Uncategorized

Uncategorized

From my worship journal, written in 2010

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 2, 2019
 
You, Lord, are the God of provision, flooding our lives with your gracious goodness, your constant kindness, your wide wisdom, your illuminating insight, and great grace.
 
Truly, our cup overflows; you have brought us into a spacious place; you have rescued us because you delight in us.
 
What rich goodness you have poured out on us:
–The great and glorious privilege of being your children, sons and daughters of the Most High King.
–The grace of knowing and living ever more intimately with you, the Gracious and Glorious God.
–The worldview-shifting truth that whatever comes into our lives is part of your plan to work good, to give opportunity for us to fulfill the purpose of our lives (giving you glory) and to give us significant parts in moving history to its conclusion.
–The powerful possibility to rewrite every hurt from your point of view and to forgive the offender as you have forgiven us, thereby freeing ourselves from the cruel bonds of resentment.
–The wonder of your love lavished on us in undeserved richness, in marvelous breadth and height, length and depth.
–The joy of belonging, of having worth, of being competent in you.
–The security of knowing where we are going.
–The anticipated joy of spending eternity with you.
 
With these shining, beautiful and powerful truths, I can enter this day at your side, joining you in the adventure you have for me, the work you have for me to enter into in partnership with you.
 
There may be disappointments, hurts, troubles and difficulties, but each one is a fine tool you will use to shape me more into the image of Christ. And each one will be an opportunity to be weak in myself but strong in you, to praise, to rise on wings of eagles, to see things from on high and to give you glory.
 
What a life you’ve bequeathed, what joy you share, what a God you are! May you be glorified in my life today by the working of your Spirit and Word to bring me to quick, eager, loving obedience in each situation.
Image may contain: tree, sky, cloud, grass, outdoor, nature and water
Filed under:

Home Again

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 2, 2019
 
As we got ready to leave for our trip to Virginia to see Nat and Abby for Christmas, Barbara was dragging her feet and after numerous attempts to get her out to the van, I got impatient (actually pretty rare in our relationship), and escorted her out.
In spite her delays, we did get off in good time, but when we arrived at our first stop in NJ, I discovered that I’d left my computer bag at home. It had not only my computer, but all my medications, phone charger and other things I used on a daily basis—it was the most important piece of luggage!
Well, this was a chance to forgive myself and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, to honor God and open the way for Him to show me His salvation in this difficulty. And He immediately began to do that. The friend we were visiting suggested we contact the local Walmart pharmacy to see if they could contact our Walmart in CT and give me some “fill in” prescriptions—and that worked out, except for my coumadin, which didn’t have any refills.
The other somewhat distressing aspect was that I could no longer post my daily devotions, as everything was on my computer. Nor could I check my email. This was another opportunity to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. And God turned this, too, into a blessing, as I was forced to take a “digital vacation,” allowing me to really relax and not have to scramble each day to post while visiting people.
I think it is interesting that my sin (impatience, pushiness, selfishness) was the reason I forgot my bag, but the Lord turned this into good and gave us a better time than I’d planned. It also was a warning to not let my selfishness rise up and direct my decisions. The Lord is good and wise and very creative in His ability to use our sin to bless us!
Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, people standing
Filed under:

Psalm 20:1-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 22, 2018

Psalm 20:1 For the director of music. A Psalm of David (and a wonderful prayer for us.)

“May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;”

[Praise you, Jehovah Yahweh, that you  DO answer: “I will call upon the Lord in the day of trouble, for he will answer me” (Ps. 86:7). As each of us has seen over and over, you pay attention, you answer, you supply, you protect, be it something as simple as making it home without an accident. Unfortunately, we often take you ranswers for granted, forget them, treat each crisis and answer as a separate event, rather than seeing them in the stream of your grace. If we remember, we can say, “As He helped me there, and there, and there, so He will help me here!”]

“may the name of the God [Elohim] of Jacob protect you.”

[You, heavenly Father, are the strong and faithful One. In your name is persistent power, demonstrated in your working with that rascal, Jacob, the deceiver. You pursued him to the end through all his lying, cheating, favoritism and selfishness; and you finally brought him to surrender in worship on his death bed. And now, in spite of his ugly past, you are not ashamed to be called “The God of Jacob!”

Your name Elohim means “the powerful and faithful One;” so you protected Jacob all through his life. In like manner you protect me at all times, in every place, in all circumstances. You are rock-solid-sure in your faithfulness and power.]

Psalm 20:2 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.”

[Praise you, Lord God, that by prayer we can enter your sanctuary at any time and know that you will hear and accept us. Praise you that you always send help, just the right help, at just the right time—which may be much later than we want it–but then we have a chance to live by faith as we wait for your perfect and wise timing.]

Psalm 20:3 “May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.”

[Praise you, Lord Jesus, that in your name and by your grace, we are able to offer the acceptable worship of the sacrifice of thanksgiving to you throughout the day. We are able to give you honor and glory in ways that are pleasing to you. Only in you and by your own sacrifice is this possible. Praise you for opening the way for us.]

Lord, help us to see your certain and clear answers to our prayers in our lives today. Thank you for how you will respond, O Lord, our God.

Selah

Image may contain: tree, sky, grass, plant, outdoor and nature

Filed under:

God is Sufficient

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 21, 2018
 
[The following devotional was especially appropriate for me in 2016 when I read it in my hospital bed after having an incident of “Atrial Flutter,” another adventure with God. This flutter caused my blood pressure to go way down and my pulse way up, resulting in a trip to the emergency room. There I got an infusion of drugs that corrected the destructive rhythms, but which could have caused blood clots resulting in a stroke or worse.
They don’t know what caused the flutter, but said I “lucked out” in having it straighten out so quickly. However, no luck involved, only our gracious God answering prayer. I was prescribed some meds to prevent it again.]
 
I praise you, Lord, for what will come today: the planned and the unexpected, the accomplishments and the interruptions, the painful and the pleasant. You, Lord God, are my shield, my strength and my stronghold, always there to protect, provide and carry me through whatever challenges you allow. You are all the light I need, shining into my life in love, clarity and wisdom. You are all I need for today.
 
You will do what is best in your faithfulness, in your goodness, in your wisdom, in your love, in your righteousness, in your grace and in your power.
 
I praise you, Lord, for the privilege of being weak, of resting in your might—there is so much out of my control, while all is within yours. You know what you are doing, you have a plan, you are moving all to a conclusion, bringing it down to an end, from which all will then expand into eternity, filling the universe with good, righteous, godly and gracious beings, acts, and events. Because you are the Almighty One, no one can stop you, no one can thwart you.
 
I praise you, Lord God, for your Word and for the wonder of meditating on it, having it trickle down into my being to bring cleansing, insight, transformation and joy. For you are the infinite One, always having more to reveal to us of your Great and Gracious character.
I praise you now for what you will show today, do today, provide today. May I give you glory all through the hours, Lord, by choosing to obey what I know to be true, by trusting you, praising you in and for all things, delighting in my weaknesses, rejoicing in your strength and exalting in your righteousness, wisdom and power.
 
I bow before you now in worship, I will rise up in surrender, wanting to walk with you in obedience and godly fear, desiring to bring you glory before the seen and unseen hosts. Help me to do this consistently through the day, choosing in each event to trust you by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all that comes. Amen.
Image may contain: plant, flower and nature
Filed under:

Psalm 19:14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 21, 2018
 
 
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,”
 
Yes, Lord, may both my inner and outer speech please you, for out of the heart flow the words of my mouth. Lord, bring the continual transformation I need to please you in my thought life, so my public life may honor you before others.
 
May my impatience, selfishness, pride and ambition be replaced with patience, Christ-centeredness, humility and contentment.
 
Help me to consistently meditate on your Word, to think your thoughts, to respond with your wisdom and to speak your Truth. And may you be greatly pleased with that obedience growing in my being, the result of your good work.]
 
“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
 
[You are my unmovable Rock, my LORD–that is, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Holy God, pure and sinless, separate and supreme, who hates sin and will judge it, while somehow you love sinners and therefore provided for us a way of escape from your just wrath.
 
You are the God of wondrous qualities: of gracious goodness, of lavish love and of seeming paradoxes. You are able to join together what looks contradictory from our limited perspective: justice and mercy, truth and grace, judgment and love.
 
As my Rock, you are the stability of my life, the only solid source of rest, of shade, of protection, of hope. In you alone I can take refuge, for you will never be shaken, changed, fail or be defeated.
 
You are my Redeemer, the purchaser of trash so you can turn it into treasure. You are the One who could take upon yourself the sins of the whole world because you want each person in creation to come to you, to believe, to become your child, to be dearly loved, deeply cared for, eternally doted on, doubly cherished and delighted in—even though many will refuse your amazing offer.
 
You, the great Savior, have brought us out into a spacious place, before your throne, before your face, before the hosts of Heaven, and there you delight in us, your unfinished and cherished children.
 
Praise be to you for your long-lasting love, your wild wisdom, your glorious grace, you amazing forgiveness. You are worthy of our worship today and throughout all eternity. I bow before you now, O King of the universe, Lord of time, Ruler of all creation. To you be honor, glory, praise and exaltation in my life today. Amen.]
Image may contain: flower, plant, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

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.”
No automatic alt text available.
Filed under:

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.]
Filed under:

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.
Image may contain: tree, sky, cloud, plant, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

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
Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling
Filed under:

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!]
Image may contain: flower, plant, nature and outdoor
Filed under: