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The Gift of God’s Goodness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 1, 2018
The Gift of God’s Goodness
 
Psalm 13:1,2 “How long, O LORD?”
 
[There will be times when God seems distant, when He is not answering our prayers on our time table, when things are going awry with no help in sight. We pray and wait, but nothing seems to happen. There is no hint of His goodness in the mists and darkness of our lives. Yet His goodness is still shining on the edges of our darkness and seeming barrenness. He is at work behind the scenes, as He was with Joseph, Daniel and Jesus.]
 
“Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?”
 
[There are dark valleys in life, ones we must pass through when God is not answering our prayers. These may be sickness, unemployment, relationship problems, depression (like the deep one my dear wife is going through as I write this), the death of a loved one, fears sparked by governmental chaos and failure, or by wars and great disasters.
 
But we can know that you, Lord, in your goodness, designed or allowed each one to mature us, to give opportunity to bring glory to you through faith, and to demonstrate your power to the world.
 
As we know and believe this–even though at times our hearts fail us if we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by disappointment and the immediate circumstances surrounding us–but we can choose to have hope in the midst of despair, we can have light in the midst of darkness, because you, Lord, are good, you have a plan for good and will carry it out.
 
“How long will my enemy triumph over me?”
 
[At times the enemy does triumph over us—evil leaders arise in nations (such as ISIS), bad decisions are made by government or mission leaders, churches fall apart, families dissolve in bitterness, hard-working people can suddenly become homeless.
 
None of these, Lord, may be your desired, overall will, but you allow them for greater reasons. For unbelievers, it is to nudge them towards belief (many have come to Christ in the Middle East because of ISIS). For believers, it is an opportunity for growth, glorifying you and rewards.
 
As it says in 1 Pet. 1:6-7, “Now 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 and…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
 
So we can know, no matter what, Lord, that you are always there: you are always at work for good, moving deeply, quietly, powerfully, patiently, waiting for the right moment to remove the pressure. “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” In your goodness we can rest. Help us to do so today.]
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77

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2018
For Barbara’s 77th birthday on September 28, as is our custom, we went for a walk on the beach at Watch Hill, RI. This time it was cold, windy and raining, but we had a good time anyway, celebrating her long and lovely life.
 
Here’s what was written on one of her birthday cards
 
“God has created you
and rejoices in all that you are.
 
God has chosen you
and called you His very own.
 
God has blessed you
and made your life a blessing!”
 
Good thoughts for all of us.
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The Gift of God’s Flawless Word

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2018
The Gift of God’s Flawless Word
 
Psalm 12:6 “And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, the King of Glory, the Creator of only good, for you are Truth itself; therefore, your words are pure as newly opened flowers, for you cannot lie. You have revealed your words to your prophets, had them written down and preserved through the ages, bringing them to us as a bright light in deep darkness.
 
With your words you protect, guide, teach, correct, rebuke, comfort and encourage us. As you are flawless, so are your words. Therefore they are worthy of trust, of praise, and honor.
 
Psalm 12:7 “O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people [oppressors and liars] forever.”
 
[Praise you for this certainty, Lord, both now and in eternity. And a major means of protecting us is your Word as you warn us, guide us and set us free of our natural worldview. “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). For a time, we may have to suffer the negative effects of liars appearing to win. But their seeming successes cannot affect the core of our stability–our relationship with you, nurtured through your Word.
You, Lord God, are our peace and joy, our hope and rest; these last forever, for they are bound up in you and your eternal and unchanging character, revealed to us through your Word.
 
Your Word tells us that all we own, all that we value here on earth is expendable and temporary. Knowing this we can let it all go, releasing it all to you.Then we can hold on to what is eternal–which is primarily our relationship with you, nurtured by your Word, from whence flows all goodness. And third, with your given grace and strength, we can rise above all the difficulties, problems and losses of this world, remembering that you, Lord, are all that really counts.]
 
To you be glory this day, Lord, in all I have to do and say. May I spot and reject lying and selfishness in myself as well as in others, and conform instead to your pure and positive Word.
 
