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And that is what we are!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 4, 2018
Today’s devotional in EDIFIED! is so uplifting, I want to share it with you.
 
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
1 John 3:1
 
Heavenly Father, I share John’s wonder at this astounding truth: that you, the Holy God, the Righteous One, the Just Judge, the Good Creator King, would want to take your enemies, meaning every human being–evil, depraved, ugly, stubborn, rebellious and destructive as they are—and, if they are willing, to transform them into new creatures and adopt them as your children! What a turn-around: to bring your adversary into the palace and place him into your family, making him your heir!
Your astounding act of justification is the great gem of Truth in the New Testament—you, the Just Judge, by the propitiation of Christ’s shed blood, satisfied the law and bought for us, your enemies, complete forgiveness, restoration, eternal life and a place in your plan. By your work, Lord Jesus, we stand justified before the court of heaven.
 
Adoption, however, is another matter altogether. Justification is a forensic idea, meeting the demands of the law, coldly correct, handed down in court. In contrast, adoption is a family idea: warm, welcoming, accepting, being offered to a new position of privilege and grace. And this is what you offer!
 
This Agape love of yours is astounding. In one way, it is a brutal love–brutal to you the Lover, who gives and gives, unswayed by the lack of positive response from the rebellious, self-centered, unbelieving, negative objects of your love–us. This love, so painful to you as you are grieved daily by our rebellion, is so gracious to us: caring, kind, forgiving, correcting, guiding, rebuking, nurturing, providing, directing, cherishing.
 
In making us your children, Heavenly Father, you have invited us into the deep, intimate relationship you have with the Lord Jesus, giving us what you gave Him in His time on earth: grace, affection, fellowship, honor, and authority. As you loved your only begotten Son, so you love your only adopted children. “Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ”!!! (1 John 1:3).
We must stand in awe, in wonder, in thankfulness, Lord God, at your desire and ability to love us so. You have made us those in whom you delight and rejoice. You are gloriously great in your patience and goodness as you faithfully work in us, suffering grief every day at our hands as we, in our laziness, selfishness, pride, rebellion and unbelief, choose to disobey you and do our own deadly deeds according to our own puny plans. And this instead of responding to your invitation to join you in your glorious and great plans for restoring the universe to its pristine pre-fall condition. But you forgive us and continue to work lovingly in our lives.
 
Praise be to you for the greatness of your gift to make me part of your family, your beloved child who is desired, treasured and deeply, dearly loved.
 
However, the real point of these monumental truths is not my acceptance, fulfillment or joy—and these are certainly some of the gifts you pour out on your children—no, actually the point of all this is that you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in your great, illogical, magnificent love, are worthy of praise and exaltation, worship and honor.
 
You are a wonder—no, you are THE Wonder of the world, of the universe, of all time and eternity, and I choose to praise you, the Eternal Ruler, Lord God, King of all time.
 
God, you are my Father and I praise you; Lord Jesus, you are my brother, my fellow heir, my Savior and God, and I praise you; Holy Spirit, you are the indwelling, transforming One and I praise you for your deep, patient work in me. I give you glory and honor, exaltation and praise, for that is what you deserve.
 
Prayer: “Forgive us for failing to marvel at, revel in, exalt in and glorify you for this great and uplifting privilege of being your children. I thank you, praise you, rejoice in you, lift you up and honor you. I commit myself to obey you, Father, just as my elder brother, the Lord Jesus, loved you in obedience. May glory be to you forever and ever. Amen.”
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Psalm 35:28

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 3, 2018
David, envisioning God protecting him and exonerating him before his foes, finishes his Psalm with this commitment:
 
Psalm 35:28 “My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.”
 
[At this point God had not yet acted to deliver David, but since he had appealed to the goodness and love of God, to the power and the faithfulness of his Lord, he was confident of help coming. So David promises to be a man of praise, continually exalting his Savior.
 
This must be my practice, too, whether things work out according my desires or not.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, that you are in control, that I awake each morning to your safeness, to your surrounding love, to your eternal faithfulness, to your indwelling, unceasing presence. You are always here, patiently unfolding the intricate plan you have for my life, giving me wisdom, direction, endurance, grace, love and joy.
 
