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Painful Progress

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 10, 2018
From the devotional book EDIFIED!
 
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires [“lusts” as KJV says] that battle within you?”
James 4:1
 
I was unhappy, very unhappy–and didn’t know why. I snapped at my wife and was impatient with my boys. I felt very tired. There was no sweet spirit of peace and pleasantness flowing out of my heart; instead there was the acrid stench of bitter selfishness.
Situations like this explode out of me periodically and I am taken by surprise when I act so badly. However, our gracious Lord, who knows all and controls all, was simply giving me another lesson in faith.
While this upheaval was going on, 1 Peter 1 came up in my devotions; verses 6 and 7 spoke clearly to this situation: “…for a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, those have come so that your faith…may be proved genuine…”
Aha! One reason for the coming of these inner pressures is the Lord showing me where my faith is not genuine. I expect myself to be “spiritual” when in actuality I am a redeemed but desperately wicked sinner in need of God’s constant grace.
Turning to James, I read in chapter 1, “Consider it pure joy, brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (Jam. 1:2-3).
Again, here is the truth: God was using this distress to make me grow by giving new revelation of the depravity of my heart. And my responsibility? To give thanks even though I felt the opposite, and then ask forgiveness from God and from those I’ve trampled on and to repent, being kind to them instead.
Taking a pen and paper, I claimed the promise of Psalm 86 “…Rejoice the soul of your servant, for I lift my soul unto to you,” and began telling God all that was in my soul: my worry, fear, anger, frustration, selfishness and impure thoughts that had surfaced under the pressures of my unhappiness. One by one I brought them under the blood, and surrendered them to Christ, asking again for the filling of the Spirit. Then I ripped up the paper.
Along with this, I went to bed early and got a good night’s sleep. The result? Today has gone exceedingly well. The outward pressures of today are greater, my responsibilities more, but the Lord is strengthening my faith, leading to trust, praise and rest in the midst of turmoil. As He shows me my weaknesses, I can lift my soul in confession and surrender, and He is bringing joy to my soul. What a faithful and wonderful God we have-and what a powerful Word He has given us to bring light and peace.
 
Prayer: “Today, Lord, help me to remember how weak I am and how great and powerful you are. Help me to praise you in the difficulties of the day so your power can work in my life, so I can live in a way that will bring honor to you. Amen.”
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Wonder

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 9, 2018
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that, in spite of things not going the way I desired yesterday, you gave wisdom and grace to respond with thanksgiving and surrender, to move through with grace and wisdom, not giving into fear or disappointment or self-pity. You are the One who ultimately decides what will actually happen, whether it lines up with my desires or not, so I thank you for your chosen goodness which you pour out constantly on me.
 
I praise you for your Eternal Goodness, your Rich Wisdom, your Almighty Strength, your Perfect Righteousness, your Exacting Justice, your Marvelous Mercy, your Expansive Grace, your Lavish Love, your All-pervasive Presence. I thank you for your Inscrutable Triuneness, your Tender Care and your Flawless, Unchanging Character.
 
You, Lord God, are the One to be worshiped, to be praised, to be trusted, to be obeyed. Forgive me for thinking too much of the details of life and therefore not reveling and basking more in the greatness of your Being, in the light of your Love, in the loveliness of your Life, in the goodness and greatness of your Grace.
 
You are worthy of honor, exaltation, magnification and thanksgiving in all circumstances. Your sovereignty, your wisdom, your love, your grace insure that you are moving the world to a conclusion of redemption, reclamation and re-creation, where evil will be eliminated and holiness will rule along with love and grace.
 
Therefore we can trust you in all that comes with your permission, we can think your Truth, see with your eyes, give you glory in thanksgiving and praise, and be carried by you to the conclusion you have planned.
 
I praise you for the joy of knowing you, for the salvation of your love, the security of being in your hand, the significance of being your child, the certainty of our future.
 
To you be glory and honor, praise and exaltation, for you are worthy, O Lord. You are the Creator, you are our King, you are our Shepherd, you are our God–you are Lord alone.
 
I bow before you now and surrender to you all you have given me. To you be glory in my life today, O Lord God, Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit. May all around me see you at work in my life; may your Spirit overflow from my being and touch all I meet. May you be the exalted and extolled One today. Amen.
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Psalm 34:17

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 8, 2018
Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”
 
[Praise be to you, the Sovereign, Infinite and Powerful God, who hears every prayer of every one of your children and answers them in the best way. Praise you that you act at the right time to deliver us from all our troubles–the timing may be very different than we’d like, but we can be confident that you will act just when we need it.
 
In sending Jesus to suffer, die and rise again, you have delivered us from the most fundamental of our troubles: rescuing us from the kingdom of darkness, from the dominance of sin, from the danger of eternal death, from the devil’s deceit and distortions.
 
We stand now as your beloved children, free of shame, of condemnation, of hopelessness, of meaninglessness. We stand in your presence, in your light, in your love, in the new life you have given us. We stand equipped for the battle, able to be more than conquerors in whatever comes to us, as we stand firm in the armor you have provided.
 
You have supplied us with wisdom, patience, love and grace. You have made your Holy Spirit dwell within us. You have given us your wonderful Word. And we live in the certainty that you will triumph in all as you carry us on with you to the end of history, giving us each a significant role to play in your glorious plan.
 
You have saved us from all the great troubles we were born into. And you will save us out of all the myriad of troubles that plague us in this warped world of woe, using each one to mature and mold us into the image of Christ–as we respond with praise and trust in all.]
 
Yes, you, Lord God, the faithful One, the delightful Deliverer, the lavish Lover of our souls, are bringing us out from all our troubles at just the right pace. To you be honor and glory today as we live in the light of your Grace, rejoice in the goodness of your Love and rest in the certainty of your Promises.
 
Keep our eyes on the Truth, Lord; help us to keep on the armor, to keep up the shield of faith, to be people of truth and trust because we know you, the God of love and life, of goodness and grace. May you be exalted in all that I do today.
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Psalm 34:15-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 7, 2018
Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;”
 
[Praise be to you, Lord, for your rich faithfulness, for your persistent love, for your deep commitment to your children. Praise you that you always watch over us, that you hear every prayer, every word, every thought. Praise you that you are totally aware of what is going on in our lives.
 
Your love is strong and deep and powerful. We can trust you to hear us whether we sense it or not, and to work out what is best, whether we understand it or not.]
 
Psalm 34:16 “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
 
[What a stark contrast: from total redemption to total rejection. In your great Love, Lord, you hate evil and will deal with those who choose to live in it.
 
The greatest evil is to reject Jesus and His offer of forgiveness. Out of that rebellion and pride flow every other evil. At the right time, you will righteously end the earthly lives of all such rebels and wipe out even the memory of them. Praise you for your rejection of evil so that it may not continue in Heaven.]
 
Thank you, Lord, for your goodness which under girds us in our griefs, permeates our problems and transforms troubles into the next step up as we praise you for who you are and what you are doing in them–even though we cannot see any good at the moment.
 
I praise you for allowing the present problems in our lives with Barbara’s illness. I ask that out of your love and wisdom, your righteousness and grace that you give us a fresh “Job experience” (Job 38-42) of seeing your greatness and glory so that we may continually bow before you in humility and confess, “I have nothing to say; you are right Lord, praise you for what you are doing.” And I praise you now for whatever you will do, Lord, for you know what is best.
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Psalm 34:12-14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 6, 2018

“I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Psalm 34:12 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,”

[These are the results of fearing the Lord: we will live longer (less stress, avoiding harmful practices), and we will have many days where we have lots of good flowing into our lives. Who doesn’t want that? God definitely wants to such goodness for us, and wants to motivate us to desire to fear Him so that more goodness will flow to us. Fearing Him is caring deeply what He thinks and obeying Him in awe of His marvelous might and majesty.]

Psalm 34:13 “keep your tongue from evil”

[The first element of the fear of the Lord is not speaking what is evil. No complaining (a big evil in God’s eyes because we are saying He’s not always good), no gossip, no negatives, no cutting others down, no manipulation, no sarcasm, and no selfish boasting–to name a few common to all of us.]

“and [keep] your lips from speaking lies.”

[Only truth. So no more telling ourselves lies (“Poor me,” “Everything is terrible,” “No one loves me,” “Nothing ever goes right.” “I can never win,” “Whatever I do, it’s wrong.”). No more telling others lies, no matter how polite they seem (“I’m fine” when I’m not. Instead of saying, “I’m having a difficult time, but am trusting God in it,” which is an honest answer that brings glory to Him and may open up meaningful conversation). And definitely no intentional lies to protect self or gain advantage.]