May you, Holy and Eternal One, our Great God and Glorious King, be lifted up and exalted before the world today in my thoughts, motives, words, actions and attitudes. Amen.
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From “EDIFIED!”

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 28, 2018
From “Edified”
 
“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.”
Psalm 116:13
 
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, that I awoke and remembered that you are Sovereign, that all is in your hands, that all the things that weigh on me, that trouble me, are all within your power. You are at work in them and with them to accomplish your greater purposes. This is beyond our knowledge and understanding, but we can trust you in it all. Like in the picture below, life has lots of rocks in it, but the water of life ever flows through to refresh us.
 
Praise you for your revelation of Truth in your Word that gives us enough to go by: the wonderful beauty of your character, the examples of your gracious dealing with your rebellious people in the past, the forgiveness you have prepared for all who will respond. This truth allows us to connect the dots of your goodness and our sin and suffering with those of forgiveness, salvation, grace and glory.
Psalm 116:8-14 speaks to this: “…you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”
 
In the midst of all difficulties we can say, “I believe,” even while I say, “I am greatly afflicted.” When all is falling apart, when no one is trustable, when we are alone and forsaken, even then we can believe you, trust you, follow you, obey you.
 
As David said, “How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? …I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.”
 
We can and must praise you before the peoples, no matter what comes, for the measure is not what we see, but what you are. The beauty, power, goodness, wisdom, grace and purity of your character shine the light of understanding on all that comes to us. They give us clues that bring an understanding of the future, of how all will fit together in your creative, powerful, loving hands.
 
Glory be to you, the Great and Mighty One, King of Glory, God of Goodness, Lord of Love and Ruler of Righteousness. Praise you that you hold back the tide of evil, exposing what is harmful, guiding in what is confusing, protecting in what is negative and loving in what is difficult.
You, Lord Jesus, have suffered the ultimate in living out your love for your rebellious creatures, so we can trust you when suffering comes to us and those around us. Glory be to you, continually, every day, all the time, throughout eternity.
 
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, you know all about suffering. When it comes to me and mine, help me to trust you, praise you, obey you instead of following my own understanding which leads to self-pity, anger and rebellion. Protect me from myself! Amen.”
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The Gift of Truth–Psalm 12:1-5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 27, 2018
 
Psalm 12:1 “Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.”
 
[Thus it seems so often. I praise you, though, Lord, that you have always reserved some who are righteous in Christ for yourself. You are quietly at work to keep your children strong, to make them truth-bearers, shining the truth in love to all around them, to be yeast, salt and light in society. Help us be hope and truth carriers to all around us; convict us quickly when we are not.]
 
Psalm 12:2 “Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.”
 
[This is true of so much of what goes on today: lies about what is right; the lies in political correctness; the lies of those who claim to be tolerant but are not.
 
You, Lord God, are the only One we can truly trust to speak only truth. Help us to be truth lovers (loving your Word), truth speakers (especially to ourselves) and truth discerners (in society).]
 
Psalm 12:3 “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, ‘We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips—who is our master?’”
 
[Yes, Lord, show yourself mighty, expose the liars, bring them to justice; show yourself Master. May the deceived be brought into the light and grasp truth. May we not be fooled by anything that is put forth by liars, including lies we tell ourselves.]
 
Psalm 12:5 “’Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,’ says the LORD. ‘I will protect them from those who malign them.’”
 
[Praise you, Lord, that you are the God of justice, that you will, at the right time, rise up to expose evil, judge righteously and protect powerfully.
 
We pray that you will do this soon. We cry out to you to expose the lies of Satan, self and sin (beginning with ours). Bring forth your righteousness as the light and our judgment as the noon day sun.
 
You, Lord God, love righteousness, and you love the righteous—those purified and forgiven in Christ—as well as all those who continue in darkness, believing the lies of the Devil.
 
Rise up and show your love in causing Truth to flow throughout the land, giving light to all, sweeping as many as possible into your Kingdom.]
 
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The Gift of Protection

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 26, 2018
Psalm 146:9 “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,”
 
[You, O Lord, not only see, but act on behalf those who are weak, those whom men are so willing to plunder. You protect, provide and guide the vulnerable, the hurting, the defenseless. I praise you for your graciousness in doing so, for it shows your mercy and love, your justice, your compassion at work in wonderful ways.]
 
“but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”
 
[Praise be to you, Lord, that you actively intervene to block the desires of the evil one as he seeks to work through evil people. You seem to let them prosper for a while–as Hitler did for twelve years–but then you bring them low.
 
Lord, act quickly against such evil desires and evil men; foil the plans of the nations and thwart the purposes of the people; bring instead your desires to pass.]
 
Psalm 146:10 “The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.”
 
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the eternal King, ruling and over-ruling, inexorably moving history to the conclusion that you desire, the end you have ordained–undeterred by the rebellion of men, the failure of believers, or the resistance of the devil.
 
You reign, for you are the sovereign Lord, the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving and all-good God, worthy of worship, worthy of honor, worthy of glory, worthy of obedience.
 
So, Lord Jesus, I bow before you now, I eagerly acknowledge your right to rule in my life. I commit myself to give you glory and honor with my mind and mouth. And I rise up and go forth to obey you this day, with my whole heart, to bring you praise and thanksgiving by doing before men the good deeds you have prepared for me to do. May you be highly honored in my life today. Amen!]
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From Edified, written in 2006

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 25, 2018
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”
Psalm 18:30
 
Recently I listed out the difficult events that have occurred among us here in the last 4 months:
 
•one family had to go home because of their small daughter’s serious medical problems;
•another of our workers lost his brother (39) to a heart attack in July;
•and then his father died unexpectedly in October;
•A believer had a serious operation and then died at age 33;
•my father died the same month;
•another of our fellow workers had emergency quintuple by-pass surgery;
•three weeks later I had emergency double by-pass surgery;
•the unbelieving brother of a local pastor was killed in a car accident, age 39;
•one of our old believers was just diagnosed with colon cancer and will have surgery.
 
These events came one after another, with hardly any time to recover in between. If they were attacks by Satan, God was certainly not taken by surprise and is using each one for good.
 
F.B. Meyer is credited with saying: “TRIALS ARE GOD’S VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN US. “The Lord knows that if we take up the grace He offers, with His power we will be able to move through whatever trials He allows.
 
Trials are intended to drive us into Scripture and to expose our wrong thinking so we can be aligned with God’s thoughts. Difficulties are to deepen us and to demonstrate to the world how we can take God’s help and move through stress and mourning with grace.
 
We can skip the early stages of grief (shock, anger at God, bargaining and denial) in dealing with such events, and we can move through the later stages (acceptance, adjustment, establishing a new norm) more quickly with power and healing.
 
In Psalm 3 David talks about his own trials, “…how many rise up against me, many are saying of me, ‘God will not deliver him.’ But you are a shield around me, O Lord, my Glorious One, who lifts up my head.” Our confidence is in the goodness, power and meticulous love of our Sovereign God; He helps us to turn away from the negative thinking of the world (such as Murphy’s law) to praising Him in the midst of whatever comes.
 
This has had personal application for me. As I was wheeled into the operating room for my emergency double by-pass surgery, a comforting thought came: “This is really a win-win situation. If I die, I get to go to heaven; if I live, I get to stay with my wife, my family and friends!” I had no fear or anxiety whatsoever, just a rich, settled peace. It is great to be a believer in Christ and to know where we are going!
 
Prayer: “Praise you, Lord Jesus, for the peace you offer us in every circumstance. Help me to continually look to you in each event, to take refuge in you through offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving and thinking your Word. Amen.”
 
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The Gift of Sight

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 24, 2018
The Gift of Sight
 
Psalm 146:8 “…the LORD gives sight to the blind….”
 
[Praise you, Lord, that this is true both physically and spiritually. Spiritual sight is by far the more important one, for if we can see spiritual Truth now, even though our physical eyes are blind, we will see physically in heaven.
 
Praise you that your desire is to take away the natural veil over each person’s eyes (2 Cor. 3:13-16), to allow them to see the spiritual reality of being sinners, of being under condemnation and of standing before you, the Righteous One, without hope of relief from their own efforts.
 
Then you give them the bright dawn of hope in you and your provision of pardon and release, of cleansing and transformation so they can become your beloved children! That’s really eye-opening truth!
 
I love John’s comment about this in 1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”]
 
“the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,”
 
[You, Lord, in your tender love, reach out to all those who are depressed, discouraged and disheartened by the burdens by life. Satan, along with sin and its consequences, beat them up, beat them down, bring them low.
 
But you, Lord Jesus, offer them hope, grace, love, forgiveness, encouragement, guidance, strength, and protection. You offer–but they have to accept. Sadly, many continue to choose being bowed down because they refuse to bow before you, preferring bondage to your marvelous message of mercy and love.]
 
“the LORD loves the righteous.”
 
[You love the world and all in it (John 3:16). And you especially love the righteous, those who have accepted your offer of pardon, who then receive the righteousness of Christ, imputed through your mercy and grace.
 
You delight in your children–stubborn and rebellious as we often are. You see us standing in Christ, sinless, forgiven, pure and complete. Your vision of what we are going to be is what fills your thoughts and your great love for us never ceases as you move us towards maturity in Christ.
 
So, in the midst of the turmoil of life, in you we can rest, because of your rich, ever-flowing love. And out of that love we can serve you and others, needing nothing in the line of recognition or acclaim, for what we have in your love is enough. May we delight your heart today, Lord Jesus, in faith, obedience and praise, shining the light of your love to all those around us who are frozen in the grip of sin.]
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Sharing the Good News

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 23, 2018

In addition to the mural on my barn, I have added a banner with a Bible verse so those driving by can have some biblical input. I have six banners with different verses and will rotate them. There’s also a phone number people can call if they have questions. Let’s pray for God to use this in people’s lives to make them think, bring conviction and sweep many into His Kingdom

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The Gift of Freedom

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 22, 2018
 
Psalm 146:7b “The LORD sets prisoners free….”
 
[Right from the beginning of our lives we are all imprisoned by sin, by the web of Satan where everyone is ensnared in its sticky strands of lies, fear and violence. Just being born into a broken and twisted world results in quirks and knots in our personalities that bring problems, difficulties and oppression.
 
Our upbringing and family culture instill further dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and desires into us. And our culture’s worldview, with its internalized values, lock us into destructive feelings, desires and goals.
 
All these lead us to emotional pitfalls, to accepting false answers to the great human thirst for love and approval, for significance, security and belonging. These wrong answers then produce fear: fear of man, fear of the future, fear of failure, fear of pain, loss and hurt. Satan uses all these to oppress, control, and in the end, to crush us like the car in the picture below, killing all he can.
 
But You, Lord Jesus, have made a way out of this prison of oppression, opening the door to the cell of hopelessness. You have called us to step out of the darkness of fear into the light of your Love, into the rich and warm relationship with you where our fears can be washed away in the river of your goodness and grace and glory.
 
Through your great sacrifice and work, you provided all we thirst for: in you we belong, in you we have competence, in you we have significance, security, acceptance and approval.
 
In you there is the certainty of your shepherding us through every dark valley of life into the wonder of your everlasting dwelling in Heaven. You have provided all that is needed for us to follow you in freedom: Your “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life…” (2 Pet. 1:3).
 
You, Lord Jesus, are the great Deliverer, the mighty Shepherd, the everlasting King. You are worthy of endless honor, praise and exaltation; you are worthy of all obedience, glory and thanksgiving.
 
I praise you for your constant, deep, compassionate and lovely presence in my life, convicting me of the next sin so I can be set free from it; drawing me on to greater surrender; protecting me from my own foolishness; guiding and empowering me to live more and more worthy of you.
 
So, I lift you up, praise your Name and exalt your Word above all things. Use me today to bring honor to your gracious and glorious Name by giving thanks in all things.
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