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More from the Ad-on Eskimo

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 25, 2021
The teacher shared some new truth with Ayit. “You will now need to grow in your faith,” he told Ayit. “It is too bad the Bible is not translated into your language—although I am working on translating a few verses—but while you are here, talk much with Kalowi. He can teach you some passeges out of this book. Spend time with him and learn everything you can.”
 
Kalowi then took Ayit to his home where his wife served them tea.
 
“Knowing God’s Word is very important, Ayit,” he said. “So I am going to help you memorize a very sgnificant passage which will give you guidance in growing in your new faith.
“The passage says, ‘Add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance godliness, to your godliness brotherly kindness and to your brotherly kindness God’s love.’” (2 Peter 1:5-7)
 
Together they worked on it until Ayit could repeat it perfectly. Being from an oral tradition, it was not hard for him to memorize, especially when helped by an elder whom he trusted.
 
“Come and visit me as often as you can while you are hunting here on Sivukuk. I will be here in the village, just ask for me or come to my house.”
 
“I will,” replied Ayit. “I want to learn all I can about Jesus before I go back to my home in Chaplino. I will come again tomorrow.”
 
“Let me pray for you before you go,” said Kalowi.
He paused, then added, “I also want you to know that those who continue to live in the old way will oppose this New Way. The shamans may even attack you. Your father may be angry and disappointed. But such things do not change the reality of Jesus’ love for you, his death and resurrection, and your new life, your eternal life.”
 
Then Kalowi bowed his head and prayed, “Lord Jesus, I thank you for working in Ayit’s life even before he came here, helping him understand that there is a good creator God—and that is what you are. Help Ayit now to stand firm with you, to meet whatever opposition will come with a knowledge of the truth and a strong commitment to follow you, to walk in endurance. I thank you for how you will help him and protect him from the evil spirits. Amen.”
 
“What is ‘amen’?” asked Ayit.
 
“It is what we say at the end of a prayer, and it means ‘may this happen’.”
 
“Amen,” said Ayit as he got up to leave and rejoin his father. “Pray for me.”
 
“I will, every day,” replied Kalowi.
Picture: hunter with his ducks
No photo description available.
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Psalm 31:23-24

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 24, 2021
 
Psalm 31:23 “Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful,”
[There are an infinite number of reasons to love you, LORD Yahweh! Not the least of which is your faithfulness to your Word, to your promises, to your Character, to your love. We can be sure that whatever you allow into our lives, you have a plan, a purpose and will give provision and carry us through.
Because you are faithful, Lord Jesus, as we walk through the valley of darkness, you preserve, protect and deliver those who are faithful, who trust in you, who walk in awe of you, in obedience to your desires, living in the light of your great and holy presence. “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them” (Ps. 34:7).]
“but the proud he pays back in full.”
[You will act against those who are proud–including against me if I need it. I praise you, Lord Jesus, that as the Good Shepherd you do rebuke us, correct us, chasten us and punish us when needed to get our attention.
Thank you that you will deal with those who, in pride, act against your children, against your Word, against Truth. Help us to reject pride, to be humble before you, not listening to our hearts, but to you.]
Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
[When our hope is in you, the Time Beginner, the Star-breather, the Dawn-bringer, the History Ender, we can be strong and encouraged, for you, Lord God, are powerful and good and wise and it is your nature to love.
When my heart is down, discouraged and disappointed, I can find my hope in you, the great and glorious God whose power is immeasurable, whose might is eternal, whose strength is unending, whose love guides all you do: “My soul, find rest in God alone, for my hope comes from him” (Ps. 62:5).
To hope in you is wisdom, to trust you is good, to obey you is freedom, to lift our souls to you is joy.
Praise be to you, Lord God for what you will do today in the plans and events before me. I choose to trust you, honor you and worship you. Be glorified in my life today.]
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Psalm 31:21-22

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 23, 2021
 
note: I’m having trouble with my pictures being fuzzy because they are small originals. Sorry about that.
 
Psalm 31:21 “Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.”
[More than once David was trapped in a city (1 Sam. 23:7-13), but each time, in the midst of David’s danger, you, Lord, defended him, you acted to keep him safe when all seemed lost, when he appeared to have no way out.
So you do with us, when we are trapped by tragedy or loss, difficulty or destruction (such as Barbara’s present depression), negativity and evil, you are there, and you show us your wonderful love by giving us a way out. To paraphrase Psalm 46:5, God is within us, we will not fall, He promises to help us at break of day–that is, after the longest, coldest part of the night.
You are the God of hope, who stands ready to “fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in you so that our lives can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). Help us to trust before your help comes.]
Psalm 31:22 “In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.”
[What seems to be an impossible situation for us is changed when we remember that you are there, Lord, that you are acting behind the scenes and will do what is best. I think of the times we were threatened with expulsion from the country we were working in, but you heard our cry for mercy, Lord, and kept us there for many years more, in spite of the opposition and the plans of high ranking men.
You always are prepared to act at the right time, and you often give us the privilege of going by faith for a while, believing you when we have no outward evidence, and thereby giving you greater glory before all.
Help us to do that daily, obeying your call to: “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me” (Ps. 50:14,15).]
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Psalm 31:19-20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 22, 2021
 
Psalm 31:19 “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,”
[“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:3).
You, O Lord, know the future and all that will come; you know what is needed for us to stand, and have prepared a rich supply of grace for us. Your one requirement is that we trust you–fear you, stand in awe of you–rather than fear men who speak loudly and destructively.]
“How great is your goodness…which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”
[As we hide ourselves in you, Lord, you bless us clearly, publicly, visibly. You give grace and peace, you supply our needs, you carry us through difficulties, you protect us from danger (how often have you preserved me in near accidents on the road), you empower us to be more than conquerors rather than just coping.
We can hide in you mainly through thinking the truth of your Word and responding in praise and thanksgiving for what you allow. I give you praise now for your wisdom and goodness as you go before to guide, protect and deliver.]
Psalm 31:20 “In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”
[To others we may appear to be defenseless and totally vulnerable, but in your unseen presence we are sheltered and shielded. Our responsibility is to stay in your presence, in your refuge of truth, in your Word of wisdom: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Ps. 91:1).
This means that, in the midst of much pressure, we can trust you, praise you and respond to evil with what we know to be right: forgiving, returning good for hurt, resting in the truth that you are doing good in what appears to be bad.
Then, because you delight in us, in your mighty power you will protect us, work to guide and direct us and bring us out into a spacious place. To you be glory and honor, Lord for your goodness, power and love. Help me to dwell in them, rest in them and rejoice in them.]
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Psalm 31:17-18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 21, 2021
 
This was written a number of years ago, but is even more appropriate now!
 
Psalm 31:17 “Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you;”
[You, O Lord, desire honor for us, not shame: “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,” “…my salvation and honor depend on God, my mighty rock and refuge” (Col. 3:12, Ps. 62:7).
So, we can be confident that, as we bow before you and live for you, you will act in your faithfulness, in your goodness, and in your kindness to save us from shame.
Help us to have Jesus’ attitude, “For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame…” (Heb. 12:2] I praise you now for how you will act in the difficult situations before me to protect me from shame and bring both resolution and honor.]
Psalm 31:17b,18 “but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous.”
[There are so many lies and false accusations uttered these days against followers of Jesus–even to the point of calling us terrorists! Doing good is denigrated; committing evil is exalted. I praise you, Lord, that in the midst of this, you are at work and will use the attacks of the enemy to advance your Kingdom.
And I thank you for your guidance on how to respond to these verbal attacks. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and being consumed with anger, frustration and discouragement, you call us to “delight in weaknesses, hardships, INSULTS, persecutions and difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
 
We can, in humility, in your perspective, shrug off the shame people want to put on us, walking instead in the light of the honor you heap on us as your beloved children.
Praise you, Lord, that these situations are opportunities to give you glory through trust, praise and doing good to those who do evil to us. May we so walk in faith, bringing you great honor before all the unseen hosts.]
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Post Europe

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 20, 2021
Post Europe
 
Leaving L’Abri, I hitch-hiked around Europe for a month, visiting some of the people I’d met on the tour . I had some interesting experiences in wild Amsterdam, Scandanavia and driving across rainy Germany in a car without working windshield wipers. Then in mid-December, 1970, I flew back to the States .
 
Right after Christmas I attended Urbana, the large Intervarsity Missions Conference which is held every three years in Illinois.
 
I got a seat on a chartered bus from Hartford and ended up sitting next to a linguistics professor named Ralph Goodell. This “chance meeting” began a lifelong friendship with Ralph and his wife Dinah. They were another gift from God and became wise, gentle mentors to me and my family-to-be, giving a fine balance to the other influences in my life.
 
Urbana itself was a great experience, expanding my vision of the world. I also got to see some of my acquaintances from Europe there, and one of them, a Dutch girl, came back home with me and spent a few days on the farm. Her visit gave my parents a taste of the international friendships the Lord was bringing to me, a foretaste of what was to come.
 
Following my friend’s departure, I was struggling with the thought of being single the rest of my life. One cold, snowy winter evening I went for a long walk up the road. At the crest of a hill, I stopped and prayed, “Lord I give to you my desire to be married; I am willing to be single all of my life if that’s what you want.” I was following my mentor, Dave Shinen’s advice to tell God what I wanted, and be willing to accept the opposite.
 
What came next was a surprise: a sense of fear at the thought of getting married. “So,” I thought, “part of my struggle is my hidden fear about what might happen in marriage. This means I’m also clinging to my singleness.”
 
I turned my thoughts back to God, “Lord, I confess this fear to you and surrender my desire to protect myself by staying single. Whatever you want, marriage or singleness, I will accept.”
 
In this surrender the Lord took me a step further out of my bondage to fear and selfishness. This was another God sighting, bringing me into a greater degree of freedom.
 
Fitting back into life on the farm was not easy after having spent time hunting walrus on the Bering Sea and then hunting theological truths with Dr. Schaeffer.
I began working in Dad’s tire shop again, easing into the familiar, going to church and living with my parents. I continued memorizing and meditating on the Word, digging into Scripture, applying what I was learning.
At the same time, the old familiar shadows of depression came creeping out of the past, gathering around me, pushing me down.
 
That Spring I decided to redo the roof of the old woodshed on my grandfather’s house. I figured to get it done in three or four days, but it took me three weeks. This “failure” to meet my high expectations sent me over the edge into a full-fledged depression.
 
I began sleeping more and more, until eventually I only got up to eat. The other twenty-three hours of the day I spent in bed.
 
In the end, my gentle mother said, “I think there’s something wrong with you. You should go see the doctor.” So I got an appointment with our old family physician who put me in the hospital for tests.
 
After three days he came and sat on the edge of my bed. “Son, looking at these results, I can say that you are physically healthy as a horse. My diagnosis is that your religious ideas don’t line up with everyday life!” He paused, “I’m going to write you a prescription for an anti-depressant. Let’s see how it goes with that.” He handed me the prescription, patted me on the shoulder and left.
 
I was devastated. Here I’d been witnessing to the doctor and he says my depression comes from my spiritual life? Just at that moment the hospital postman came in the door and handed me an envelope. It was a card from Margarite Simpson, my old Sunday School teacher. On the envelope she had written, “Sorry, this is the only card I had in the house.” It had pink and blue sparkle on the cover, just the right of card for a little old lady, not for a twenty-three year old fellow in depression.
 
However, as I opened it, I saw that it was exactly the right card for me. Printed at the bottom of the page was a verse: “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” Psalm 34:8.
 
I let the card fall into my lap and looked off into the distance. With a sigh I said, “OK, Lord, I am going to trust in you. Show me what to do next.”
 
