Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Psalm 37:18-20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 2, 2018
Psalm 37:18 “The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,”
 
[My times are in your hands, Lord; you determine the number of my days and the happenings in them; you, who live outside time, know completely how long I will live and all that will happen during my lifetime.
 
You, Lord, watch over your children–who are blameless only because their sins are forgiven in Christ. Praise you for you mighty and wise protection. Today I read in an article that those who believe in God and practice their faith, live longer than nonbelievers (average of 7 years more) and are generally more healthy. Interesting confirmation of your Word.]
 
“and their inheritance will endure forever.”
 
[You have made us your heirs, Lord, heirs of the riches of your Kingdom, all of which are eternal. “In his great mercy [the Father] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…(1 Pet. 1:3,4).
 
The first treasure in our inheritance is our relationship with you, the wonder of knowing you in spite of our depraved and sinful nature. I thank you with all my heart, that you are the Great Lover of all your creatures ,whether they are obedient or evil.
 
I praise you for your other gifts to us: eternal life, the indwelling Spirit, the written Word, the wisdom, grace and guidance, the protection, provision and power that are ours in you. And in the life to come, untold riches will be poured upon your children so that we might bring more glory to you.]
 
Psalm 37:19 “In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.”
 
[Your hand of protection is always over us, your sustaining grace is always enough. We need not dry up under the withering heat of disaster, nor worry in famine, for you will provide what we need and will save us by miraculous provision, or by grace, or by death.
 
In you we can trust, Lord, in you we can rest. I praise you that you know how much to provide to carry us through our trials and you always give us more than is needed. It is up to us to take it up and use it so that we can be “like a tree planted by the streams of water, which will bear its fruit in its season, its leaf will never wither and whatever he does will prosper” (Psa. 1:3). This is your promise that we can experience as we take up, learn and live your Word–meditating on it day and night.]
 
Psalm 37:20 “But the wicked will perish: the LORD’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.”
 
[You will send what is needed to destroy the wicked while giving shelter to your people. As we see the madness of Ir.an, the hatred of Isl@m, the bitterness, oppression and violence of groups like Ha.mas and IS.IS, we praise you that you will deal with them after you have used them to prepare many hearts for the gospel. I praise you, Lord God, for your wonderful and powerful plan which you will bring to pass at the right times.
 
You, Lord God, my heavenly Father, my Lord Jesus, my indwelling Holy Spirit, are worthy of all my love, all my devotion, all my obedience, all my praise. Help me to give these to you throughout this day, trusting in you, resting in you, living your Word’s way as you empower and give wisdom. May you be honored in my thoughts, words and actions today. Amen.
Image may contain: plant, flower, nature and outdoor
 
 
Filed under:

Psalm 37:16-17

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 1, 2018
 
Psalm 37:16 “Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked;”
 
[Better $15,000 a year than $200 million–if the difference is choosing between righteousness and wickedness. This is thinking from an eternal viewpoint–a judgment based on the unseen reality. To decide for this truth requires faith: rejecting what we can touch to receive what we know, resting on the Word of God. Praise you, Lord, that you have revealed this perspective in your Word. Help us to always decide for it.]
 
Psalm 37:17 “for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.”
 
[The power of the wicked was broken at the Cross, and you continue to break it every day. You, Lord Jesus, won in the midst of what seemed certain loss. You defeated sin and Satan, death and despair. You upheld righteousness, and made it available to all those received your by faith.
 
And now you give us the privilege of living out, every day, the reality of your upholding the righteous. This involves walking in your Spirit, drinking in of your Word, and deciding consistently to follow you rather than the world, the flesh or the devil. Praise be to you for the Light, the Freedom, the Love, the Hope, the Power, the Future you have given us from your gracious heart.
 
It is wonderful that we can praise you now for whatever you will bring into our lives–for what you give is always good, no matter how painful and difficult it may be.
 
