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Psalm 10:16-18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 20, 2015
Psalm 10:16 “The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land.”
 
[You, the Eternal One, set up and take down rulers and nations, you begin and end all, you will remove the wicked and restore the righteous. Of this we can be certain, because you, O God, are good, forever and ever.]
 
Psalm 10:17 “You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,”
 
[Praise be to you, the God who hears, who listens with complete understanding, who knows our hearts and answers in power, wisdom and with comfort.]
 
Psalm 10:18 “defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.”
 
[Praise you that you defend, you provide, you guide, you protect and encourage. You will move us out from oppression of Satan wields by using our own wickedness and that of others. Your love and care, your protection and deliverance will then bring you glory and praise, honor and exaltation, for you, the King of Salvation are worthy of it!]
 
Help us to live today in the light of your goodness, trusting in the sure hope of your deliverance, whatever our situation might be. You hear our cry and you will answer in the right way at the right time with the right deliverance, whether it be in this life or the next. Help us to trust you fully so that you may use us fully.
 
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Beauty and Wisdom

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

A cold, clear morning with heavy frost on the grass and a rim of ice on the water.  The pond is perfectly placid, reflecting the grasses and cat tails in exactitude. There is beauty all around us.

Praise be to you, Lord, that you are Beauty itself, full of grace and majesty, elegance and kindness, magnificence and forgiveness. You are perfect in your personality, brilliant in your beauty, lovely in your lavishness and grand in your graciousness. You are worthy of all worship, of all honor, of all surrender and obedience.

I praise you that you are the superb discerner of right and wrong: your judgment is fully trustable, while ours is so feeble and faulty, so subjective and selfish. I praise you for revealing to us your way through your Word. Help us to obey what we know to be true, to avoid what we know to be evil and to pursue what we know to be godly.

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Psalm 10:12-15

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 18, 2015
 
Psalm 10:12 “Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.”
 
[The psalmist now turns to you, Jehovah, the only true help, who will act to intervene. Perhaps you have not acted earlier because no one prayed for your help, even though you prompted them to do so. But now the writer prays and you will answer.]
 
Psalm 10:13 “Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, ‘He won’t call me to account’”?
 
[the answer: he is blind, caught in the net of delusion the enemy has set for him; he fell into this trap because he has rejected the light, the truth that God offered him. He has, like Esau, valued power, position and prosperity above what is of eternal value.]
 
Psalm 10:14 “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”
 
[we can commit our feeble, helpless lives to you, O Lord, for you are our defender, our shield, our high tower, our salvation. You are the One who sees the fatherless, the widow, the helpless ones and will act on their behalf.]
 
Psalm 10:15 “Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.”
 
[You, O Holy God, will act and judge evil, at the right time. Praise you for your great and powerful working! Help us to wait for your perfect timing.
 
As it says in Psalm 37:7-9, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil. for those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.”
 
Help us to be still before you, Lord, to reject wrath and fretting, to rest in you, knowing that you will deal with evil. Help us to obey you in what we know to be right so we can be a light in your hand, shining grace and the gospel on those around us.]
 
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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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