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The Great Sin

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 19, 2018
“…give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”1 Thessalonians 5:18
 
In 2010, as I went down the ramp to board the first plane on my return trip to Germany from the US, I heard the stewardess announce, “There is no more room in the overhead bins, so the rest of you passengers will have to check your carry-on.”
 
I was not happy with that news! My carry-on was packed with personal things, many of which I wanted to use on the trip. Fortunately, most of these were in my backpack in my carry-on. I took it out, surrendered my carry-on case with wheels, and made my way back to my seat, all the while complaining in my heart about this injustice.
 
How easily I fall, how significant a seemingly small decision can be, how dangerous is the innocuous sin of complaining. It rises from unbelief and rebellion against what God has brought. It comes from pride, from fear, from selfishness, from listening to self rather than the Spirit.
 
Without confession and repentance, I was defenseless. I was down and Satan just kept shooting me with one fiery arrow after another: fear, selfishness, self-pity and more complaining.
 
It was a painful, joyless time before the Spirit gave insight through my journalling, as I lifted my soul to Him and He helped me see where I had committed my initial, tactical sin of choosing to grumble instead of praising.
 
Then I could confess, surrender and be healed. After that I could easily raise the shield of faith and joy could flow again. I had to choose to live the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy, period!
 
In God’s eyes complaining is a serious, destructive and deadly sin: it attacks faith and trust; it questions His goodness and wisdom; it dishonors Him as we reject His gifts.
 
That’s why He reacted so strongly to the Israelite’s complaining and grumbling: “And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp” (Num. 11:1).
 
But praise God that He is faithful, that He brings us back to Himself, into the light so we can be healed, restored and restrengthened. Then we can again put on the armor He has provided so that we can “take up the shield of faith with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” that “you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11,16).
 
Prayer: “Lord, help me to keep on the armor of God every day, and especially to raise the shield of faith by giving thanks in every circumstance so that you may have more glory. Amen.”
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Psalm 19:12-13

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 18, 2018
Psalm 19:12 “Who can discern his errors?”
 
[My inner being is, to a large part, inscrutable and opaque to me–below my consciousness. In there I unknowingly sin with wrong motives, wrong attitudes and wrong desires. These sins are from my flesh, from the inherited residue of sin from past generations, from the subtle working of the devil, from input from the world–and from my giving in to them. These sins are there—but their penalty has been paid in Christ’s death and resurrection, praise be to you.
 
We can pray, along with David, “Forgive my hidden faults” and know that we are forgiven.
 
As I spend time in worship (giving you, Lord, honor for who you are), you are slowly increasing the depth of understanding of what’s in my inner being–showing me more and more of these hidden faults. Then I can knowingly confess and reject them and instead obey you in these areas. Praise you for your persistent, patient and powerful work in my life.]
 
Psalm 19:13 “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.”
 
[This is where I am fully responsible and where I very much need your grace, your help and guidance, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd. I thank you that you have prepared me for this struggle, as it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” I have to learn to take up and use what you have provided.
 
Praise you for the continual upward progress of your transformational work in us, which I see daily within and without, as the Holy Spirit warns me, giving conviction, insight and protection. You make it possible to stand against the pressures that push me towards personal sin. As I obey, you are making supernatural responses (praise, denying self, patience and mercy) more “natural” for me.
 
You are at work: you are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Strength, my Stronghold. In you alone is the needed help in the battle with sin, self and Satan. With you alone is there hope, power and victory.]
 
“Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”
 
[Only in you, Lord, only in you is there the possibility of being blameless, without reproach, innocent of great sin. Praise be to you for your unwarranted desire to help, your unearned love, your undeserved grace.
 
You are marvelous in your Might, great in your Grace and wonderful in your Wisdom as you usher us farther up and further into the freedom, growth and goodness of your Kingdom. Glory be to you. Help us today to follow you wholeheartedly in this journey into the light of transformation.]
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Psalm 19:9-11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 17, 2018
 
Psalm 19:9b “The ordinances of the LORD are sure”
 
[There is no doubt, no shakiness, no uncertainty in your Word, Lord. What You command and reveal is absolutely true, fully trustable and entirely correct. We can have confidence in, rely on and rest in all that you reveal to us by your Word.]
 
“and altogether righteous.”
 
[There is no sin, no wrong motive, no dark side, no hidden evil, no selfishness, no imbalance in your ordinances, Lord. They are purely, positively, powerfully right. We can always bank on them, for your promise is to “lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (Ps. 23:3).]
 
Psalm 19:10 “They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;”
 
[Your ordinances are better than money in any form, for they last forever. Plus they are perfect, they are pure, they cannot perish, their value is immeasurable, and they are vast beyond conception. Much greater in value than gold—and much easier to transport from one situation to another!]
 
“they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.”
 
[In revealing Truth, your ordinances bring to us the sweetness of life, the nectar of joy and a taste of heaven.]
 
Psa 19:11 “By them is your servant warned;”
 
[They reveal danger, show us how to avoid evil and protect us from our own wrong desires. We must pay attention to your warnings, for it is up to us to obey what you have revealed.]
 
“in keeping them there is great reward.”
 
[Not just preservation from danger and disaster, but immense rewards come from obeying your commands, Lord. These rewards are both for now and forever: peace, joy, strength, wisdom, grace, love, positive relationships, fulfilling significance and purpose, security both for today and for eternity, continual growth and many others–an ongoing stream of your goodness being poured out on your children who love you with all their heart and strength, mind and soul.]
 
Today, Lord, help me to care deeply about what you think in all my decisions. Guide me in doing what will last forever, making plans based upon your perfect and pristine Word, rather than on my own feeble and faulty reasoning.
 
May I wholeheartedly, consistently, confidently, humbly exalt and obey your Word in every area, every situation, every thought of my life so that I may constantly give you an ongoing flow of glory and honor, O Lord Jesus, my Shepherd and King.
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February 1980

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 15, 2018
February 1980
 
We had come from a place where I had had lots of satisfying physical work in a lush, pleasant rural setting, to live in a crowded, polluted, dark city of a million people where the only tasks I had before me were the mental work of teaching English and learning the local language. We were without all our normal means of emotional support, including peanut butter, our favorite snack and comfort food.
In addition, there was the stress of adapting to this new culture where we had to make a thousand little new adjustments every day. Each one took some energy, so by the end of the day we were exhausted, even though we hadn’t done much.
 
This was all part of the Lord’s plan to mature and deepen us. To keep ourselves from wearing out emotionally and spiritually, we made sure to keep up our quiet times and our prayer life. We tried to give God praise in all situations, as well as to think in terms of God’s truth. We tried to consistently encourage each other. There was no other way for us to survive the challenges of our new environment.
 
The civil war in the country continued, with bombs going off in Ankara almost every night, but we found nothing in the newspapers to tell us anything about these attacks.
The weather was cold, often below zero and we froze in our house. Often the only heat we had came from lighting our stove’s oven which worked on propane gas that the city sometimes provided. We would huddle around its open door in the kitchen, trying to get warm.
Many foods were hard to find. Every Saturday we would go with John to an open air market for fresh vegetables, and then to the one real supermarket to choose from the limited stock.
 
The one “comfort food” that was available to us was cornflakes. Granted they tasted a bit like soggy pieces of cardboard, and often had dust in with them, but it was a touch of home to have a nice bowl of cereal and milk, even if the milk did have a strange taste.
Since peanuts were available, we decided to make our own peanut butter. We would sit in a team meeting, peeling the red husks off the peanuts, then take them home with us and put them through a grinder, along with some margarine. It didn’t taste like Jiffy peanut butter, but was sure better than nothing.
 
As I think about that early time of adjustment, it was like having a pall of darkness hanging over us, like we were dragging ourselves through a heavy, black, smog– which often was literally true in our highly polluted city–but this darkness was more than physical, it was mental, emotional and spiritual. However, the Lord sustained us and carried us through. He had called us, so there was never a thought of retreating.
 
The boys didn’t seem to mind the changes that our move from farm to city brought with it. Nat was less than two and really didn’t remember much of Connecticut. Josh missed his aunt Marcia and his grandmother more than anything else.
 
When he would start to complain about how hard things were, we’d interrupt with, “Yes, but in Connecticut could you look out your living room window and see a shepherd with his donkey and herd of sheep? And could you buy pide?” This was a flatbread topped with cheese or hamburger, a kind of simple pizza, which Josh loved. These questions would help to bring him out of his negative thoughts. We practiced this method ourselves, focusing on the positives before us, not 0n the negatives or the things we’d left behind.
 
As time went on and we slogged on through language study, teaching English and the difficulties of every day life, I was personally amazed and encouraged to see how much joy God gave me in being where He wanted me. Leaving behind the physical work, the mental stimulation, the success of business, and the beauty of home had not had the deleterious effect I’d expected. Obedience brings joy and God was setting me free from my natural inclinations.
 
In making these adjustments, however, tensions did surface between us. One morning Barbara and I had a strong discussion. At one point I pounded my fist on the table and said, “Who’s the boss here, anyway?!!!” Josh immediately replied, “The landlord!” We burst out laughing. His comment brought us to our senses and we were able to resolve the issue in harmony.
Picture: Aunt Marcia, Josh and Barbara
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Psalm 19:9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 15, 2018
Psalm 19:9 “The fear of the LORD is pure,”
 
[To obey you, Lord, out of reverence, awe and fear takes us in the direction of genuine holiness. It moves us away from the selfish pollution of the world, our old sinful nature and the wiles of Satan. To obey you moves us towards fearing you–that is, caring deeply what you think about our issues and actions, our thoughts and words–while helping us fear the negative consequences of following our own reasoning.
 
To fear you, God, not man, to obey you while rejecting the fear of man–this leads to purity. The “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe” (Prov. 29:25).]
 
“The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.”
 
[What we do out of our great reverence for you will be pure and positive, as well as lasting forever. To obey Truth because we love you is something that will have significance for all eternity. Even if it is a tiny, one second act (rejecting grumbling and instead offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving; or rejecting self-pity and instead thinking truth ), it has eternal consequences.
 
Every decision is potentially a glory-giving, grace-displaying, goodness-granting opportunity–even if it’s internal and no one else knows about it but God.
 
It is a possibility in which we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created: to bring honor to Him. This perspective can change our motives from desiring to do what is natural, to bringing glory to God by revealing Him to those around us through our actions and reactions.
 
Help us, Lord, to make multiple “pure and enduring forever” decisions today, based on our awe and fear of you, and thereby bringing more and more honor to you!]
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Light for Life and Joy

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 14, 2018
 
Psalm 19:8 “The precepts of the LORD are right,”
 
[You, Lord, make the lines clear: this is right, that is wrong. And praise you that you do it as much in principles as in particulars, like, “honor your father and mother,” which can be lived out differently in different cultures.
 
Then you present us with the wisdom to know how to apply these principles in various situations in our lives, giving us guidance in the grey areas. “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God….” (James 1:5)]
 
“giving joy to the heart.”
 
[Knowing what is right and wrong brings security, for having clear boundaries lessens the stress of decision making. Knowing truth brings joy, one of the pleasures you desire for us to have in growing amounts.
 
As you, Lord Jesus, said in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Joy is there, offered to us for the taking–we just need to take your Word seriously, reject the tendency to complain and choose to live the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy.
 
Such joy does not come from circumstances (as happiness does) but from our relationship with you, which will never be altered from your side–meaning joy is always available, no matter how we may feel.]
 
“The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”
 
[Your Word shines like the noon day sun, showing us the way, illuminating what is right and wrong, falling with power on our path so we can know what could cause us to stumble, where to step and what to reject]
 
We can know what to avoid: do not lie; do not steal; do not commit adultery. And what to do: be faithful; be kind; forgive; love by obeying Truth; find your delight in God; do what is best; pray all the time.
 
There is no question about many things. And where it is not so clear and simple, you wholeheartedly give wisdom to discern and live in integrity.
 
Help us to walk in your light today, seeing and circumventing the traps that the world, the flesh and the devil have set for us. May we, by living in the light of your Word, be more than conquerors with you.]
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Freedom!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 13, 2018
 
From Edified, written in 2011
 
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Psalm 91:1
 
It is so good and right to praise God for the gift of His Son, and all that Jesus brought to us. One gift that Jesus gave us is freedom from the oppression of the devil. I’ve told before of my slavery to irrational fears of the dark with thoughts of “If I open that door, there will be a flaming, ugly face hanging in the air!” or “If I open my eyes, there will be a wolf at the foot of the bed with red, fiery eyes!”
 
These fears were powerful and palpable even to those around me who did not share them. About 8 years ago, while in Albania, the Lord orchestrated a “show-down” with these fears, and as I wielded the Sword of the Spirit, using Psalm 23, those fears were vanquished, and I’d not been troubled since–until this fall.
Now here in Germany (in 2011), Barbara stays with her aged mother about 6 nights a week to help her with going to bed and getting up in the morning, and on those nights, when I am home alone, those irrational, powerful fears began to return. Not as strong as before, but still compelling.
Psalm 23 again was effective against them as I prayed, “‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.’ Lord, even if such a face should be there when I open the door, I know that you are with me and would help me.” With the Spirit’s help, I was winning, but the fears kept coming—until one night.
 
That night I got up to go to the bathroom, intentionally not turning on the lights in order to face these fears fully. Just as I was opening the bedroom door, a new thought came. “Do you know who’s actually on the other side of this door?” I paused and then answered the question: “Jesus!”
Wow, that thought was like a precise atom bomb that blew my fears to smithereens. I was immediately freed, and have had no reoccurrence since! Now every time I open a door in the dark, I think: “On the other side of this door, waiting for me, is the Lord Jesus: my Rock, my Salvation and my high Tower!”
 
As it says in Proverbs 4, “the path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever more brightly til the full light of day.” Out of darkness into the light, out of bondage into freedom.
Psalm 68:6 says, The Lord “leads forth the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun scorched land.” The Lord desires to free us from the corruption of sin and the traps of Satan. May He help you in your struggles as He helped me in mine through meditating on and wielding the sword of the Spirit, obeying the Word.
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What a God!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 12, 2018
From my worship journal and EDIFIED!
 
Praise be to you, Lord God, for you are wholly Holy. You are the Giver of Goodness, the King of kindness, the Lord of Love, the Leader of light, the Lover of life, the Creator of kings, the Shepherd of satisfaction, and the God of grace.
 
Praise you for revealing yourself in both your Word and in your world, giving all people opportunity to know you, to come to you, to enter your shelter, your Kingdom, your Family.
 
Praise you, too, that you show us more of your beautiful qualities as you continually take care of us. Every day of our lives you manifest your power in protection, your creativity in customized care, your love in the loveliness of creation, your generosity in giving, your goodness in grace.
 
You are also the God to be feared for your justice and holiness, a God to be obeyed for your wisdom and righteousness, a God to be loved for your goodness and grace, a God to be worshiped for your greatness and glory.
 
In you is more than we could ever imagine; in you is more than we can ever comprehend; in you there is more than enough to keep us learning for all eternity.
 
You are the God who is too good to be true, while being more than true. Glory be to you, honor be to you, obedience be to you, joy be to you this day in my motives, thoughts, words and actions.
 
Prayer: “Lord, keep me in awe of you, keep me worshiping you, praising you all day long. Keep my eyes open to the beauty around me that I may honor you all the time.
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Psalm 19:4b-6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 10, 2018

Psalm 19:4b-6 “In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.”

You, Lord, in your wisdom, goodness and might, created the sun, making it exactly the right size, burning at precisely the right temperature. Then you placed the earth in just the right orbit around it, not too far, not too close, providing exactly the right amount of heat, light and energy for carbon-based life. The sun speaks to us of your provision and love, your wisdom and power.

When simple observation shows us the exactness and wisdom of your design, with so many factors being preciously what is needed, why do so many not believe? Your Word tells us that they have a veil over their faces, put there by Satan and held there by their sin and selfishness. Only as they turn to you is it taken away (2 Cor. 3:15, 4:3,4).

Praise be to you, Lord, that you call all to turn to you, even though you know that all will not choose to believe. Like the sun, you constantly shine out on us your warm love, your light giving grace and your energy providing goodness.

You are the God of undying, unending kindness, of supremely positive provision, of ever-flowing grace and goodness. And, in spite of what we are in our nature, you constantly give good to us, because it is your nature do so: you are Love, you are Light, you are Life. And you will go on doing good to your creatures no matter how they respond.

I praise you for your graciousness, for your righteousness, for your holiness, for your loveliness. I praise you that you have caused your face to shine upon us; that in your great love, you have equipped us for life and godliness; that you protect us from true evil; that you call us to partnership with you in the great plans you have for the conclusion of the world, for the sweeping of many into your Kingdom, and for the ending of evil in the universe.

You are completely worthy of all worship, you are supremely worthy of honor and praise, you are richly worthy of all exaltation and obedience. I bow now before you this morning, Lord; help me to rise up to give you glory and honor and praise by walking in the light of your Word, living an obedient life worthy of you, doing what I know pleases you, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving. I praise you now for your provision to do this.]

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Accidental Adventures

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 8, 2018
After returning from Germany in early 1980, we prayed that my work visa and residence permit would be granted before the two months were up, but as time got closer, it was clear that I would have to make an exit trip to renew my visa.
 
Another worker also needed to go, so we decided to drive to Greece together. On one flat, straight stretch I came up behind a big truck traveling about 50 miles an hour. I peeked out from behind and saw that there was a car coming, but it was a long long ways away, leaving me plenty of time to pass. I pulled out and stepped on the gas and slowly gained speed; that small Volkswagen motor was faithful, but not all that powerful.
 
As I got half way past the truck, I saw that the oncoming car was going much faster than the speed limit of 65 mph, and I began to suspect that I wasn’t going to make it past the truck in time. So I slammed on the brakes, hoping to get back behind the truck, but the weight of the engine in the rear of my car slung the backend around so we were skidding sideways down the road.
 
Instinctively I made the proper correction with the wheel, but nothing happened. The oncoming Mercedes was almost upon us and didn’t seem to slowing down one bit. Then at the last second, my car responded to my corrections and swung back around, slamming us up against the truck, while the Mercedes slipped by on the shoulder and disappeared in the distance.
The truck driver didn’t slow down either, didn’t even seem to notice what had happened. After taking a second to recover, I also decided to keep going.
 
In the next town we stopped to inspect the damage. The passenger door had a big dent in it with black marks from the truck tire; however, the door still worked. The back passenger side window was smashed, but since it was one that didn’t open, it wouldn’t be too difficult to fix. We asked around, found a window repair shop, and had the glass replaced.
 
Counting our spinning on ice into the gas station on our way to Tarsus, this incident was the second of eleven accidents I had in our new country. Only in this one did I have any fault. The rest were caused mostly by other people running into me.
 
Driving in this country was certainly dangerous. So was parking, as I found one day when I parked in front of John’s house, which was across the street from a reasonably steep side street. As I was walking toward the house, a car came over the top of the hill and down to the stop sign, but instead of stopping, it slid right across the street and rammed into my car!
 
The driver hopped out, angry at me. “This accident is your fault! If you hadn’t parked there I wouldn’t have hit you!” he yelled. This, we found, was the common logic here and according to that, he was right. If I hadn’t parked there, he wouldn’t have hit me, but he also would have driven off the four-foot high wall and landed into John’s yard!
 
In one of the more interesting of my accidents, I was waiting to turn left at a stop light when a police car came zooming across the intersection and hit me head on! The driver was a mechanic who was testing the car and the policeman was riding along with him. The mechanic ended up fixing the car for us at his expense, although it took him two months to do it.
 
All in all, we frequently experienced the Lord’s protection in travel, without having any serious accidents resulting in serious injuries. That means of whole string of God sightings as He protected us through many, many miles driven in the Middle East.
 
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