Here at the beginning of a new day, I ask that you guide us, Lord, that we may accomplish all that you desire. Help us to keep our eyes on you, to rest in your greatness, to trust in your wisdom, to rely on your power. I praise you now for the answers you will give, for the protection you will offer, for the progress you will grant us.
 
We can trust you, because we know that you are good, always; that you are wise, always; that you are holy, always; that you are infinitely powerful, always; and that you always win in the end.
 
I praise you for how you will demonstrate your grace in all today. Help me to live in faith, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all, so that I may continually bring honor to you.]
Image may contain: plant, tree, outdoor, nature and water
Filed under:

Wow!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 30, 2018
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for your powerful and active work in our lives. I surrender to you my desire to be getting more done than is possible, and thank you for what I must lay aside and wait upon. I praise you for how you are watching over us in great and good ways.
 
I praise you for your powerful patience, for your careful watching over all, wooing and winning many for your Kingdom, while allowing the headstrong and unbelieving to reject your offer, allowing them to inflict shame, pain, suffering and sadness on your heart. Praise be to you that you give every person many chances to believe, that your Spirit works with each one, giving them enough light to pursue–and will give them more if they receive it.
 
I praise you for your compassion released upon your creation through your giving justice its due on the cross. I praise you for your love setting fire to our hearts when we begin to grasp our own depravity and your great, costly forgiveness. I praise you for your graciousness in granting us all we need to live a godly life for you.
 
Praise you for being you, the Powerful Creator, the Faithful Savior, the Wise Shepherd, the Righteous Judge, the Lover of sinners, the Redeemer of all, the Beginner and Ender of Time and the Lord of eternity. To you belongs glory, honor, power and praise.
 
I bow before you this morning, confessing my total unworthiness to be your son, while rejoicing in your qualifying me to be a partaker in the inheritance of the saints. I rise up to obey you in all I know to be true, submitting to your authority. May this lift your name on high today, bring you much glory, proclaiming your greatness to all around.
Image may contain: plant, flower, tree, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

Heavenly Follow-through

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 29, 2018
Praise be to you, Lord God, the Triune One, for you keep your word forever. As Solomon proclaimed in 2 Chronicles 6:14,15,
 
“O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.”
 
As Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist said in Luke 1:68-79:
 
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
 
you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
 
And as Simeon said when he saw baby Jesus in the temple: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised… my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32)
 
This. Heavenly Father, is the fulfillment of your word given in the beginning: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen 3:15).
 
Yes, you Lord God, fulfill your promises, you bring to pass what you desire, your timing is always perfect, and therefore you are the one to be trusted and glorified. You have saved us all, both Jew and Gentile, from our enemies and those who hate us—that is, Satan and his hordes.
 
I praise you that we can now walk in the light of your presence, in the warmth of your love, in the illumination of your Word, in the fullness of your Spirit. I praise and extol You, I lift up your Name and exalt your Word. May I continually walk in the shining light of all this truth so that you be glorified in my life today.
Image may contain: sky, tree, grass, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

Psalm 37:12-15

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 28, 2018

Psalm 37:12 “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them;”

[There will always be hatred for those who follow Jesus. The wicked will seek to eliminate anything that stands in their way–as we are, a thorn in their side–so we should expect opposition, hatred and attack.]

Psalm 37:13 “but the Lord laughs at the wicked,”

[“But” is a wonderful word here, bringing hope of justice, protection and deliverance. God is not intimidated by the anger and plots of the wicked: “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD” (Prov. 21:30). He is completely in control and will easily limit their actions to what He will use for good.]

“for he knows their day is coming.”

[God will competently bring judgment against all those who oppose Him. He stands outside of time, seeing the future as well as the past, so He knows what He will do to thwart the plans of the wicked, judging them rightly at the right time. We can rest in this certainty of God’s plan and purpose.]

Psalm 37:14 & 15 “The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken.”

