithful Redeemer. You are Adonai, the Lord of all who has the right to demand obedience and faithfully provides all we need so we can obey. We love your name and with all our being  rejoice in you wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, persistently! May this bring you much honor today as we continually offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.]

Filed under:

Psalm 5:9-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 23, 2015

Psalm 5:9 “Not a word from their [my enemies] mouth can be trusted;”

[Satan is the father of lies: his native language is deception, so nothing he says can be trusted. Just look at how he dealt with Eve in Genesis 3. Every statement was a twisting of truth either by insinuation (“Did God really say….?”), by outright contradiction (“You will not surely die….”) or by accusation (…for God knows that when you eat…you will be like God….”). Not one word from Satan or his forces is reliable.]
“their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.”

[In them there is no life or light or love, all is rebellion against what is true, right and good, bringing death, darkness and hate. The words and thoughts of Satan and his hordes are destructive, debilitating and demonic.

Yet we somehow naturally believe the lies of the devil, drawn like moths to the illusion of comfort and power, excitement and fulfillment. But we end up getting burned and having, as the Psalmist says, a mouth full of gravel and broken teeth. Such is the result of listening to advice from the kingdom of darkness.]

Give us wisdom and insight so that we might willfully reject the lies of the enemy and walk instead in the light of Truth and Righteousness and Grace so that your Spirit can have full reign in our lives, bringing you ever more glory.

Psalm 5:10 “Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.”

[You are the One who must deal with my enemies, O Lord, whether they be demons or people being used by the devil. And praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have vanquished them through your incarnation where you were weak and vulnerable as a man. You have defeated them through obedience, humility, meekness and self-denial.

You have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into your Kingdom of Light! What a wonder, what a joy, what security, safety, purpose and freedom–freedom from the evil of the enemy, the lies of Lucifer, the seduction of self and the rot of rebellion! Praise be to you!]

Filed under:

Psalm 5:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 22, 2015

Psalm 5:8 “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.”

[Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for you are my Shepherd who faithfully, consistently, without fail leads me. Praise you that you guide me in your righteousness, meaning that you never make a mistake, a wrong turn, never get lost, you are always right. And in your leadership you are sinless and pure, your motives are right, your purposes are right, your plans are right, your decisions are right. You are the One to be trusted.

I desperately need your leadership because I am the opposite of these qualities: I am small, ignorant and sinful; I have mixed motives, no control over the future and do not know what is best. Plus I am faced with powerful spiritual enemies who desire to bring me down: to destroy my spiritual life, my witness, my marriage, my family, my future.

Alone I am helpless against them, lost before the battle begins.   But you, Lord Jesus, are the Victor, you have conquered Satan and his forces; you equip me, empower me, employ me against them, and in your armor and power I can “resist the devil and he will flee” from me (James 4).

Help me to keep on your armor today, to fight the right enemy with the right weapons so that you may be honored in my life.]

Filed under:

Psalm 5:6-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 21, 2015

Psa 5:6 ‘You destroy those who tell lies;’

[to lie is to reject truth, to reject you, Lord; it is to rely on self, it is to take the short-term, easy way out.  To lie is to be the opposite of God, who cannot lie, it is impossible for you, Lord, to go against what you are: Truth itself! What a wonder to know that your truthfulness is not superficial, but permeates your whole being; it is part of your essence, your essentialness, your heart.  You will eliminate evil by destroying what is the opposite of you in character.  And lies automatically destroy those who use them, leading them away from reality into a web of delusion and insanity where the devil keeps them captive. You shine your Truth on them to show them the way, but they run from the light and die in the clutches of darkness and deception.]

“bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.”

[This is far more than just disliking—you are repulsed, you are repelled by murderous men who lightly take the lives of others, who live in deceit, using, hurting others for their own personal benefit. Today’s human traffickers come to mind; they are modern slave traders, living off the brief lives of others they have essentially condemned to death.  ISIS is a more urgent example: men who seem to enjoy killing and try to deceive others into thinking this is good. Past examples include the regimes of despots such as Kholmeini, Saddam Huseyin, the leaders of Sudan and Egypt, China and Russia.  In such leaders and their brutal followers there is no stability, no goodness, no redeeming factors. They are the opposite of what you are, Lord, and you abhor them.]

Psa 5:7 “But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house;”

[Before you called us into your family, each of us was one of the abhorred: mired in evil and deception. We all had the potential to be blatantly what these blood thirsty and deceitful men were, we just didn’t have the opportunity to act it out.

I praise you that you abhorred what we were in our natural state, but at the same time loved us, redeemed and transformed us by your great mercy.  We do not deserve to come into your house, but you have pardoned, transformed and wholeheartedly adopted us into your family where we will live in security and significance for eternity! An unbelievably wonderful and great turning of the tables, an incredible reality, far beyond what any human being could imagine or create.  You are a wonder, O Lord of love, God of goodness, King of kindness!

“in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.”

[What other response could there be than bowing before you, in awe, in fear, in adoration, in thankfulness, in joy, in peace, in submission, in belief, in willing, wholehearted, obedience.  You are worthy of our total surrender and complete obedience.  You are God, you are Great, you are Good, and I bow before you.  May you be glorified in my life today in each decision, each word, each thought, each response, for you are entirely worthy of this honor and much more!]

Filed under:

Psalm 5:4-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 19, 2015

Psalm 5:4”You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;”

[Praise be to you, Yahweh, for you are holy and wholly good: you hate evil, you abhor wickness, you are repulsed by sinfulness and will punish it.  You, O Lord, are the opposite of evil: you are pure, holy, good, kind, loving, gracious, righteous, forgiving, merciful and positive.  You do no evil, wish no evil, promote no evil.  You are good through and through.]

“with you the wicked cannot dwell.”

[In your holy presence, in your blinding, shining light of purity, the wicked are excluded, unable to stand before you.  This is a marvelous truth, because it means that in heaven there will be no wickedness!

Even in this world, those who are wicked (who have rejected your offer of forgiveness in Jesus and cleansing from sin, followed by receiving the righteousness of Christ) cannot live with you, they cannot be in your family, they cannot dwell in your light because  they choose not to do so: “Light has come into the world, but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds are evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:19,20).

The wicked don’t want to dwell with you, and you cannot accept them. I praise you God that with you there is righteousness and justice to deal with and end the problem of evil. You offer your righteousness to all who will come, for we are all wicked in ourselves; we desperately need your forgiveness through which comes the righteousness of Christ into our lives.]

Psalm 5:5 “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.”

[The proud, trusting in themselves, in their own power, wisdom, work and worth, think they can make it on their own.  You love the sinner, but if they reject your great salvation and remain wrapped in their sin, they will, by their own choice, be hated along with wickedness. They think they know better than you and reject your counsel, your wisdom, your way (Lord show me when I have such an attitude so I may repent!). They cannot enter your sanctuary and in the end they will be cast out because they, in their pride, have rejected your Son and chosen getting justice (what they deserve) over receiving mercy. Praise be to you, Lord God, for you take no pleasure in evil].

Filed under: