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Psalm 18:50

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 9, 2022
Psalm 18:50 “He gives his king great victories;”
[You, Lord, give us opportunity to participate in your victories each day, in every temptation, every stress, every desire to grumble–each an opportunity to take up your grace and glorify you with the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
And You help us in each situation, making it possible to deny self and obey Truth, to let go of what is temporary, to hold on to what is eternal and to rise above the frustrations, disappointments and problems of life.
And in so doing you help us fulfill the purpose of our lives: honoring you, revealing you to those around us by our trusting you in every circumstance. You are sufficient, you are powerful and you are loving, fully worthy of our complete obedience.
 
Without you we are lost in a meaningless random universe. With you there is belonging, worth and meaningful, purposeful work.
 
With you there is all we need, all we desire, all we could want. Thank you, Lord God, for your counter-conditional, ever flowing agape love. Help us to live in the light of these truths, to revel i n your love, to rejoice in your goodness, to retrain our thinking to match yours. Amen,
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Psalm 18:16b,17

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 8, 2022
“You exalted me above my foes;”
[Yes, Lord, “You rescue me from my strong enemies, from my foes who are too strong for me.” (Psalm 18:17)]
“from violent men you rescued me.”
[They “confronted me on the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because he delighted in me” (Ps. 18:18,19).]
Again in the Middle East I was put on trial for mailing gospel letters into the country. I actually had nothing to do with it, but the judges said, “That doesn’t matter; if this proves to be illegal, you will go to jail!”
 
Then one judge added, “First we will send this case to a specialist in the capital named Dr. T.” Dr. T was my friend! I knew then he would give a proper opinion on the case and I would not have to go to jail! On the day of my disaster the Lord was my support.
 
Psalm 18:49 “Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.”
[You are Lord, the God who fights for us, you are worthy of glory and honor and exaltation and praise, for you are the Savior of all, especially of those who believe in you. You are worthy of being lifted up among the nations.
 
You are the Most High, you are Lord, you are Sovereign, you are Good, all the time.
In every circumstance I can trust you, bow before you, follow your Word and know that you will work it all out. To you be glory and honor today as I willingly submit my will to yours.]
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Exalting God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 7, 2022
As Psalm 18:46 and 47 tell us, in the midst of his battles, David could shout:
“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,”
[As far as we know, David was never defeated in battle and never was seriously wounded, at least there is no mention of him being wounded–because God protected him. “The LORD is my rock…my deliverer… my shield” (Psalm 18:2). And David remembered this, giving God the credit.]
Psalm 18:48 “He is the God…who saves me from my enemies.” And that is what you did for David, saved him from Goliath, from Saul, from his own men, from the Philistines, from the kings around him, and in the end from his own son, Absalom.
[Yes, O Lord God, it is true what David said, “I call to you, who are worthy to be praised…I am saved from my enemies…You reach down from on high, you take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters” (Ps. 18:3,16).
 
So you did for us when we lived in the Middle East. The police tried make us run, to get us put into prison, to expel us permanently, to snuff out the small church, to get me fired from my job, to paint me in the newspapers as an evil man.
 
In all that they were unsuccessful; instead, with each new attack our freedom was more and more widely declared by the courts until the police gave up. This was followed by 10 years of great opportunity to share the gospel.
 
You, Lord God, are the faithful One who constantly watches over us, not primarily for our comfort, but for our being able to give you glory before the nations. Help us to do that consistently. Amen]
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Psalm 18:42-45

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 6, 2022
Psalm 18:42 “I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.” [This is what you did for David, Lord Jesus, for you were his shield and strength.
 
Therefore [David could say in his situation] “You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me. They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.” Psalm 18:43-45.
 
And David did defeat nations and kings. His enemies did fear him because of God’s power at work in his life.
 
We are called to defeat enemies greater. We are called to fight principalities and powers in heavenly places, enemies far too powerful for us.
[Your power, Lord Jesus, triumphs in the end. Praise be to you, O Triune God, for you are faithful to protect, provide and lead us, as you did David, through our daily battles.
Help us to keep on your armor and use well the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, so that Satan may be defeated and you be honored today.]
 
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Victory

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 5, 2022
As King David wrote Psalm 18, he faced human foes; we more often face the unseen ones of the devil and his troops. However, the reality of the battle is the same and the One who vanquishes the enemy is also the same.
As we follow you, Lord Jesus, our Warrior King, I praise you that in the spiritual battle before us, our true enemies, Satan and His hordes, will be defeated as we submit to and trust in you, joining you in what you are doing. Then we can say with David,
Psalm 18:37 [By keeping on the armor of God] “I pursued my enemies [Satan and his demons] and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed [by praise, prayer and persistence in obedience].
18:38 I crushed them [with the Word of God] so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet” [because I joined God in what He is doing].
[This is possible, Lord Jesus, because]
18:39-41 “You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet. You made my [spiritual] enemies turn their backs in flight, and [in your power] I destroyed my foes [Satan’s servants]. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer [for they had rejected Him and His ways].
 
Keep us alert, Lord Jesus, to the daily battle and help us to consistently fight with praise, prayer and persistence in obedience, joining you in what you are doing.
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Our inheretance

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 4, 2022
The God of the Bible has rescued us from Satan’s dominion of darkness, He has brought us into the Kingdom of Love and Light and Life where we can know where we came from, who we are and where we are going.
We can join Him in His great plans for He has given us 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 our King, Jesus, and the salvation He offers, and 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 marvelous possibilities and more.
 
So, 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. Help us to rejoice in you all through each day, enjoying living in the Truth where there is meaning, purpose and love.
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Our Great and Good God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 3, 2022
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, from a human perspective, meaningless, random, chaos, and chance.
In contrast, in you there is order, a place in your affections, 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 followed by an endless summer where life will continue with you throughout eternity.
That will be life on a higher, wider, brighter plain, free from brokenness, anguish, disappointment and rebellion. We will walk with you in lightness, fullness, warmth and joy, unhindered by the twistedness of this present, sin-choked 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 survival of the fittest, where everything is natural and therefore acceptable, where morals and ethics are human concepts, changeable at any time, 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.
 
For us the question is, am I going to join God in His great plan for today, or am I going to follow my own minuscule ambitions. He invites us to joy, peace, purpose and power to live. The right choice is obvious! What are we choosing?
 
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Psalm 18:36

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 2, 2022
Psalm 18:36 “You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”
[You attend to the details I can’t even think about, like where my next step will be; your capacity to deal with the minutia of our lives is amazing.
 
You protect through provision of exactly what we need, and bring us on to the place of achievement and success that you have designed for each—the good works you prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10).
All credit, honor, praise and glory must go to you, Heavenly Father. You are the One to be exalted, not us. We play the small role you give, while you move all the events of history along to accomplish your plan: the end of time, of sin and of death–the glorious end you have for us.
I thank you and praise you for the privilege of knowing you, being your child, working as your partner, trusting you by praising in all circumstances.
 
To you be glory and honor in all: may your name be exalted, may your Word be lifted up, may many be drawn to you today through what you are doing in our lives.]
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Psalm 18:35

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 1, 2022
Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory,”
[Your powerful, proficient, positive protection for us goes on and on, Lord, as you give us your shield of victory. But I must take it up and lift it with praise (Eph. 6:16)–and as I do so, you give the victory over the enemy, over temptation, over negative thoughts and emotions, over my old self.]
“and your right hand sustains me;”
[As I tire in the daily battle, I can look to you and you will strengthen me, refresh me, give me more will and energy to press on in the fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. I must look “to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” and “consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that [I] will not grow weary and lose heart” (Heb 12:3).]
“you stoop down to make me great.”
[You in your greatness, as Lord of all creation, must lower yourself from Heaven to enter the universe, then our galaxy, then our solar system, to our world and in the end, come to the location when I’m at. There you reach into my life to do what is necessary to make me successful in following you, as you define success.
You stooped very low to willingly and lovingly redeem us, becoming a man, being weak, dying in our place, being buried, going to the lower parts of the earth to defeat the devil and death. Therefore, you could rise up in power and light, leaving the tomb, rising up to the Father and again filling the whole of the universe (Eph 4:10).
You are astoundingly Great and amazingly Humble. In your grace you stoop down to share your greatness with us so we can push through and win, so can we conquer the enemy, reach the goal and achieve your desires–for without you we can do nothing (John 15:5).]
 
I praise you for choosing to be my Shepherd, to guide and provide every day, to restore my soul and lead me in paths of righteousness. What a wonderful Savior, worthy of worship, of obedience, of love. May I give you these and more today as I walk in the light of your being and revel in your grace and goodness. Amen.
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More thoughts on Psalm 18:34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 31, 2022
More thoughts on Psalm 18:34 “He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
 
You, Lord, have a plan of preparation to get us ready for what is to come. We can trust you in every difficulty by responding with thanksgiving and wholeheartedly embracing our present experiences, knowing that you will use them to prepare us for greater service for you in the future.
 
Right now (2013), you are working in us through my wife’s deep depression to prepare us for some future ministry, unknown to us now. [Now years later, with my wife doing much better, we have seen much growth through these difficulties.]
 
And a few days ago our traffic accident will also be used to equip us for further service.
It is a great comfort to know that nothing comes to us randomly, that every event in the lives of your children flows from your wisdom, plan, purpose and provision.
 
You are in the process of finishing our faith, so we can live in the joy you have for us, enduring whatever cross you bring and despising whatever shame others try to put on us (Heb. 12:2).
Help us to live in the light of this truth, that you are training our hands for the battles to come, so we can effectively join you in your great plan to end history and bring in eternity while sweeping as many as possible into your Heavenly Kingdom.]
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