[God, in His greatness and power, will turn the plots of the wicked back on themselves. In the end, they will not be successful in their schemes, but will be brought to justice in His time and in His way. He will shatter them, like the great tree in this picture below, destroyed by a powerful storm.

I think of Hitler’s reign, lasting only 12 years instead of a lifetime. And he was used by God to plow the hearts of many people, making them open to the seed of the Word, with many coming to Christ. Plus God used him to give many believing allied soldiers a vision for the needs of the world, resulting in tens of thousands going out as missionaries after the war. The wicked did terrible things; God used them for good.

Praise be to you, O God, my Father, my King, my Shepherd, my Brother, my Lord, the One we can fully trust, for you are powerfully and consistently in control. You are good, you are wise and you are infinitely strong, able to bring what you desire to pass and to block the way of all you proclaim to be wrong.

Praise you for the protection, as well as the problems and trials you bring to us, so we may be shaped and sharpened into better instruments in your hands.

May you be glorified in my life today, Lord, having more honor before men and angels. Fill me with your Spirit, may He overflow onto those around me, keeping us all washed with the cleansing, transforming water of your Word.

Image may contain: plant, tree, outdoor and nature

Filed under:

Blessings Galore

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 27, 2018

I praise you, Lord God, for your care and protection, your guidance and grace. I thank you for your goodness evidenced in your daily provision—it’s good to list these out periodically, as I so easily can take these for granted.

I have a bed to sleep in, a home to live in, food in abundance, income, warmth, water, clean air and physical strength. I can see, hear, walk, talk, feel, taste and grasp. You have given me good relationships, protection, work, meaning, hope, purpose, a certain future and love.

I praise you for your Word–your prophetic, powerful, pro-active, penetrating, pro-creative Word–bringing revelation, repentance, rejuvenation, rebirth and release from Satan, sin and self.

I praise you, Lord Jesus that in you I am complete: you are enough, you are the total sum of my needs, wants and longings.  I was made to be one with you, to fit into the perfect relationship where you empower, employ, empathize and eternalize all who come to you.

You, Lord, are my wonderful and wise Shepherd, watching over us, causing us to lie down in green pastures and know when to move us on. There is nothing I lack, even from a human perspective, and certainly nothing from a heavenly perception.

You, Lord God, are the great and gracious provider. I thank you for all that you have given and will give, for you are faithful and wise and good.

To you be glory in my life today, help me to do what is best, what is wise, what is glorifying to you. Help me to rest in you, to rejoice in you, to resist the devil with you, to rise up in praise at each challenge.  I praise you now for how you will lead me in doing these things. Praise and glory be to you all through this day.

Image may contain: 1 person, flower, plant, outdoor and nature

Filed under:

The Course

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 26, 2018

 

Each day, each week, each month is a new start, a white parchment stretching out before us, blank to the horizon. What will God write on it? What will we write? We cannot know now, but we do know that God is good and has prepared a course for us that will move us upwards and onward, no matter how it may appear.

Hebrews 12:1&2 has been a great help to me this year, assuring me that God has laid out a race for us and that Jesus is running with us. It gives us the perspective needed to realize what great roles He has offered us in the midst of distressful happenings.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,”

[Indications are that we are being watched by many: certainly angels, demons and maybe those who have gone on before us who lean over the balcony of heaven to cheer us on, as well as the people who see us every day. We are not hidden in a corner, but are in the stadium, running for God, and our performance matters.]

“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”

[Realizing our role, we should eagerly look to jettison anything that prevents us from running well. This could range from too much phone/TV/movie/game time, to sin we are willfully engaging in. Like a runner shedding his street clothes, stripping down to just the essentials, so we should eagerly give up what hampers us in this race for life.]

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

[It’s clear: God has set out a course for each of us; nothing is random, we cannot get lost as long as we follow the path before us as it twists and turns, dips and climbs. The race will require perseverance, and endurance, but God gives those, too. Are we going to run or will we sit and feel sorry for ourselves when the climb is steep or the mud is deep?]