It is only in you that we can have joy, for without you this world is meaningless, randomly dangerous and utterly pointless. You, however, are here as our Rock, our Foundation, our Fortress, our Shield, our high Tower and our Deliverer.
 
In you there is order, meaning and purpose. In you there is protection, power and provision. In you there is love, light and life. In you there is goodness, grace and greatness. In you there is caring, compassion and completeness. In you there is healing, help and hope. In you there are answers, reasons and wisdom.
 
To live without you is death in delayed degrees, ever spiraling downward towards eternal destruction. With you there is life with ever increasing light, love and joy, ever spiraling upwards towards our eternal home.
 
So, in you I can rest–for in you I am protected, in you there is rightness and clarity, even in the most difficult of situations. I thank you for the great privilege of being your child and praise you now for the outcome of the present challenges in my life, for whatever you will do in our situation with my wife’s illness and other adventures. You, O Lord, are trustworthy.
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Psalm 35:24-27

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 2, 2018
Psalm 35:24, 25 “Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me. Do not let them think, ‘Aha, just what we wanted!’ or say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’”
 
[A number of years ago, when I first wrote this devotional on Psalm 35, I was involved in trying to help a group resolve a conflict. The group’s leader, who had been confronted by his teammates on abusive leadership, maintained that he was blameless and everyone else, including those he asked to help him, like me, were wrong. He thought he’d “swallowed us up” as he steamrolled us with his logical arguments, not realizing that he was demonstrating exactly what his team mates objected to!
 
Lord, protect us from having such blind pride, such self-righteousness, such selfish ambition and self-deception. I am certainly capable of these, too. Expose such sins of ours to us quickly so we can, unlike this leader, immediately repent and avoid bringing dishonor to your name.
 
I thank you, Lord God, that your wisdom is much higher than ours: you are always firm and clear in what is best. I give you glory and honor for what you are doing in our lives.]
 
Psalm 35:26 “May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.”
 
[Lord, may Satan and his hordes all be brought to shame in their attempts to bring disunity and distress. Even years later this leader I mentioned has not accepted his fault and continues to hold a bitter grudge against those who tried to help him; this is distressing to all involved and dishonoring to you.
 
Thank you for leading us all to forgive him as you have forgiven us. In faith I give you praise now for what you are doing in the turmoil this man has caused, for you, Lord, are good and gracious, loving and wise.]
 
Psalm 35:27 “May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, ‘The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.’”
 
[Yes, may YOU win, Lord, vindicating your servants as you see best; may you be exalted as we obey you in humility; may you be the One who is lifted up in our joy and gladness at your goodness. We can trust you in all things, knowing that you lead us through the dark valleys, on difficult paths like the one in this picture, so that you can eventually bring us out into wider, greener pastures.]
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Resurrection Day

Published by S.M. Wibberley on April 1, 2018
Easter Morning!
 
This is the celebration of the greatest event of history, the most expensive transaction of all time, the most painful purchase of all known events, and the greatest rescue of all the stories ever told.
 
Jesus, after resting on the Sabbath day after His death, rose up to roll over Satan, to shatter death’s grip, to blast a hole in the wall around the kingdom of darkness, to let in the brilliant illumination from the Kingdom of Light and Love and Life, thawing the frozen hearts in the devil’s domain. In doing this He prepared the way for millions of prisoners to walk free of condemnation, to be embraced, adopted, forgiven, cleansed, transformed and join God in His mighty Plans to bring all creation back to the pristine perfection of the beginning: a new Heaven and new Earth.
 
Hallelujah, Christ is Risen, and we are risen with Him!
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Psalm 35:19-23

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 31, 2018
 
Psalm 35:19 “Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.”
 
David had a lot of enemies who were jealous of his position, power, wealth and standing. Satan has the same motive in attacking us.
 
