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More from Edified!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 14, 2018

“Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob…”

Psalm 114:7,8

 

You, O Adonai, are the One to be feared—your power, your purity, your presence are overwhelming, overarching, overcoming all opposition. When you manifested yourself in leading the Israelites,  as the girl in the picture leads her cow, “The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs” (Ps. 114:3,4).

Your power and presence caused the earth to writhe, the seas to flee, the rivers to cease flowing. You, O Elohim, the powerful and faithful One  “…turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.”

You are Mighty and Magnificent, looking down from on High. To view the earth from your lofty position you must stoop down; yet you do that willingly, lovingly, sacrificially.

You call yourself the God of Jacob, identifying yourself with that rascal, that rebellious and unrepentant, self-serving sinner and his descendants. You watched over them; you opened the way, prepared help, protected, guided and loved the Israelites, even though you knew they would rebel, disobey and bring disgrace to your Name.

What a great heart you have; what a mighty love flows from your being, bringing the possibility and power of change to all in this fallen world. Praise be to you for the many who embrace your love, are transformed and become your children.

Praise you for your working with all, even with those who will reject your grace (John 1:9;16:8-11), who choose to remain in darkness and spend eternity without you. Praise you for your pity on them, your death for them (1 John 2:2), your love for them (John 3:16).  You are “the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10b).

You are the God of all mercy, triumphing over justice, offering an umbrella of forgiveness to all who come. And you will judge sin and evil because you are just, for without justice there can be no holiness, no peace, no freedom from sin.

Praise be to you, O Perfect God, Lord and Savior, Sovereign and King, the Wise and Loving One—for to you belongs all worship and praise, honor and glory, exaltation and obedience.

 

Prayer: “I bow before you today, Lord Jesus. Use me, glorify yourself through me in a way that will make you stand out and me fade from sight. May I be the paint on the wall; may you be the house itself, the one who gets the honor today. Amen.”

 

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God’s Great Plans

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 13, 2018
Procedure went well, my heart is back in rhythm, and I can feel the difference; thanks for praying.
 
Today another word from EDIFIED!
 
I’ve been going through the book of Daniel, which reveals a great deal about God and the way He works. The Lord accomplishes much with one stroke: in bringing judgment on Israel and sending them into captivity, He brought the Word of Life to a king and then to an entire empire.
 
Chapter four is clearly King Nebuchadnezzar’s personal testimony sent out to his whole expansive kingdom and beyond, urging others to believe: “To the peoples, nations and men of every language who live in all the world…It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me….Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven because everything he does is right and all his ways are just” (Dan. 4:1,2,37).
 
Look at how God accomplished this. He had, among the captives taken to Babylon, four young men who were fully submitted to Him. They very obviously knew the character of God and trusted Him to do what was right no matter what the consequences were for them—even though they had been captured, marched as prisoners to a foreign land and were forced into situations they hadn’t chosen.
 
When three of them faced the fiery furnace they replied, “Our God is able to save us….But even if he does not…we will not serve your gods…” (Dan. 3:18). They did not complain, gripe or feel sorry for themselves—we can tell this because they were respectful and gracious in their interactions with those in authority.
 
And what means did God provide so they could be a witness? Crises: life threatening, impossibly difficult crises. In each one Daniel and his friends trusted God, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and saw God answer in spectacular ways, displaying His glory before many.
 
What does this say to us? How do we respond to crises? Do we know the character of God well enough to trust Him in the impossible, to turn to Him in prayer rather than to frantic action? Are we willing to be thrust onto the stage of witness where only God’s power can save us, seeing the unseen as reality? Or are we those who live in the natural: complainers, whiners, self-pitying victims, seeking to escape what is uncomfortable, unwilling to see how we are called to play important roles in the grand scheme of God?
 
One of God’s purposes in giving us the book of Daniel is to give us a sense of how He is moving history to a conclusion. He is able to weave into His plan even the myriad sinful actions of human beings done against His will, moving things inexorably towards the culmination of His great goal of the New Heaven and New Earth.
 
Now when we see crises in our own lives, in the church or in international events we need to remember that we can trust God to use both the good and evil of man for His purposes. A fresh read through the first 6 chapters of Daniel does wonders for re-calibrating our thinking on God’s working in our everyday lives.
 
Prayer: “Lord, help me to grow in the knowledge of your character. Help me to respond in faith to the small every day crises and the big ones in my life with the sacrifice of thanksgiving so I may be a witness for you, opening the way for others to believe and grow. Amen.”
 
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September 12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 12, 2018
Off to the hospital this morning to have the cardiologist stop and restart my heart, hoping to get rid of my arrhythmia. Today, an entry from Edified.
 
“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17
 
The description of you, Lord God, in Psalm 34:18-22 reveals to us your great heart, your loving kindness, your faithful follow-through and your total trustworthiness—all reasons for worship, praise and exaltation.
 