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

[Jesus is running with us! And as we run, we are to keep our eyes on him, not circumstances, other people or our feelings. When we encounter difficulties, we can know they are for the development of our faith as Jesus works to mature and perfect it.]

“For the joy set before him, he [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

[We need to have Jesus’ attitude. As He faced the cross, He looked beyond to where he would be seated again with God. We, too, need to look to where we are going (eternity with God), to count as nothing the shame we and the world try to heap on us, and to rest in the Truth of the coming new Heaven and new Earth.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Christian, meditate much on heaven, it will help you to press on and to forget the toil of the way. This vale of tears is but the pathway to the better country; this world of woe is but the stepping stone to a world of bliss.”

So true! So let us run with perseverance and endurance the race He has set before us for this day, keeping the big picture in mind, laying aside whatever hinders us, looking to Him, trusting Him, praising Him in all, following Him–and we will fulfill the purpose of our lives: honoring Him before all.

Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, snow, hat, tree, outdoor and nature

Filed under:

The Race

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 25, 2018
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for your persistent presence in my life, for your perfect plan, your gracious goodness and your wise words you share with me.
 
Thank you that you have laid out a race before me, a person-specific race. Thank you that you’ve equipped me to run this, giving me gifting, experience, growth and grace to move through whatever challenges it brings, whether it be Barbara’s unending, debilitating depression, difficult renters, opposition to my witness or five broken tractors.
 
Thank you for your goals in this race, some of which are:
–giving me opportunity to play a significant role in your overall plan;
–giving me the chance to bring honor to your name, multiple times every day;
–exposing my sins and the unnecessary weights I unknowingly carry, so I can repent and jettison them;
–giving opportunities to mature as you move me through successive challenges;
–and in the midst of those to be an example to believers, as well as a witness to unbelievers;
–giving me multiple chances every day to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and thereby honor you by obedience and trust;
–to please you through faith, and thereby overcome the world.
With this perspective, my life goes from being one long series of unwanted problems to be endured, to joining you in one adventure after another. In this I get to see your power, your grace, your goodness and your loving provision multiple times every day, often every hour. And all this is part of your purpose for my life: allowing me to bring more glory and honor to your Name. What a great and good God you are!
 
Help me to live in this light, Lord, to persistently join you in what you are doing, to very frequently check in to make sure I’m on course with you, and to consistently choose to live the truth that Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy!
 
Image may contain: tree, plant, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

the Judge and the Criminal

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 24, 2018
You, Lord God are wonderful: so gracious, so kind, so firm, so faithful, so consistent. Your agape love flows from your being no matter what we do—for you are love itself.
 
But, without punishment for evil, your love would be faulty because love protects from evil, love brings refuge, shelter and safety. Therefore, justice is a part of your love, giving what your rebellious creatures deserve in the perfect court of judgment. Yet in each case, you offer us sinners pardon. That is an astounding truth, if you think through the implications.
 
A criminal is brought before a judge for sentencing. His guilt has already been established beyond a shadow of doubt– although he protests, saying his acts weren’t that bad. His crimes are read out along with his sentence: execution. He hangs his head at the prospect.
 
Then the judge gets up from his bench, comes down to stand beside the condemned prisoner and puts his arm around him. The prisoner looks up. “Bob,” says the judge, “I want to offer you a full pardon for your crimes. But, in order for me to forgive you, your sentence must be served, so, if you accept my offer, my own son will be executed in your place. You will go free and be able to have a fresh start in life.
 
“There are, however, some conditions for this pardon. You must fully confess and accept your crimes. And, because you are forgiven at a great price, you must be willing to seek to live a life for good. To help you in this, I invite you to come and live with me in my mansion as my new son. I will provide abundantly for all your needs, I will support you with meaningful, important work, along with training, guidance and resources. I will be with you every day, protect you from harm and will love you unconditionally. Along with this, you will be my heir.”
 
