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The Marvel of Meaning

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 7, 2016

Thoughts after the last session of the Truth Project

I praise you, Lord God, Creator and Sustainer of all, for the meaning you give us in life, for the possibility of having purpose, which can only flow from you. All else is meaningless uncontrollable chaos, chance and randomness.

In you, however, there is order, a place in your affections, usefulness, a part in your great plans, and participation in eternity. We are not caught in a time box with just so many years and then nothing. As we move through the autumn and winter of our lives, we have the definite hope of another spring and an endless summer where life will continue with you through eternity.

This will be life on a higher, wider, lighter level, free from brokenness, anguish, disappointment and rebellion. We will walk with you in brightness, fullness, warmth and joy, unhindered by the twistedness of this sin-cloaked existence. We will be with you, Lord Jesus, in body, soul and spirit, free to obey, worship, work and love without that constant battle with the world, the flesh and the devil.

I think, in contrast, of how most people live in the toxic Darwinian, postmodern atmosphere, where meaning is just some chemical reaction we produce in our brains, where might makes right in the struggle of the survival of the fittest, where everything is natural and therefore right, where life ends at death and where worth is nonexistent—this is a description of pure purposelessness. No one, not even the most ardent atheist who espouses this false philosophy, can live that way. Man without meaning equals despair. As philosophers like Camus and Sartre said, in such a situation, the only serious question is whether to commit suicide or not.

In contrast, the God of the Bible has rescued us from this dominion of darkness, He has brought us into the Kingdom of Love and Light and Life where we can know who we are, where we came from and where we are going.

We can join Him in His great plans, we can have belonging, worth and competence (Eph. 1:18,19). In Jesus Christ we are embraced, accepted, cleansed, forgiven, valued, commissioned and equipped for special service to the King (Eph. 1:3-10). We can do things that will last for eternity (sharing with others about the King Jesus and the salvation He offers, doing the good works He’s prepared for us). We can know that we belong to the winning side, we can give exaltation to God and we can earn glory, praise and honor (1 Peter 1:6,7) which we can then submit to Jesus in worship when we enter Heaven.

Praise you, Lord Jesus, that your death and resurrection brought to us all these possibilities and more. Instead of complaining about things we don’t get, help us to focus on these wonderful gifts, on the light, love and life you have granted us and rejoice in you all through each day, enjoying living in the Truth where there is meaning, purpose and love.

 

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Psalm 18:30b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 6, 2016

Psalm 18:30b, “He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”

[Here again is the perfect partnership you desire with us: your powerful protection predicated on our premeditated hiding in you. If we refuse to flee to you, to seek your wisdom, to obey what we know to be true, to run in your Way, we are left outside your protection.

But if we run to you for help, thinking Truth, praying for guidance, submitting to your Wisdom–then you swing your shield of protection over us, keeping us from all true harm.

How do we run to you? Primarily through praise, thinking your Word, and obeying it. It means taking seriously such statements as”…call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Psa. 50:15).

So, for example, when we are sick, taking refuge in you means our first move is to pray, thanking you for the situation, asking for your help and healing. Then going to the doctor if necessary. This declares our dependence on you, gives you glory and opens the way for you to work through whatever means you have to bring healing at the right time.

The opposite of this is seen in the life of King Asa: ‘Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians” (2 Chron. 16:12). And he died.

When we believe your Word, Lord, and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, you raise up your shield of love and power over us. We hide in you by giving you honor in words of worship, and as we exalt you in faith, you protect us.

Recently I read in the biography of Charles Cowman how, when in a time of need, before seeing any answers, he praised you for the funds you would supply for his Bible School–and at the last minute you acted, bringing in the necessary support, a large amount.

To praise in trust ahead of time for whatever you will bring is a wonderful partnering with you, a taking refuge in you, a strong statement of faith, a great giving of glory to you before the unseen hosts.

Praise be to you, the faithful and holy One, the good and wise God who is never too late, never too early, always prepared and powerful enough to work out all the details of life.

I give you glory, Lord Jesus, for you are the trustable Teacher, the good God, the powerful Protector and the saving Shepherd. You are without error, without evil, without lack. You are complete, consistent and constant.

It is so true, Lord, that you are “a shield for all who take refuge in you.” You are worthy of all worship. Help me to worship you today by taking refuge in you.

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Psalm 18:30

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 5, 2016

Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect;”

[You, O Lord God, make no mistakes, you do what is right, all the time. We can trust you to lead us aright, to teach us your way, to show us what is perfect. Thank you that you promise to, “lead us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3).

With your Word you turn the negative values of the world right-side-up. You teach us to live by dying, to get by giving, to grieve by praising, to give thanks before there is an outcome. You teach us this while we live in the upside-down-world where selfishness and rebellion are natural, where fear, despair and hopelessness abound—and where there are so many opportunities to live by faith as we reject those values and instead walk in the light of your powerful Way.

Praise be to you for teaching us that being weak is a wonder, that we should delight in our weaknesses and suffering, for in this your power is made perfect and comes upon us (2 Cor. 12:9,10). You teach us that to embrace our weakness and our suffering is freeing, empowering and transforming for us and greatly glorifying for you.

Praise you that you give us vision and understanding of your perfect ways. “Teach me your way, O LORD; I will walk in your truth: unite my heart to fear your name” (Psa. 86:11).

Help us to walk in your truth consistently, denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily and following you.]

“the word of the LORD is flawless.”

[Praise you that we can trust your Word completely: there is no error, no contradiction, no mistake in it. When you speak, command, direct and teach, what you say is right and we can trust it fully.

Praise you that you have carefully had your words recorded in the Bible, and that we can take it at face value. Sadly, people try to twist it for selfish reasons, cutting it out of context, taking a superficial understanding, even blatantly denying what it clearly says and using it for their own ends rather than your purposes.

Give us wisdom to discern these perversions when confronted with them and to replace them with your clear and pure Truth. Protect us from the traps of the enemy and keep us on the pure path of your perfect way as revealed in your wonderful Word. Help us to be consistent in reading, meditating, believing and living it out every day.

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Psalm 18:28,29

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 4, 2016

Psalm 18:28 “You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”

[You are light itself, Lord, shining brilliantly across the eons of time, shining long before the sun and stars were created. And now you are the source of light for our lives—physical light as well as the light of wisdom, insight, guidance and warning. You actively grant direction when we have no idea what to do. I praise you for your faithful, sure, constant presence, your leading us on in the challenges of life.

You are the One who brought us out of the dominion of darkness. As it says in Proverbs 4:19, “The way of the wicked (as we were) is like deep darkness, they do not know what makes them stumble.” In contrast, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever more brightly until the full light of day.” Help us, Lord, not to look back on the darkness, but to look ahead at your guiding light, moving ever more into it’s full strength that we may see and void what can make us stumble.

I praise you that darkness cannot hide anything from you, Lord, for you see all and you let us know what is necessary, giving us enough light so that we can move ahead with you, doing what is best, bringing you glory.]

Psalm 18:29 “With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.”

[This is a beautiful declaration of David’s dependence on you, Lord, seeing his own weakness in the light of your wondrous power. Humanly speaking he could, on his own, easily move toward an enemy and climb a wall, but he knew from experience that doing so in your power is vastly different than doing it on his own.

There is no record of David ever being wounded in battle. He knew your protection, your power, your provision in the hand-to-hand combat of dozens if not hundreds of battles he participated in. He declared, “Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle” (Psa. 140:7).

Therefore it was in your active power that he trusted. He saw clearly that in the common doings of the day he needed your help and he prayed for it.]

Lord, help me to be that dependent on you, realizing I need your power in even the mundane things of life. Help me to be consistent in praying through my day, in asking for your guidance, protection and power in all that I do. May prayer be the foundation of all as I remember your words in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

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Psalm 18:27

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 3, 2016

Psalm 18:27 “You save the humble”

This, Lord, is your requirement for salvation: humility, which can be defined as seeing ourselves as you see us. As we stand before you, the Mighty and Eternal One, the Star-breather, the Galaxy-maker, the History-ender, the Pure and Powerful One, what can we do but see our sinfulness, our unworthiness, our puniness, the immense contrast of our shriveled, rebellious hearts with the stunning beauty of your Holiness.

To you we must bow, and somehow you work with our will to bring the desire and the decision to surrender, to reject the illusion of independence for the reality of total healthy dependence on you.

You are the One who holds together the nucleus of every atom in the universe, who keeps every star in place, who brings the dawn, gives the rain, provides our food—we are totally dependent on you in every area without knowing it! And you give us the added privilege of completing that dependence by willfully embracing it in belief and surrender, giving you all that we had been holding back, including our future.

Praise be to you for working in the heart of each one you know will bow to Truth. You bring the wise and persistent pressure that will lead to the break-through, the understanding, the desire to know you, to live for you, to walk in the light, to bring you glory. What a high calling you give us, what a privileged position, what an existence of ongoing, ever growing joy you offer.

You give us the exact opposite of what we deserve, at great cost to yourself and at great profit to us, your thankless enemies. You are a marvel, a mystery: majestic and mighty in your provision of rich, unending agape love. Such Truth leads us to wholeheartedly and joyfully bow before you and shout, “Glory!”

“but [you] bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”

[This you also do in your love: you humble those who live in the darkness of self-delusion, thinking they are good enough to get to heaven, thinking they are better than those around them.

Lord, how easily I get caught up in that same sin, thinking negative, critical thoughts of others,  comparing myself to them rather than you.

The truth is that the negative I see in them is also potential in me; I could easily do the same things I proudly condemn in them. I blithely underestimate the evil of my old nature.

Yes, Lord, keep us in the light of your revelation and bring us low when we are proud so that we may repent and be raised up to living in the luster of your love rather than the darkness of our deception.

Praise be to you, for your gracious and patient, continual and deep working in us to bring transformation of our mind, will and emotions so that we might walk on ever higher levels with you. Keep our spirits open to your conviction, direction and protection, remembering that “You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.”

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Psalm 18:25,26

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 2, 2016
Psalm 18:25,26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure,”
 
[we can only have these qualities as your Holy Spirit produces them in us. As we cooperate with you, Lord, in the process of transformation, willfully wanting to be faithful, blameless and pure, you reveal your marvelous qualities to us more and more, giving us greater ground for surrender, worship and wonder, which then bring more transformation. A gracious cycle of your goodness poured out more and more on those who are willing to join you in what you are doing.]
 
“but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.”
 
[On the negative side, you interact with rebels in a way that is meaningful to them, that gets their attention.
 
From the beginning Jacob was crooked in his dealings, manipulating and using people all through his life. And he brought on himself the same treatment. Your shrewdness in dealing with him brought him, in the end, on his death bed, to surrender before you.
 
You know how to work with people, you are never at a loss, never confused on how to proceed, never without wisdom. Praise be to you for your patience, persistence and perception in the process of wooing every single person in the world, as the Holy Spirit convicts everyone of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11).
 
How you must grieve at those who stubbornly refuse to bow their knee to Truth, to Wisdom, to Reality, and instead rush headlong down the slope of self will, away from goodness, forgiveness, grace and light.
 
In the end they go over the edge of time, falling into the pit of separation, darkness and desperation, sealed off from all good, getting what they wanted: full independence from you.
 
Praise you, Lord, that you go to great lengths to give them full opportunity to embrace Truth, even though you know they will not accept it.
 
It is wonderful that you are not fair, for then we would all end up in hell. Instead you are full of grace, offering us freely the opposite of what we deserve: forgiveness, cleansing, transformation, acceptance, belonging, worth, purpose, protection, provision, hope and a certain future with you.
 
Help me to focus today on the wonder of who you are, not the minuscule disappointments of life that seek to grab my attention. Thank you for how you are going to guide me today in joining you, exalting you, living for you.
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Psalm 18:20-24

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 1, 2016

Psalm 18:20 “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;”

[O Lord, praise you that you deal with us according to your imputed righteousness, not our own, for I have none; you would have to condemn me instantly to hell if my goodness were the measure. But praise be to your glorious name that you have made me to stand before you in your all-cleansing righteousness: forgiven, transformed, accepted, adopted, beloved!]

“according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.”

[My sin-stained hands are now washed in your blood, cleansed of guilt, purified in forgiveness and empowered for good. Praise you that you see me as your dearly loved child, delighted in, cherished and deeply cared for. The cleanness is there because of your great work, Lord Jesus.]

Psalm 18:21 “For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.”

[By your grace, by your power, by your obedience, Lord Jesus, I am counted as having kept your ways. What my old nature could not do in that is was weak, you did, my Savior. And you, Heavenly Father, in spite of what I am, have qualified me to be a partaker in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light.]

Psalm 18:22,23 “All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.”

[Again, I cannot say any of this, for in myself I continue to be blameworthy, struggling with the sinful, selfish ways of my old nature—but you, Holy Spirit, also continue in transformation, love and grace, so I stand before you, Lord Jesus, blameless in your love, a new creature, dearly loved, doted on and deeply cared for. Praise be to you! You are our hope, our holiness, our purity, our power. In you are goodness, grace and glory, all of which you generously, whole-heartedly share with us, unconditionally, contra-conditionally. Praise be to you!]

Psalm 18:24 “The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.”

[It is wonderful that you have rewarded me, Lord, not according to my righteousness, but according to the righteousness of Christ, to the cleanness of His hands, for in your sight I am in Christ, I am cleansed, claimed and commissioned as your dearly beloved child.

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for your great and, humanly speaking, impossible, unspeakable work, far beyond what any created being could do. You reward your enemies! You pour out on your foes who come to you eternal life, eternal relationship, eternal love and unending goodness, when we deserve the opposite! Praise be to you.

Help us to revel in your love, to bask in your grace, to rejoice in your forgiveness—and to forgive and accept ourselves as you have us. May we grasp the greatness of your love which surpasses knowledge so that we might be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).]

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Lightness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 30, 2016

Praise you, Lord, that with you every day is a sunny one, for your light of love and life shines continually on us, giving us encouragement, perspective, purpose, power and joy: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you,” said Jesus, and then “These thing I have spoken to you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full” (John 15:9,11).

There is a condition to receiving this joy: trust. As it says in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that your lives may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Trusting God involves submitting to Him, to His description of reality, to His Word, to His leadership, to His purpose and meaning.

We can’t walk in the light while keeping our eyes closed, living in the tiny world in our head. We have to open our eyes wide to the wonderful, awesome, expansive and beautiful reality of God’s Kingdom. Here we own nothing, but are given everything we need. We are called to hold all with an open hand, telling our gracious and kind, good and wise Heavenly Father, “Take what you want, leave what you want, give what you want. I trust you to do what is best.”

Holding all with an open hand is, on one side, scary at first, because there are plenty of things we don’t want to give up (health, relationships, income, security, savings, etc.). But as we come to know more and more of God’s beautiful and wise character, our fear lessens (perfect love casts out fear), and is replaced by a sense of security (safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of Jesus), and a sense of adventure (every day is a battle with spiritual enemies who use people against us; but as we keep on the armor and fight the right enemies, there is a continual string of victories). We begin to understand what it means to be more than conquerors in the midst of challenges (Romans 8:37).

As we develop a greater dependence on our Shepherd Jesus, there comes a healthy emotional independence from those around us. Their ups and downs, cutting comments and negative attitudes don’t affect us as much, for we are finding our rest in God alone (Ps. 62:1) and we live in the truth that God is “our rock, our fortress and our deliverer” (Ps. 18:2). We cease to live for the approval of those around us, because we have the approval of the only One who counts.