We have been given eternal life, while he is doomed to eternal death; we have the Holy Spirit living in us, the power of the living Lord, while he is separated from God; we have been made heirs with Christ while he has lost all; and we are children of the King, members of His family, citizens of His Kingdom and partners in His great plans, while Satan is an outcast, a loser and a reject by his own decision.
 
He will do whatever he can do to help us forget who we are in Christ and urges us to veer off onto our own selfish course of life and action, just as he has done himself and tempted Adam and Eve to do.
 
Psalm 35:20, 21 “They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
 
[Satan uses people and their unjust accusations to pressure us to get our eyes off of God and onto the natural desires for safety and comfort, significance and fulfillment. And yet in Christ we already have a super abundance of each of these!
 
We must be careful to listen to truth, recognizing the lies of the enemy, and we can do this by daily reveling in the richness of belonging to Christ, by nurturing our first love for Him, and by rejoicing in His living Word.]
 
Psalm 35:22, 23 “O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.”
 
[David here makes exactly the right move: when threatened he comes immediately to God for help, seeking input from Truth Himself, from the Most Powerful and Wise One. Sadly, prayer is usually our last resort when it should be our first response. Forgive us, Lord, for trying to do things on our own; help us to follow David’s good example, and make “my God and Lord” our refuge right away!]
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Jesus Let Go, Held On and Rose Above

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 30, 2018
Thoughts for Good Friday
 
On the night before he died, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. It is enlightening to note what is written before this event:
John 13:3-5 says, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist, and began to wash his disciples’ feet…..”
 
Note that Jesus knew three things that allowed him to perform this lowest possible task.
1. He knew who He was, the Ruler of the Universe, as
the Father had put all things under his power
2. He knew where He had come from: His throne in Heaven,
that he had come from God the Father
3. He knew where He was going: returning to His Father in Heaven.
 
The next word is “so,” followed by washing the disciples’ feet.
 
He could let go of cultural norms and shame because He knew who he was, where he had come from and where he was going, That is, because He had the whole picture, he could rise above any shame and perform this lowest of tasks.
 
What about us? Do we know who we are, where we have come from and where we are going? If we grasp these three facts on an intellectual, emotional and volitional level, we can readily do the lowest task without hesitation, following in Jesus footsteps.
 
So, who are we? Sons and Daughters of the most High King–redeemed rebels who have become royalty, the accused who have become ambassadors, condemned criminals who have become co-workers with God in His great plan to redeem and recreate the universe!
 
Where did we come from? Out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light.
 
Where are we going? Into Heaven, into the presence of God for eternity, into the arms of Jesus as His Bride.
 
These truths will help us to live as Jesus did, letting go of what is temporary and small in the light of this big picture, holding on to what is eternal and great, then rising above whatever comes into our lives.
 
Let’s think about how Jesus let go of what He had, while he held on to who he was, so he could rise above whatever came.
 
He let go of the glory he had from before the beginning of time and became restricted to a human body, totally submitted to his parents, He held on to His love for the Father, and rose above his abhorrence of sin as he had to live with it for 33 years.
 
He let go of his comfort and pleasure in heaven, coming to live on the earth with fleas, lice, stench and dirt, with evil, suffering, injustice and death. He held on to who He was, the Son of Man, the Son of God, and was able to rise above the terribleness of life on a fallen planet.
 
He let go of His full part in the Trinity by limiting himself to a human body. He held onto his relationship with the Father and the Spirit, praying constantly, following the Father’s direction in detail, and rose above the unbelief of those around him, above the unfaithfulness of his followers.
 
He let go of the privileges and position he had in Heaven where the angels constantly worshiped Him. He held on to the knowledge of what He was going to accomplish on the earth–the salvation of all who will believe–and he rose above the attacks of men, the shame of doing the menial, and the fear of what people think.
 
He let go of his own will. In the garden he prayed, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, but your will be done, not mine.” He held on to the Father’s wisdom and faithfulness, and was able to rise above the terrible physical suffering of beating, whipping and crucifixion; of the emotional pain of being rejected, abandoned by his followers, of the spiritual agony of being abandoned by his Father.
 
He let go of the appearance of failure in his death, He held on to Truth of what was going to happen and was able to rise above defeat, death and the devil to bring light and life to the whole world.
 
We, too, like Jesus, can let go of the values of this world, the ideas of the creatures and culture around us, hold on to the Truth of God’s Word, His love for us, His plan, and rise above whatever difficulties, attacks and pain comes into our lives, like the eagle in this picture (off the internet).
 
Knowing who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going can empower us, as it did Jesus, to deny self, take up our cross and follow Him in serving others.
 
An eagle in flight with upturned wing-tip feathers

 

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Psalm 35:11-16

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 29, 2018
Today we look at a darker part of Psalm 35 where David lifts his soul to God in distress, seeking relief in the attacks coming against him.
 
Psalm 35:11-13 “Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.”
 
In the daily spiritual battle, Satan often uses those around us to attack and accuse us. Those we have done good to now stand and oppose us, accuse and blame us.
 
This can be disorienting, as two versions of the past collide, perhaps causing us to question our own sanity. David needed a touchstone of reality, so he remembered how he had been so kind and concerned for those who were now attacking him:
 
Psalm 35:13b, 14 “When my prayers [for them] returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.”
 
[But these same people had just the opposite response when David was down:]
 
Psalm 35:15,16 “But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked, they gnashed their teeth at me.”
 
[Note that these were “like the ungodly” meaning they were probably believers, people who had been close to David.
 
So we, too, can experience injustice and evil from fellow believers who are pursuing their own agendas rather than God’s. And, like David, we must look to Jesus for help.]
 
Psalm 35:17-18 “O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.”
 
[Your timing, O Lord, is right, but to us suffering always seems to go on too long. Thinking of my wife’s illness of depression, I cry out, “Act, Lord, and bring the changes, bring the deliverance that is needed.”
 
And then, “Lord, help us to wait through well, learning what is necessary, giving you glory in praise through it all. Answer for the sake of your Name, for the sake of your Glory, O Lord.
 
“I can and will praise you now, Lord, for how and when you will respond. For you are wise and good and gracious, making us lie down in the green pastures of depression so we can grow and be more useful instruments in your hands. May you be glorified in our lives.”]
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For Your Edification,

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 28, 2018
 
 Here are fifty-seven spiritual reasons to give thanks in any and all situations.
 
God is real.
He is eternal.
He is holy with no sin, evil or negatives.
He is perfect.
He is wise beyond comprehension.
His ways and thoughts are far higher than ours.
He knows everything.
He understands everything.
He created everything ,giving each thing its complexity and superb design and did so just by speaking!
He is present everywhere, all the time.
He is Sovereign.
He is powerful beyond conception.
He is beautiful in perfect and full-orbedness.
He loves beauty and shares it with us in His creation.
He is love.
He is light
He is life
He inexplicably loves His enemies.
He desired to buy us back from the kingdom of darkness.
He rescued us from Satan, sin and self.
He has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in the Kingdom of light.
He chose us before the foundation of the world to be His children.
He then predestined us to hear the gospel.
He convicted us of sin and righteousness and judgment.
He revealed Himself to us through the means each of us needed.
He sent people to share the good news with us.
He pinned us down to listen and consider.
He gave us faith and repentance.
He is our Shepherd.
He has made His Spirit dwell in us.
We have become the temple of the Living God.
He has made us members of the church universal.
He has given us a church local.
He has given us purpose and meaning.
He has a plan for our lives, laid out in detail.
He is running with us in the race He has set out before us.
Nothing comes to us randomly.
Every bit of suffering has meaning and purpose.
He helps us in every weakness.
He chastens us when we need it (which is much of the time).
He is tender, gracious, loving and kind.
He will make us into the Bride of Christ.
When we die we will go to be with Him.
There will be no sorrow and suffering, no tears or terror.
He has given us peace and joy here and now.
He calls us to trust Him so our lives can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
He invites us to join Him in His great plans.
He has given us the gift of prayer.
We can enter His presence any time.
He has made us His ambassadors.
He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.
He has given us the three things all human beings long for: belonging, worth and competence.
He gives us rest for our souls, if we seek refuge in Him.
Jesus loves us as the Father loves Him.
He has given us all the significance and security we could ever need.
Because He is always good, we can always give thanks to Him in all things.
And the list could go on and on. What a wonderful God we have, far better than we could ever have thought up. Let us be in awe, fall before Him in worship and live lives that bring Him both joy and honor.
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No End to Renewal

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 27, 2018
We praise you, Lord God, Father in Heaven, for your great love in disciplining us–your stubborn, rebellious, lazy and self-centered children. You are so patient, so kind, so firm, so persistent in teaching us over and over again the same lessons. Praise you that you never tire of this, and with great patience, continue to the end.
 
Praise be to you for giving us your Word: powerful, perfect, revealing your marvelous character, instructing us in your ways. Praise you that you preserved it down through the ages, had it translated and made available to us. Praise you that your Spirit uses it to transform us as we read, study and meditate on it. As Colossians 3:10 says, we “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Which means that all through our lives, as we are in the Word, seeing God sightings, listening to the Spirit, we will be being renewed.
 
What joy there is for you and for us as we learn from your Word to trust, to praise in all, to obey without seeing or understanding all. What power there is to rejoice in you when all seems dark, to learn and live in the truth that knowing Jesus is enough for joy, period. That is truly walking in the freedom you have bought for us.
 
We thank you, we praise you, we lift up your name: the mighty Creator God, who is good and gracious, glorious and great, gripping and grand, deserving praise and pomp, worship and wonder, our submission and surrender through all eternity.
 
Prayer:” We give you glory and praise, Lord Jesus, for all that will come today. We commit ourselves to lift up your name on high by doing what we know is right. We want to praise you in all and make prayer the foundation of all we do. Help us in your power to do so. Amen” –from Edified
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Psalm 35:5-10

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

 

Psalm 35:5,6 “May [those who seek my life] be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.”
 
[May you, Lord, deal with those who oppose us because we are yours. May you powerfully work to make them unsuccessful and fruitless in their pursuit of your children’s death and destruction, as in the picture below where Hindus attack a Christian’s home. Send your angels to frustrate them, and bring them to a realization of their error, to a vision of your righteousness, Lord Jesus, and come to know you.]
 
Psalm 35:7,8 “Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise—may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.”
 
[Yes, may they be caught in their own traps, and see the error of their ways. I praise you for how you did this to the Al Quaeda cell in the Middle Eastern city where we lived. They had planned to kill pastors and bomb churches in the city, and had their lists and addresses ready, their weapons prepared—but were caught before they could carry out their attacks. Thank you for your protection, Lord.]
 
Psalm 35:9,10 “Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like you, O LORD?’”
 
[Yes, Lord, we praise and exalt you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, for you have given help and protection—and will continue to do so. There is no one like you, Lord God, who knows all, sees all and is able to protect from all true harm.
 
Sometimes you do allow hurt—believers are persecuted, beaten, driven from their homes and killed–but even in that you have a greater purpose for their lives and deaths in the over-arching and magnificent scheme of your plans. You give them opportunity to be a powerful witness to their persecutors; they give you honor before the whole universe; they earn eternal rewards; and will receive honor, glory and praise before the hosts of Heave when they enter your presence.
 
You are our Salvation, our Rock, our Fortress and our high Tower in whatever may come. You are the One we can trust.]
“You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
 
[And this you have done for us, the poor and needy, in rescuing us from the devil’s kingdom of darkness, bringing us out into your Kingdom of Light. And you rescue us every day from the schemes of Satan, self and sin, you protect us from those who oppose you.
 
You have also equipped us to join you in this rescue plan: “This is the victory that HAS OVERCOME the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4b,5).
“Put on the whole armor of God that you MAY BE ABLE to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). “…he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, SO THAT CHRIST’S POWER MAY REST ON ME” 2 Cor. 12:9).
 
Help us Lord, to join you daily in the great battle against self, sin and Satan, to cooperate with you in your plans to rescue us from evil and harm, to take up your provision of faith and armor, to obey you in what we know to be right.]

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