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” You know those who are in such situations; you don’t draw back from them, but in compassion come close, tenderly drawing them to yourself, flooding them with forgiveness, healing and grace. You, Lord Jesus, are good!
 
“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;” Your Word, Lord, is realistic: this world is full of troubles, flowing out of the well of sin, permeating all aspects of this twisted and broken creation. But you are there, at work in each trouble, bringing the deliverance that is right and positive, constructive and helpful.
 
“…he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” What a beautiful reference to your own suffering, Lord Jesus—you, too, had many troubles in your time on earth; you were willing to suffer them, and you were delivered from them–just as you do for us. No one can ever say to you, “But you don’t understand!”
 
“Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.” The outcome of their lives is certain. Their own decisions will bring about their own end. You are just, O Lord, you are wise in your statement, “I gave them over to the desires of their hearts.”
 
“The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.” We say the word “redeemed” so easily, but it cost you so much. The result of your great willingness to purchase your enemies is that no one who takes refuge in you will be condemned. You know all, you see all, you love all, you save all who are willing to come to you. You alone are worthy of our love, our worship, our obedience, our praise.
 
Glory be to you, Lord Jesus. You fill my vision, you color my world, you overrule every event, you guide in strength, you protect in power. You are unwavering in purpose, you exude faithfulness, you follow through forever. You are perfect, pristine, powerful, passionate, priestly and permanent. You are worthy of worship for your marvelous makeup, your wonderful Word, your awesome acts, your perfect person.
 
Prayer: “May you be exalted in my life today, O Great and Mighty Lord. Amen”
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Psalm 11:1-2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 11, 2018
 
Psalm 11:1 “In the Lord I put my trust;”
 
[Yes, Lord, I willfully choose to trust you, not myself, not people, not circumstances, not power, nor politicians. You alone are the One to rest in, for you alone are All-powerful, All-knowing, All-seeing All-present, and All-loving.
 
Therefore, I choose to praise you in and for all things–all the proof we need for trusting you, Lord, is found in your faithful, sinless, pure and positive character, displayed in the rich outpouring of your Love in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, I choose to trust you.]
 
“How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?”
 
[No mountain will save me, no mountain will love me, no mountain is impregnable. Only You, Lord God Almighty, are the actual, adequate refuge and strength needed; you alone are my High Tower, my Mighty Rock and my Stronghold.
 
To you, Lord, I will flee when worry, fear, danger or loss threaten. To you I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving—praising you when it costs me, when I don’t feel like it–thereby honoring you and opening the way for your salvation to come to me. Your help is all I need.]
 
Psalm 11:2 “For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”
 
[If I fly to temporal help, I make myself vulnerable to attacks of the enemy. If I set my heart on a desired solution rather than God’s glory, I have made myself open to attack, to loss, to failure, pain and death.
 
However, if I set my heart on praising you, Lord, rather than on having my way, my desire, my plan, than you will shield my head in the day of battle.
 
I may not get what I desire, but I will be able to exalt your name in praise, fulfilling the purpose you have for my life and live in the freedom of knowing you will do what is best.
 
What a privilege to live for you, my Great King, Ruler of the universe, Spinner of the Earth, Bringer of the dawn, Beginner and Ender of time. You are the One to be exalted, praised, honored and worshiped.
 
So I bow before you now in surrender, I will rise up before you to obey you this day with all my heart. May the meditations of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to you, my mighty Rock and my Redeemer. (Ps. 19:14)]
 
 
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Delighting in Jesus, from EDIFIED!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 10, 2018
 
“‘To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”
Isaiah 40:25, 26
 
Last night, Lord, I thought about context, and how important it is in our walk with you. When we fall into troubles, if all we see is that trouble, we are disappointed, frustrated and discouraged. But if we have the larger context of you and your great and wide plans in the situation, then our response is couched in your perspective and can bring glory to you.
The larger context is this: You are the Great, Glorious, Gracious Creator of all, the Breather of stars, Source of the solar system, Spinner of the earth, Bringer of the Dawn. You are the Sovereign God: All-powerful, Almighty, All-knowing, All-loving.
When your creatures rebelled against your goodness, you in your rich grace and fathomless love, entered this sinful world, suffered greatly, died painfully, rose powerfully and bought us back. We deserved Hell, but instead you gave us Heaven. You chose us before the foundation of the world, in spite of the great cost to you.
You called us, you cleansed, forgave and transformed us. You equipped us for and assigned us to special service wherein we are empowered to do what has eternal importance. You gave us significance and security in yourself. You made us your beloved children. You delight in us, rejoice in us, cherish us.
Everything that comes to us is filtered through your love and power. You give us opportunity to glorify you by faith. You give us opportunity to be weak so that your power may be seen in our lives. You are moving history to a conclusion and taking us with you.
What a difference this context makes! Wow! To live with you, to live for you, to be your child, your ambassador, your herald, your workman, your messenger, your servant, your partner in work, your fellow heir, your brother, and in the end, your bride—what great and marvelous privileges.
You are a wonder, O God, for all these gifts you have given to me, your enemy, the one who rebelled against you for so many years, who is stubborn in selfishness, slow to learn, who gives you pain every day in my willfulness, my self-dependence, my trusting myself instead of you, in my grieving and quenching your Spirit. How great is your love, how great is your forgiveness, how great is your grace.
You, as my Savior-Shepherd, have now allowed a new difficulty (challenge, adventure) into my life. Looking at it from my perspective it is unwanted, painful and negative. Looking at it from your perspective, it is good and profitable possibility. You will give me the grace, not to just cope with it, but to more than triumph over it and to give you honor and glory through praise in the midst of it.
No human being could ever think up a God like you; you are too good to be true! And yet you are more than true as you are Truth itself: pure, clean, shining, solid, sure, unchanging. You are the only One to be trusted fully. We glorify you, we lift you up in praise, we rejoice in you and in your making us your beloved children. Great are you, Lord and wonderful is your name.
 
Prayer: “Today may you be lifted up in my life, glorified in my living, exalted in my being, my Lord Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of the universe, and Shepherd of my soul. Amen.”
 
(Picture from the internet–David Bowman Art)
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God Sightings

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 9, 2018
This week I had a number of God sightings in a potentially humiliating moment. While sitting in my cardiologist’s office, I realized that I’d locked my keys in the van! Immediately the Spirit prompted me to give thanks instead of complaining and castigating myself. And to not worry about making it to two other appointments we had that morning.
 
When we left the office, I tried to get in the van, but to nothing worked. I tried to call a neighbor who could bring me a spare key, but he didn’t answer. Then came the first God sighting: I noticed that the very back “wing” windows of the van were open–a possible way to get in. I tried to force them open further, but to no avail.
 
Then I decided to walk half a mile down the street to the repair shop of a friend who might be able to help, but he was gone. Then I saw the Ace hardware store a little further up the street and the idea came to buy a hacksaw there–that was God sighting number two. I also got another customer to give me a ride back.
 
I then cut the opening mechanism on the right, back window and went into the Dr’s office to get Barbara. When going in I noticed a waste can right by the door; the receptionist said I could borrow it. This was God sighting number three, for without the extra height the waste can gave me, I never could have gotten in the window.
 
Barbara then held the window pane back while I stood on the waste can and wriggled in the very small opening, and was able to lock the doors from inside. Thank you, Lord, for the adventure of seeing you answer our prayers for help.
 
We were than able to make it to two other medical appointments we had that morning. And I could share those God sightings with a good number of other people, encouraging them, too, to trust God in midst of each “adventure.”
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Magnificent Majesty

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 8, 2018

Thank you, Lord, that all which will come to us today, will come from your hand.

Praise be to you, Lord God, for your wonderful wisdom, working consistently in the lives of your children, bringing guidance and goodness, difficulties and protection.

You know what is best, you know what is right, you know what is loving, for you are the wise and powerful One, that entirely good One whose heart is set on bringing glory to yourself through doing what is good and merciful.

I praise you that in your mercy, you bring positive pressure on us to see truth, to come to ourselves and surrender to you. You are the One we can trust, the One who is our refuge and strength, our joy and wisdom, our Shepherd and King.

Through challenges and adventures (including suffering, tragedy and persecution) you give us opportunity for faith-responses, for glory-giving, for grace-demonstrations, for clenched-teeth praise, for faith-filled obedience. These provide opportunities to fulfill the purpose of our existence: to bring honor to you, to be reflectors of your glory, exalting your name and your Word above all other things.

I praise you now for another day, another opportunity to live for you, to live by faith, to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and thereby honor you while opening the way so your salvation can flow further into my future and that of those around me (Ps. 50:23).

May you be glorified today in my thoughts, actions and words, may those around me be touched by your Spirit overflowing from me. May grace be the fragrance of my life. For your glory may I be a strong aroma of life to those around me who are looking for truth. May many more be swept into your Kingdom. Amen.

 

 

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From EDIFIED!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 7, 2018
 
“Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
Psalm 50:14,15
 
I could feel the old, familiar tension rising as I approached the traffic light: would I make it through before it turned red? If I didn’t make it, I’d have to stop and wait, losing precious seconds! Worry, impatience, discontent all started to flow.
 
Then the Spirit brought to mind the verses in Psalm 50 that I’d been meditating on, highlighting the privilege of giving thanks no matter what happened. “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God” (Ps. 50:23). This was followed by some insights on patience which came because the light did turn red and gave me a chance to think.
 
Patience is more an outcome than a quality: it flows from our relationship with Jesus. The more intimate our relationship is, the more patience will flow. This is because patience comes from knowing the character of God, knowing that He has a plan. It comes from exalting Him in our minds and hearts, grasping ever more deeply how big, powerful, wise, just and merciful He is. It comes from knowing that He is in control and is working things out on His time table, not ours.
Patience comes from trusting Him instead of trusting our own judgment which leads to worrying. It comes from accepting that He is in control, protecting us from what is truly evil, developing our character, carrying us forward to His goals. It comes from laying aside the idea of getting our plans accomplished and seeking instead to join God in what He is doing. It comes from setting our hearts on things above. It comes from abiding in His love, obeying the Truth He has given us.
That is why there is no place in Scripture where we are told to pray for patience. Rather, we are told to be worshipers and confessors (Psalm 34:1-3, 1 John 1:9). When we exalt God for His greatness and power, and in the light of this, confess our lack of trust, our fears, our selfishness–and instead focus on Him, our impatience melts away in the light of Truth. So when the traffic light turns red, instead of groaning, we can say, “Thank you, Lord, for what you are doing with this interruption.”
Prayer: “Lord, today I want to walk in the Truth of your character. Help me to remember how great and good you are when I am tempted to be impatient. Help me to rest in the knowledge of your power, your perfection, your patience at work in my life and move through whatever comes, trusting you to work out what is best. Amen.”
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Psalm 23:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 6, 2018
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;”
 
[Goodness and mercy are your constant gifts to your children, Lord; it is a certainty that in each situation you are pouring these out into our lives. Very often we cannot see them at the moment– but when we can look back at a difficult situation, there they are: goodness and mercy were following us!
 
An example is the disappointment I had recently. After waiting two weeks for an overhead door installer to come, he only did half the job and then left, saying, “I’ll be back in about two weeks!” I could see no goodness and mercy in that! But, the next day while talking to one of my disciples, I found that he had worked as a door installer and he offered to come and finish the job for me.
 
We both profited: he needed some extra income; plus he knew where to get the springs I needed at a very reasonable price; and I got the doors done earlier. We both saw God’s goodness and mercy in the first man not finishing the job.
 
This pattern has been and will be true throughout the whole of our lives with you, Lord Jesus. You are always faithful, you are consistently good and you are deeply merciful– whether we can see it at the moment or not. Praise be to you my wonderful Shepherd!]
 
“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”
 
[What a hope for the future: I WILL be in your presence for eternity. Therefore, death need hold no fear, the shortness of life no panic, the uncertainty of future no threat. We dwell in hope as we press on to what you have for us in this life, and more so in the next.
 
You, Lord Jesus, are the One we yearn for, live for, hope for. And our hope is as certain as your Love, as your Word, your Power, and your present Presence! Glory and honor are due your wonderful Name, Lord Jesus. May my life give you that honor today as I trust you through praise and thanksgiving in and for all–before I see your goodness and mercy.
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Psalm 23:5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 5, 2018
Psalm 23: 5b, “You anoint my head with oil;”
 
[Shepherds put oil on the heads of their sheep to keep away pesky insects, to heal wounds, to refresh and so when the sheep butt heads, they will slide by and not be badly injured.
 
Oil here can represent many things: the Holy Spirit, protection, blessing and healing. You, Lord, provide for us all these blessings and more in your gracious giving, pouring out continually from your unending, inexhaustible store of riches.
 
As it says in Ephesians 1:2 “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.” Ephesians goes on to detail some of these blessings:
–He chose us before the foundation of the world.
–He has made us holy and without blame before Him in love.
–He predestined us to be adopted as His children.
–It was His good pleasure to adopt us.
–We are accepted in the Beloved, Christ.
–In Him we have redemption through His blood.
–We have the forgiveness of ours sins according to the riches of His endless grace.
— And in 1 Peter 1:3 it says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life….” ]
 
Truly, “My cup runs over.”
 
[You, Lord, give us what we need–and far more. What I actually need is air, water, food, clothing, shelter and love. But when I look at all you have given me, it is way beyond that, much more than what I need spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially, financially and in every other realm.
 
Now it is my privilege and responsibility to share these with others, to let your blessings flow through me to those around me. For example, the joy you give me should bring joy to others as I am kind, thoughtful, positive and helpful to them, whether I feel like it or not.
 
The material provisions you’ve given I should be sharing around. The spiritual riches you give I should also be passing along, for, in your Kingdom, getting and hoarding is not the norm, but receiving and giving.
 
So, when we go to church on Sunday, we can go filled with the Lord’s riches and grace as well as insights from our quiet times during the week, ready to give to others as they have need, as well as to receive what the Lord may have for us. May we continually overflow with the wonder of our walk with our Shepherd, Jesus, bringing encouragement, hope and perspective to all around us.]
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