Picture: the tire shop in our old barn
 
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Psalm 31:15-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 19, 2021
Psalm 31:15 “My times are in your hands;”
[A strong declaration of God’s great powers, of His sovereignty at work–and of our weakness. We cannot control our times, our lives or the events that come into them, but God actively, intimately and lovingly works to bring to us what is best for us–both in the big picture and in the tiny details. This is a further reason to trust Him fully through praise before any answer to our cry comes.
As it says in Psalm 33:18-20 “…the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”]
Psalm 31:15b-16, “deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.”
[David unwaveringly looks to the right place, to the right One for help, and for the right reason: God’s unfailing love. He is confident that God is going to answer. As David said in Psalm 27:13-14 “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”
[And David consistently saw God’s protection and provision. He was in dozens, if not hundreds of battles, with no mention of ever being wounded. And he died of old age in his bed, having seen God’s deliverance all through his life.
Praise you, Lord God, that no matter how bad things appear, you are going to bring positive and constructive happenings out of them as we join you in faith.
I give thanks, Lord God, for your care and protection, your grace-filled help in each difficulty, and for your allowing challenges into our lives to deepen, mature and equip us.
Help us to keep our eyes on you this day. I bow before you, O Lord God, wanting to give you the honor due your Name by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all.]
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(Untitled)

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 18, 2021
 
Psalm 31:9 “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;”
[You, Lord, are the One I should flee to immediately when anxiety and fear, worry and distress strike, for you alone have the power to do something about it.
You are mighty and merciful , you are gracious and good, you are wise and wonderful. Praise you for how you will help us in our situations, few of which could be more distressing than David’s, which he describes in the verses below. His distress involved every area of his life:]
Psalm 31:9b-12 “my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;”
[What a devastating picture of severe distress, but allowed by you, Lord, for you were at work through it, doing significant things in David’s life. And so you are at work in our lives as we move into and through difficult times. In these we can trust you, no matter how painful they may be, as David goes on to describe.]
Psalm 31:12b-13 “I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.”
[David was weak and vulnerable, surrounded by threats, assaulted by fears and attacked by men, in real danger of death. He was in the fire. It looks bad. However, the next words, words of choice, make all the difference:]
Psalm 31:14 “BUT I trust in you, O LORD;”
[In spite of his circumstances, in spite of how he felt, in spite of the very real dangers, in spite of getting no answers yet, David makes the choice to trust in Jehovah, the great and holy God, to expect help from Him based on His perfect character and wide wisdom.
In using the word “BUT,” David chooses to reject the natural tendency to let his feelings, thoughts and circumstances rule him, saying instead,]
“I say, ‘You are my God.’”
[He affirms that the Lord is his God, his final authority. This is looking away from the seen to the unseen. It is a declaration that Jesus is David’s final authority and David is going to trust Him and obey Him, not feelings; he chooses spiritual facts over fear. David is submitting his intellect and perceptions to the higher authority of Scripture.]
And this is what you call us to do, too, Lord God. When we are in the fire, this is the response of faith, “But, I trust in you, O LORD!”
What a privilege to be able to think and act in faith in the face of fears. Thereby we can bring you great honor, demonstrating to all around us the power of your grace, the wisdom of your way and the support of your Spirit.
Help us to be honest before you about how we feel, lifting our souls to you, God, while always ending with “But, I trust in you, Lord!”
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Psalm 31:7-8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 17, 2021
 
Psalm 31:7 “I will be glad and rejoice in your love,”
[Your love alone is enough for joy, O God. You, heavenly Father, showed your love in sending the Savior into this violent, deadly world; you, Lord Jesus, showed your love in suffering immeasurably to save your enemies; you, Holy Spirit, show your love in working here in this fallen, twisted world to bring light to all, the elect to faith and the believers to maturity.
You all three show your love in patiently allowing us to grieve you daily as we zigzag through life, bouncing from belief to selfishness, from obedience to rebellion and back. Truly your love is great, powerful, wise, endless, enduring and wonderful. To know you is enough for joy, to be your child is more than enough reason to praise, for you are love itself.
“for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.”
[You, Lord God, are omnipresent and omniscient. You see and know the difficulties of my life, my disturbed soul, my anguished heart. And you are consistently at work bringing the healing fruit of peace and righteousness as you help me respond to your gifts of guidance and grace. May I consistently cooperate with you in belief and surrender.
Psalm 31:8 “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Protector and Guide, for you brought me out of the prison of sin and self into a spacious place of love, joy and peace. And you did this because you delighted in me—against all reason, all odds, all facts–you delight in me, your former enemy, your rebellious son, your uncooperative child.
I praise you that your love is not dependent on my performance, but upon your unchanging, rock solid Character of holiness, purity, love, wisdom and mercy that triumphs over justice.
To you be endless glory and honor, Lord Jesus, for your great work of salvation, your continued work of sanctification and your future work of re-creation. May you be honored in all my responses to the little things of today as I actively trust you.
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(Untitled)

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 16, 2021
More from the Ad-on Eskimo
 
As the dancing ended, the Shaman stepped into the center and began to beat his drum in a different way. Ayit knew this was to call the spirits, and this knowledge made him afraid and unhappy for he knew that these spirts were both powerful and evil.
 
He backed away from the circle and as he turned to walk away, he noticed another man leaving the ceremony. As they walked away into the village, the man came to Ayit and introduced himself.
 
“I am Kalowi. I see you left the circle while the shaman was calling his spirits. Why did you do that?” Ayit felt the good heart of this man as he looked at his kind face. He was different from most of the other Eskimo men whose faces were hard.
 
“I do not like what the spirits do, forcing people to worship them, then punishing them, demanding sacrifices and bringing sickness and calamity.”
 
“My friend,” said Kalowi, “I have good news for you. Let me tell you about a different spirit, it is the good Spirit of the living God. We have called him Apa, but we have never known him. So He came to earth and lived here as a man so He could save us from these evil spirits.”
 
Ayit was now fully alert and said, “The shamans tell us the spirits created the world, but I don’t believe it—the world is too beautiful to be created by evil spirits.” He was silent for a minute before saying, “I’ve been seeking the good creator God. Maybe this is him!”
 
“You are right,” Kalowi said emphatically. “Apa, his son, Jesus, and his Spirit created all, including the land and sea, animals and people. But all of us people have chosen to disobey Apa, so he had to separate himself from us. Then Apa sent his son into the world as a man, and he took the punishment we deserve for our bad actions. He came to set us free from the spirits here who torment us.
 
“Now Apa wants a personal relationship with each of us. The teachers here have a book they say God sent to them. They call it The Bible. I cannot read their language, but they tell me some things from the book; and I like it.”
 
“What is a book?” asked Ayit.
 
“It is like many pieces of seal skin sewed together with little pictures drawn on it; these tell stories.”
 
“What do the pictures tell us? What does this book say?” Ayit asked eagerly, his eyes alight with curiosity.
 
“That this God is the good One who rules the world. One of his names is Jesus.”
 
“Aha,” Ayit broke in. “So, just as I thought, there is a good Creator God, and Jesus is his name. This God I have been seeking!”
 
“Yes, He is,” Kalowi assured him. “As I said, Jesus came to the earth to save us. He had to die to take the punishment we deserve. He died but then he rose from the dead.”
 
“How is that possible?” asked Ayit in a shocked voice. “No one can die and then come back.”
 
“Because He is the Creator God, He has the power to rise from the dead. And when He did, He secured for us eternal life.
“However, we must each accept His forgiveness of our wrongs, along with repenting of our sins, and ask Him to come into our lives as our Boat Captain and Savior.”
 
Ayit looked thoughtful. “If He created all this beautiful world, with the trees and mountains, the sun and moon, all the creatures of the sea and land—then I will trust Jesus,” he said and with that he bowed his head and prayed to this good Creator God, Jesus, asking for forgiveness and surrendering to His leadership. He raised his hands to the heavens where the Good creator God lives and gave thanks.
 
“I feel free!” said Ayit as he lowered his hands, “like a burden has lifted from my shoulders.”
 
“That’s exactly what happened,” Kalowi said. “The burden of sin, of condemnation, and of control by the spirits has been removed. Now you can live in the freedom Jesus offers you!”
 
Together they walked to the teacher’s house where Kalowi told the teacher what had happened. The teacher, of course, was ecstatic. Having lived in the village for seven years, Mr. Campbell was able to speak some of the Eskimo language and was able to pray in Yupik Eskimo for Aiyt and his new life.
picture: Eskimos drumming and dancing
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