Psalm 34:14 “Turn from evil and do good;”

[Reject darkness and live in the light. I must measure my motives, thoughts, words and actions by Scripture, by what Jesus did and commanded. I must avoid evil at all costs, spotting it early on and rejecting it in favor of doing what God deems good. Confessing ahead forearms and forewarns me; I need God’s help to see evil in every area–before it becomes thought and then action–so I can bring Him glory.]

“seek peace and pursue it.”

[Not just seek to avoid conflict, protecting myself, but to wholeheartedly run after true peace, push to get peace, beginning with forgiving those who have hurt us, returning good for evil, blessing those who persecute us, and being loving to those who are obstinate. Lord give me wisdom in how to do this well.]

Praise you, Heavenly Father, for sending your Spirit to give us your Word: clear, deep, rich and transforming. Help me to walk in your Word, in the fear of the Lord today, taking your Word as the measure of what is right and wrong. Alert me to when I am not doing so, and help me to get back onto the path immediately. I praise you now for how you will help me today.]

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Psalm 34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 5, 2018
Psalm 34:10 “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”
 
[Here is that earlier truth repeated (“Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing”), this time with an example and action.
 
Even powerful, wild lions can grow weak when they don’t find food. In comparison, those who look to God–especially those who are weak–who actively seek Him, who intentionally follow Him–will not lack any good thing. This includes provision of needs for life (physical, emotional, relational) as well as the privilege of experiencing difficulties to make us grow and deepen spiritually, equipping us and providing us opportunity to give God glory.
 
Help me to live this way, Lord, to seek you and your wisdom in every circumstance, every decision, every relationship, every moment. Help me to think, obey and live Truth, keeping on the armor of God, embracing all that is right and good, taking up my cross daily, praising you in and for all, and following you with all my heart. I praise you ahead of time for how you are going to help me in seeking and fearing you throughout today.
 
Psalm 34:11 “Come, my children, listen to me;”
 
[This is God calling us to be teachable like children who are more honest than adults in recognizing their limited abilities, their dependence on their elders, and are open to input. Little children tend to be eager to learn and accepting of guidance. So should we, always ready to hear from God rather than proudly relying on our own tiny thoughts and ideas.]
 
“I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
 
[What a wonderful offer from God. Knowing the fear of the Lord is not something naturally discovered, something we can figure out for ourselves. We need God’s revelation and input to understand what the fear of the Lord is, and how to live in it. Are we listening?]
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for how you will provide all I need–in your faithfulness protecting, guiding and sustaining me through whatever you allow.
 
I praise you now for your goodness yet to be displayed as we personally walk through the valley of the shadow of depression. Glory be to your name as you help me learn to walk in the fear and awe of you, actively seeking you and your will in each instance, praising you in and for all things. Amen.
 
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Fall’s Colors

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 4, 2018

It was Fall when I wrote, “Praise you, Lord, for the beauty of the trees these days as the leaves are now at their height of color. Every corner we turn on the road reveals amazing scenes of blazing reds and blinding yellow, with certain trees standing out in special brilliance.”

These trees are a picture of what different believers are like. When things are going well, all look about the same in their uniform greens. But when difficulties and pressure come, like the frost of Fall, the beauty of belief is revealed.

Similar to these frosted trees, some believers stay green, some have a touch of color, while others stand out gloriously, glowing, lit from within in by their reds and yellows.

These glowing trees are like believers who respond in faith when things are tough. As it says in 1 Peter 1:6,7 “…for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

When our faith is proven true under pressure, we give glory to God at that moment, and He will then give it back us when we arrive in heaven, where we will glow in His love and share in His honor: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4).

Knowing the beauty faith brings, and how this honors God, can help us to respond in trust when things are difficult. In offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving we bring a glow to us and glory for God.

In contrast, the self-indulgence of complaining gives us drabness and dishonors His name. Which will we choose? “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me….” Ps. 50:23

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Psalm 34:9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 3, 2018
Written in 2015
 
Psalm 34:9 “Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
 
[The call here, the command, is to fear God–to be so in awe of the Powerful Creator, the Faithful Ruler, the Righteous King of glory, that we reject our natural responses and obey Him instead, trusting His wisdom, knowledge and goodness.
 