What condemned criminal wouldn’t accept that? Yet many, many people reject an even better offer from you, Lord God, one of total pardon, of eternal life, of a transformed being, of power to live rightly, of meaningful work with you, plus love, joy, peace, hope and security. And most importantly of all, a close, warm, wonderful relationship with you–out of which flows all the goodness you have for us.
 
Everything else pales in comparison to knowing you, living with you, being loved, accepted, and cherished by you. I praise you, Lord God, Heavenly Father, that you have called me to be your son, to come into your family, embraced by you, and to become the object of your delight, your joy, your care.
 
What a marvel, I who deserve your wrath, have been transformed into your dearly, warmly loved son in whom you rejoice. You provide me with full access to your throne room at any time, you give me your full attention at all times. You unendingly pour out your full love on me–a love that is undeserved, unconditional, unlimited, flowing constantly, surrounding, engulfing, nurturing, protecting and cherishing me.
 
This is what you offer, Lord Jesus, for you are love itself. To you be unending praise, honor and ever-flowing exaltation. You are most worthy of glory, for you are good to us against all logic, beyond all comprehension, over all expectations.
 
Therefore, I commit myself, for your honor and joy, to live in the light of your love this day, focused on you, responding to your love with obedience, openness, attention and thankfulness. May you be exalted, glorified, praised and pleased in all I do.
 
[picture from internet]
Image may contain: one or more people, ocean, sky, outdoor, water and nature
Filed under:

Psalm 37:7-11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 23, 2018
Psalm 37:7b
 
“do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
 
[Here is the word for all of us who wonder why the evil succeed and the righteous seem to fail. This command shows how are we NOT to respond when our leaders pass laws approving of evil, bringing wickedness and encouraging disobedience to your Word. Such things will happen: God allows them for His reasons and will use this evil to open the eyes of many to their need for a Savior. Our part is to NOT fret. Are we willing to trust Him so?]
 
Psalm 37:8 “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
 
[God knows the natural tendencies of our heart: fear, anger, chafing and wrath. All of these are wrong. I praise you, Lord that your Word is clear: these human reactions lead to the opposite of what you want, Lord, because we focus on people and events, not on you with your great plans, your wide wisdom, you magnificent might that you will use to right all wrongs at the appropriate time.
 
Help us to let go of our anger, to move through prayer, doing good and trusting you in the midst of difficulty. We should refuse to be involved in culture wars where hateful words strengthen focus on our seeming enemy. We should instead be involved in grace giving, loving those who oppose what is biblical, doing good, speaking truth in love, while standing against what is evil. The rhetoric of talk show hosts, with its name calling and bitter opposition is not for us. The rhetoric of Jesus in the sermon on the mount is what we should pursue.]
 
Psalm 37:9 “For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.”
 
[We can respond in grace, in goodness and wisdom because we know the outcome. The wicked will be dealt with, while we who Hope in you, Lord, will get all. We may have temporary setbacks, losses and defeats, but in the long run, you will bring the victory. This we need to keep in mind.]
 
Psa 37:10 “A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.” [Repetition makes it more certain. In the Lord’s timing, the evil ones will be dealt with.]
 
Psa 37:11 “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.”
 
[And in great contrast, those who submit to your time table, to your plan, will get more than they can imagine and with it have great peace. I praise you, Lord God, for the richness of your heart, the splendor of your schemes, the magnificence of your mind, all displayed in your persistent patience as you wait for the perfect point in which to act.
 
We, too, can wait, knowing that you will do all wonderfully. An example of this is how my parents (in the picture here) finally came to Christ in their 80s, after many years of prayer for them. Help us, Lord, to be people after your own heart, believing your Word, acting according to what you have revealed, and sharing your grace and goodness to all around us.]
Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, people sitting and indoor
Filed under: