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Fall’s Colors

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 4, 2018

It was Fall when I wrote, “Praise you, Lord, for the beauty of the trees these days as the leaves are now at their height of color. Every corner we turn on the road reveals amazing scenes of blazing reds and blinding yellow, with certain trees standing out in special brilliance.”

These trees are a picture of what different believers are like. When things are going well, all look about the same in their uniform greens. But when difficulties and pressure come, like the frost of Fall, the beauty of belief is revealed.

Similar to these frosted trees, some believers stay green, some have a touch of color, while others stand out gloriously, glowing, lit from within in by their reds and yellows.

These glowing trees are like believers who respond in faith when things are tough. As it says in 1 Peter 1:6,7 “…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…may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

When our faith is proven true under pressure, we give glory to God at that moment, and He will then give it back us when we arrive in heaven, where we will glow in His love and share in His honor: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4).

Knowing the beauty faith brings, and how this honors God, can help us to respond in trust when things are difficult. In offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving we bring a glow to us and glory for God.

In contrast, the self-indulgence of complaining gives us drabness and dishonors His name. Which will we choose? “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me….” Ps. 50:23

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Psalm 34:9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 3, 2018
Written in 2015
 
Psalm 34:9 “Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.”
 
[The call here, the command, is to fear God–to be so in awe of the Powerful Creator, the Faithful Ruler, the Righteous King of glory, that we reject our natural responses and obey Him instead, trusting His wisdom, knowledge and goodness.
 
It means caring deeply what He thinks and thereby rejecting what I or others think when it is different. It is submitting our will, our emotions and our intellect to Him and His Word (which is one definition of humility). If we do this, the promise is that we will lack nothing.
 
That is a huge, all-encompassing promise: everything I need will be given! This, of course, is an echo of Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…,” which also implies surrender to Him as Lord.
 
Part of fearing God is accepting that He knows what we actually need. This may be getting what we personally desire, or the opposite. For us right now, it means my wife being sick with chronic Lyme’s Disease, suffering weakness, pain, confusion and depression. In the midst of this Jesus is with us, shepherding us, equipping us, using us.
 
Part of fearing God is believing His Word, knowing that He has a plan in our pain: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (Jer.29:11).
 
Help us, Lord, to grow in fearing you, to rest in your greatness, to do what is pleasing to you, to reject the pressures of people, the pull of our own hearts to complain and instead do what is on your heart.
 
I praise you, Lord, for your faithfulness in graciously tying us to yourself, in making us to be dependent on you , which includes allowing us to grieve you when we disbelieve and disobey.
 
In exchange for surrender, you give us much joy as we see you answer prayer, grant us your wisdom, lead us aright, demonstrate your faithfulness and display your might.
 
Help us to consistently fear you, to walk in faith and trust during our present period of problems, resting in your goodness and waiting for your wise timing to bring your desired future.]
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Psalm 34:6-8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 2, 2018
 
Psalm 34:6 “This poor man called,”
 
[When I recognize my weakness and poverty of wisdom, my lack of strength and the smallness of my resources; when all my pretenses were laid aside and I am honest before myself and before you, Lord, then I call to you all the more whole-heartedly, all the more earnestly. I am more open to you in my need, knowing that I cannot trust in myself. I am then in the position you desire so that you may act in wisdom and power.]
 
“and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.”
 
[When I cry out thus, then you act, then you save. You wait for us to come to the position of surrender and trust, seeing and embracing our weakness before you act to snatch us from the jaws of the dragon, to pluck us out of the fire, to surround and shelter us in the midst of turmoil.]
 
Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”
 
[Here is the summary of your plan for protection. You pursue partnership, wanting trust, surrender and obedience from us–meaning we fear you, standing in awe of you and acting out of that awe, caring deeply what you think about everything–and then you continually deliver us. You send your angel to surround us with love, power and grace, you have him deliver us consistently, as we fear you. Help us, Lord, to fear you, to live in awe of you at all times.]
 
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;”
 
[Here’s God’s challenge to us: if you don’t believe He’s trustable, taste and see what the Lord really is. Remember all the goodness He has poured out in our lives and those of others. Start trusting and see what He does. ]
 
“blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
 
[How happy, protected, helped and safe is the man who acts on this Truth and runs to God for protection and shelter. Again, here is the partnership God desires: He stands ready to act, waiting for us to seek refuge in Him.
 
May we honor you, Lord, by partnering with you throughout this day, trusting you, fearing you, taking refuge in you each moment.]
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Trust in the Dark

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 1, 2018
Written in 2016
 
In the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness, thank you that I can rest in the plan that you have for us, Lord God, and praise you with all my heart.
 
I give you glory, O Triune God, for your wise, gracious, good and powerful being. I praise you Heavenly Father for your unchanging plans and purposes for my life.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, for your faithful and wise shepherding, providing all I need, making me to lie down in green pastures.
 
I praise you, Holy Spirit, for your gracious, gentle and persistent teaching, convicting and guiding me in all.
 
You, Lord Almighty, are the One who is in control, and your Ruling is always right, your Sovereign Shepherding is always wise and good, your Guidance and Grace are always timely, your Teaching and Tenacity are always trustable–even if we cannot understand them.
 
So, I bow before you now, without seeing any answers yet to my prayers for Barbara; I bow in thankfulness for your rich, deep, wise and wonderful character, filled with the treasures of goodness and righteousness, mercy and love. You are worthy of wholehearted worship, of total trust, of complete surrender and utter obedience, of persistent praise and great glory in every situation. Guide me in giving you honor throughout today with thanksgiving, rest and obedience to what I know to be true.
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Fear Conquered

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 28, 2018
Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and he answered me;”
 
[Yes, Lord, in your faithfulness you always answer: at the right time, in the right way, with the right means. You are trustable in your goodness, you are reliable in your unchangingness, you are beautiful in your consistency.]
 
“he delivered me from all my fears.”
 
[This was not the help I really wanted, but in your wisdom, Lord, you start answering on a much more foundational, inner level in order to bring an answer much bigger than my request.
 
The troubles in my life reveal these fears, and you want to deliver us from fear: the fear of man, fear of the future, fear of loss, fear of humiliation, fear of suffering, fear of failure. I’ve heard that 365 times in the Bible you command, “Fear not!” One for every day of the year.
 
So you turn our eyes to you and as we gaze upon you, seeing you in your great power, your deep wisdom, your gracious compassion and your rich love, and remember how many times you have protected and provided for us in the past, fear has no place to cling and falls away. You are the fear Killer, the freedom Bringer, the peace Giver. Praise be to you.]
 
Psalm 34:5 “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”
 
[Because you are faithful, powerful, wise and good, you always answer by meeting our true needs. So we are never put to shame when we trust in you. People and Satan may try to shame us, but we can, like Jesus in Hebrews 12:3, endure our cross, despising the shame, looking instead to the joy we will have when seated with Him in heaven.
 
As we look, Lord God, to you in our troubles, we are transformed more and more into your image (2 Cor. 3:18). As we meditate on your great and good character, we bask in the light of your glory, we join you in being light to the world, for we will reflect that glow of your greatness to all those around us–the radiance of trust, peace and contentment in you. May we so honor you today.]
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Living Out Psalm 34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 27, 2018
 
The following was written in 2011 following an unsuccessful attempt to resolve conflict on one of our teams, a painful event with a sad outcome.
 
Psalm 34:1 “I will extol the LORD at all times;”
 
[Even now, in the midst of this painful failure, in darkness and despair, I will extol you, Lord, I choose to praise you, the great and sovereign God who is at work doing what is right, bringing good in every situation. You, Lord God, are worthy of worship even in the worst of circumstances, humanly speaking–for you do not abandon us. You press on in spite of the pain you suffer with us. You are faithful to the end, and therefore worthy of all exaltation.]
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“his praise will always be on my lips.”
 
[Always, no matter what happens, in every difficulty, every hardship, every form of suffering, failure and evil, I can praise you and I choose to do so. You, Lord God are good, through and through. So what you do is good, what you allow you will use for good for your children, bringing breaking and transformation.
 
Lord God, do good in this situation. Have us suffer as long as is necessary; may we learn what we need to and go through what you know is necessary, with your power and strength.]
Psalm 34:2 “My soul will boast in the LORD;”
 
[If I am honest, there is nothing to boast about in myself, I can only boast in you, Lord Jesus, the perfect One, the pure One, the holy One who never makes a mistake, never fails. To you certainly belongs honor, praise and worship. You are the One to boast in, not myself.]
 
“let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”
 
[In this case I am afflicted, beaten down, a failure, but as I think on you, Lord, I can rejoice in you.]
 
Psalm 34:3 “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.”
 
[This is the purpose for which I was created, Lord: to bring you honor, praise and exaltation. In this situation, I honor you by faith, clinging to you, Lord, and to your truth, praising you for what you are doing–what I can’t see or understand yet. To trust brings you glory.
 
I will focus on this now, Lord, giving you praise for how you are working things out. At present there is only total failure and loss from my perspective, but also the opportunity for giving great glory to you as by faith I rest in your wisdom and grace, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving.]
 
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Willful Rejoicing

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 26, 2018
[Written two years ago]
 
In the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness and the deterioration it brings, we want to continue to follow Habakkuk’s example in Habakkuk 3:17-19
 
“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
 
“YET I will REJOICE in the LORD, (Yahweh)
I will BE JOYFUL in God (Elohim) my Savior.
 
[these are acts of the will, leading Habakkuk’s emotions to the proper place of rest in God.]
 
“The Sovereign (Adonai) LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.”
 
Like Habakkuk, I choose to rejoice in you, Lord, for you are good always, you are the source of our joy–not our having things go the way we want.
 
I praise you for what you are going to do in Barbara’s illness, Lord. I can let go of the negatives and cling to you. I praise you for what you are doing, for what you are planning, for what you will work out, as you did with Old Testament Joseph in all he suffered.
 
Help us all to respond as Joseph did, bringing glory to your name, and healing to our souls. I thank you for the unseen things you are going to accomplish through this, for the good that you will draw out of it. I ask for your guidance in what I should do to join your purposes.
 
Lord Jesus, you are the Wonderful One, full of wisdom, grace, righteousness, mercy, justice, goodness and power. You are the One who can overrule in any situation you desire. You could have worked Barbara’s illness out in another way, but you allowed and guided things in this direction, so we choose to trust you with praise and to look at the bigger picture of what you are doing in shaping our character and giving us opportunity to honor you in trust.
 
Lord, to belong to you, to be your possession, to personally know you is wonderful, marvelous, majestic. “Blessed” is way too mild a word! To know that you chose us, wanted us as your children, sought us out, bought us, adopted us, transformed us, and that you richly, wholeheartedly love and cherish us-this is awe-inspiringly marvelous! It is more than we could ever have hoped for, especially in the light of what we actually deserved (punishment, rejection, suffering, eternal separation from you and all that is good).
 
So we choose to trust you through praise, knowing that you have laid out the race before us, empowering us to run it with perseverance and patience,. And we run, looking to you, Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that as we look ahead to the joy you have for us, we can endure whatever cross you give us, for we will be seated with you at the banquet table of your wedding in Heaven (Heb. 12:1-3).
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Get your copy!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 25, 2018

Got an email from a friend. “My oldest son, thirteen-year-old Peter, asked if he could buy a copy of your book EDIFIED! He’s been reading out of it each day and has shared some of the stories and things he’s learned from it.”

This is a book for those from 9 to 90! You, too, can enjoy, grow, be transformed and equipped by reading this stimulating and interesting devotional book. Get one now by clicking on the link below (click on buy, read, or share).

 

 

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Know Your “Why”

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 24, 2018
What is Your “Why?”
 
Recently I got the book “Find Your Why” by Simon Sinek. The author wants to help people discover what actually motivates them, what gets them out of bed in the morning, what stirs their juices to perform. Knowing your “Why” is significant, as it helps you to focus your energies and efforts so you will be more effective, and empower you to communicate it to others, inspiring them.
 
Many people would say it’s money that motivates them; but they are wrong, it’s what money enables them to obtain. For many their actual “why” is one or more of three things: they want to be significant, safe and have purpose. Few people actually think about these motivations, but they are usually the driving forces in our decision making. They are, in fact, God-given desires which can only be fully fulfilled in our relationship with God. All other attempts to obtain them fall miserably short.
 
So, as a follower of Jesus, what should be my “why”? A good theoretical answer is “to Glorify God.” Another is “to Love Jesus.” A third, “to Obey the Lord.” These are biblical principles and commands; personally, I want to do these and strive to do so–but they are not what moves me to get up early and spend time with Him.
My “Why” began being revealed to me when I was seven years old. On an August afternoon I was looking for the cows to bring them down to the barn for the evening milking. Walking through the woods, I was suddenly struck with the splendor around me: the sun shining through the trees, creating great shafts of light in the leaf dust in the air, illuminating the vibrant green of the leaves. The pattern of the trees’ bark, the delicate lichens on the stone wall, the soft green forest grass suddenly overwhelmed me with their beauty. In this moment of awe, a question came into my mind, “I wonder why I’m in the world?”
 
This, of course, was not the product of a 7-year-old farm boy’s mind, but was placed there by God as a means of drawing me to Himself. And that question did lead me on through my childhood, adolescence and on into adulthood, where He then revealed the answer to me.
 
In my twenty-second year, on a dark December night, on the shore of the Bering Sea, I was able to understand and embrace my “Why” as I prayed, “Lord, I give you my will, and take yours in its place.” Living for Jesus, joining Him in His great plan for eliminating evil as He sweeps as many people as possible into His Kingdom and in the end brings in the New Heaven and Earth–this is my purpose, my “Why.”
As time went on, my “Why” got sharpened. I remember the first snowfall in 1976–the first snowstorm always brought a great rush of sales in our tire business. When I first began to manage the business, we sold $2,000 worth of tires on that day. In 1976, we sold $15,000! That’s a lot of tires to sell, mount and balance!
 
Such growth and success, however, did not satisfy. That evening I said to myself, “We made a lot of money today, but what difference does it make for the world? Not much! I want to do things that will last for eternity, not just a day.” That sharpened focus of my “Why” led me to leave the tire business, leave my extended family, our home on the farm and going to the tumultuous Middle East to plant churches among Muslims.
 
That is not the end of the story, however. As time went on, the Lord brought other influences into my life to further refine my “Why.” Now it is, “I want to be a useful instrument in the Lord’s hand so He can use me to achieve things that will last for eternity.”
This motivates me to get up early, to spend time with Him every day, to memorize and meditate on His powerful Scripture, to pray on the armor, to spend time lifting my soul to Him and interceding for the world. I deeply want to do these things, to nurture my relationship with Jesus, so that I can be useful to Him.
Embedded In this “Why” are the desires for significance and security. Both are found in abundance in my relationship with Jesus, the Great Shepherd and Mighty Conqueror. And living in the realities of His great Being gives purpose, meaning and a certain future–I dwell in the deep, stable and unshakable shelter of God’s mighty plan.
 
Actually, I must confess that the “Why” of my life is not primarily to honor God, but to have a sense of fulfillment and purpose by being a useful instrument in His hand and to accomplish things that will last for eternity.
 
This is what God desires also, for the result of living this out is glory for Him. This is amazing, He can take my self-centered motive for fulfillment, and as I join Him in seeing that happen, He is glorified.
 
This is what Jesus proclaimed in John 15:8,16: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”
 
Help me, Lord, to live out my “Why” for you moment by moment.
 
Picture below: dawn on the Bering Sea, 1968
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Thoughts on Psalm 107

Published by S.M. Wibberley on February 23, 2018
As it says in Psalm 107, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
 
[and we do see your love every day, Lord, in the myriad of provisions and protections you pour out upon us. You made us to see, hear, speak, walk, work and write. You give us food, shelter, health, community and sleep. You provide protection, guidance, warning and help, among many others wonderful gifts.]
 
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say this–those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,”
 
[You, Lord Jesus, have marvelously redeemed us from the hand of Satan, from the hand of sin, from the hands of evil men. You are our Savior, Shepherd and Sustainer. Praise be to you forever and ever.]
 
“those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”
 
[Thank you, Lord, that you work in people everywhere, opening their eyes, giving them the desire for truth, bringing them your Word so they, too, can enter you Kingdom, become your children, and spend eternity with you. You are the true, loving God, gracious to all, forgiving to all those who come.]
 
“Some wandered in desert wastelands,”
 
[when we reject your truth, go our own way, we dwell in dry and parched lands of our own making, far from the green pastures you have for us.]
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“finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.”
 
[On our own path we go from one bad decision to the next. We search for sustenance and find none, we grow weaker and weaker. Everything goes downhill because we are far from your way.]
 
“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,”
 
[When we finally saw that our selfish way was not good, that our weak wisdom was insufficient, that our strength was too little to escape condemnation, then we cried out to you.]
 
“and he delivered them from their distress.”
 
[You, Lord, in your goodness, were right there, waiting for us to come to our senses, to see our need, to cry out to you. You were ready to help as soon as we were ready to receive.]
 
“He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.”
 
[You, Lord, know the way to shelter and are very willing, eager to lead us to it, if only we would follow. You give us wisdom, insight, security and community, all we need to prosper.]
 
“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love”
 
[and truly your love is unfailing as you wait and wait for us to repent of our selfish, stubborn independence. You don’t give up, you are patient, persistence and prepared.]
 
“and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
 
[What you have for us is beyond good–it is wonderful, marvelous, awesome and great. You, Lord, have only good for us, satisfying our thirst for love and forgiveness, our hunger for relationship, our deep desire for reality and meaning.
 
You know our needs, for you are our Creator; you are able to supply our needs, for you are infinite; you are willing to supply our needs, for you are good. Praise be to you, both now and forever.]
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