Living this way entails a fundamental change, a worldview shift from our natural thinking to God’s thinking. We no longer live in a world where most things around us are out of control (certainly out of our control), but in a world where all is in God’s control, where whatever comes to us comes with His wise permission, for His expansive purpose, in His great love for us.

What a difference it makes to live in this new Kingdom where we have multiple opportunities daily to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, sacrificing our perspective for His, rising above the natural to live in the supernatural, the eternal.

What a God we have, what a life He gives us, what a future He’s prepared. To live in the wonder of getting the opposite of what we deserve, to revel in His unconditional love, to bask in His unending goodness (instead of thinking all the natural negative thoughts the devil throws at us), this is part of the joy He desires for us. Why not embrace it?

 

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Psalm 18:16-19

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 29, 2016

Psalm 18:16 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”

[Ours is a God who is not too busy to stoop down and help any one of His children; He pays attention and acts at the right time. David was sinking in deep danger, he needed help right away and God answered.]

Psalm 18:17 “He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.”

[You, Lord, are such a personal God; you reach into time and history to save, protect and deliver us from the great power of our enemy, the devil, and his forces. They are far too strong for us, but you are immensely more powerful than they and have no problem overcoming their plans.

In the midst of our difficulties, we can be certain that you, Lord Jesus, will act in the best way, the best time, the best means to sustain us and to give help in the right measure. Praise be to you for your faithfulness and goodness.]

Psalm 18:18 “They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.”

[When all seemed lost, when our demise seems certain, you, Lord come in and rescue.]

Psalm 18:19 “He brought me out into a spacious place;”

[You don’t just rescue us, you bring us into a positive position, a superior situation, a wide and pleasant place with you. You are the giver of good and grace.]

“he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

[This statement is the most important one in this passage, in my opinion. You did not act just out of pity or obligation, but because you delight in us! What an amazing, encouraging, faith-building, wonderful statement!

You are powerfully pleased that we belong to you, that we cry out to you, our Abba Father. You are not bothered, irritated or agitated by our coming to you. No, you are richly pleased, mightily happy, deeply delighted, for you have inexplicably made us the objects of your unending, deep and rich love. You have made us the apple of your eye, the delight of your heart, the object of your continual kindness.

We do not deserve this, so we praise you for your wonderful, eternal, infinite forgiveness, your unlimited grace and all-encompassing love that gives us the opposite of what we should get.

I praise you now, today and forever because you are worthy of all honor, praise and glory. You are the God who loves His enemies, who rescues those who deserve condemnation, who saves those who deserve defeat. May your name be exalted through faith, obedience and thanksgiving in my life today and forever. Amen.]

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Psalm 18:6-15

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 28, 2016

Psalm 18:6 “In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

[And when He heard David’s cry, He moved to answer:]

Psa 18:7 “The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.”

[You, Lord God, are a person of passion: when you are aroused, there is no stopping you. You act in justice, you act in love, you act in conviction, you act in power! Praise be to you for your love so displayed.]

Psa 18:8 “Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.”

[You anger is righteous and will not be quenched until there is justice done and wrongs righted. The heat of your anger leads to the rescue of your children in the right way and at the right time. You act in power and swiftness, as this next section so graphically illustrates:]

Psalm 18:9 “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

Psalm 18:10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

Psalm 18:11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky.

Psalm 18:12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

Psalm 18:13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

Psalm 18:14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them.

Psalm 18:15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.”

[What a display of powerful, righteous and compassionate anger! Bigger than any star wars episode! You, Lord God, Breather of the stars, bent the elements to your will and acted in passion, bringing a storm at the right time to protect your own.

You are the God of wisdom and power, passion and might, mercy and action.

As David said in the beginning of this Psalm, you are our Rock, our Fortress and our Deliverer. In you we can trust, no matter how terrible things look. You have a plan to rescue us, you will work it out at the right time and carry us along with you.

Help us to demonstrate our belief in you by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all, in turning to you first in our needs and to praise you for your answers before they come.]

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