It means caring deeply what He thinks and thereby rejecting what I or others think when it is different. It is submitting our will, our emotions and our intellect to Him and His Word (which is one definition of humility). If we do this, the promise is that we will lack nothing.
 
That is a huge, all-encompassing promise: everything I need will be given! This, of course, is an echo of Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…,” which also implies surrender to Him as Lord.
 
Part of fearing God is accepting that He knows what we actually need. This may be getting what we personally desire, or the opposite. For us right now, it means my wife being sick with chronic Lyme’s Disease, suffering weakness, pain, confusion and depression. In the midst of this Jesus is with us, shepherding us, equipping us, using us.
 
Part of fearing God is believing His Word, knowing that He has a plan in our pain: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jer.29:11).
 
Help us, Lord, to grow in fearing you, to rest in your greatness, to do what is pleasing to you, to reject the pressures of people, the pull of our own hearts to complain and instead do what is on your heart.
 
I praise you, Lord, for your faithfulness in graciously tying us to yourself, in making us to be dependent on you , which includes allowing us to grieve you when we disbelieve and disobey.
 
In exchange for surrender, you give us much joy as we see you answer prayer, grant us your wisdom, lead us aright, demonstrate your faithfulness and display your might.
 
Help us to consistently fear you, to walk in faith and trust during our present period of problems, resting in your goodness and waiting for your wise timing to bring your desired future.]
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Psalm 34:6-8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 2, 2018
 
Psalm 34:6 “This poor man called,”
 
[When I recognize my weakness and poverty of wisdom, my lack of strength and the smallness of my resources; when all my pretenses were laid aside and I am honest before myself and before you, Lord, then I call to you all the more whole-heartedly, all the more earnestly. I am more open to you in my need, knowing that I cannot trust in myself. I am then in the position you desire so that you may act in wisdom and power.]
 
“and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”
 
[When I cry out thus, then you act, then you save. You wait for us to come to the position of surrender and trust, seeing and embracing our weakness before you act to snatch us from the jaws of the dragon, to pluck us out of the fire, to surround and shelter us in the midst of turmoil.]
 
Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
 
[Here is the summary of your plan for protection. You pursue partnership, wanting trust, surrender and obedience from us–meaning we fear you, standing in awe of you and acting out of that awe, caring deeply what you think about everything–and then you continually deliver us. You send your angel to surround us with love, power and grace, you have him deliver us consistently, as we fear you. Help us, Lord, to fear you, to live in awe of you at all times.]
 
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;”
 
[Here’s God’s challenge to us: if you don’t believe He’s trustable, taste and see what the Lord really is. Remember all the goodness He has poured out in our lives and those of others. Start trusting and see what He does. ]
 
“blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
 
[How happy, protected, helped and safe is the man who acts on this Truth and runs to God for protection and shelter. Again, here is the partnership God desires: He stands ready to act, waiting for us to seek refuge in Him.
 
May we honor you, Lord, by partnering with you throughout this day, trusting you, fearing you, taking refuge in you each moment.]
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Trust in the Dark

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 1, 2018
Written in 2016
 
In the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness, thank you that I can rest in the plan that you have for us, Lord God, and praise you with all my heart.
 
I give you glory, O Triune God, for your wise, gracious, good and powerful being. I praise you Heavenly Father for your unchanging plans and purposes for my life.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for your faithful and wise shepherding, providing all I need, making me to lie down in green pastures.
 
I praise you, Holy Spirit, for your gracious, gentle and persistent teaching, convicting and guiding me in all.
 
You, Lord Almighty, are the One who is in control, and your Ruling is always right, your Sovereign Shepherding is always wise and good, your Guidance and Grace are always timely, your Teaching and Tenacity are always trustable–even if we cannot understand them.
 
So, I bow before you now, without seeing any answers yet to my prayers for Barbara; I bow in thankfulness for your rich, deep, wise and wonderful character, filled with the treasures of goodness and righteousness, mercy and love. You are worthy of wholehearted worship, of total trust, of complete surrender and utter obedience, of persistent praise and great glory in every situation. Guide me in giving you honor throughout today with thanksgiving, rest and obedience to what I know to be true.
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