Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Psalm 31:9-14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 21, 2018
 
Psalm 31:9 “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;”
 
[You, Lord, are the One I should flee to immediately when anxiety and fear, worry and distress strike, for you alone have the power to do something about it.
 
You are mighty and merciful, you are gracious and good, you are wise and wonderful. Praise you for how you will help us in our situations, few of which could be more distressing than David’s, which he describes in the verses below. His distress involved every area of his life, emotional and physical, social and positional:]
 
Psalm 31:9b-12 “my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;”
 
[What a devastating picture of severe distress, but allowed by you, Lord, for you were at work through it, doing significant things in David’s life. And so you are in ours as we move into and through difficult times. In these we can trust you, no matter how painful they may be, as David goes on to describe.]
 
Psalm 31:12b-13 “I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.”
 
[David was weak and vulnerable, surrounded by threats, assaulted by fears and attacked by men, in real danger of death. He was in the fire. It looks bad. However, the next words make all the difference:]
 
Psalm 31:14 “BUT I trust in you, O LORD;”
 
[In spite of his circumstances, in spite of how he felt, in spite of the very real dangers, in spite of getting no answers yet, David makes the choice to trust in Jehovah, the great and holy God, to expect help from Him based on His perfect character and wide wisdom.
 
In using the word “BUT,” David chooses to reject the natural tendency to let his feelings, thoughts and circumstances rule him, saying instead,]
 
“I say, ‘You are my God.’”
 
[This is looking away from the seen to the unseen. It is a declaration that Jesus is David’s final authority and David is going to trust Him and obey Him, not feelings; he chooses spiritual facts over fear. David is submitting his intellect and perceptions to the higher authority of Scripture.]
 
And this is what you call us to do, too, Lord God. This is the response of faith, “But, I trust in you, O LORD!” What a privilege to be able to think and act in faith in the face of fears. Thereby we can bring you great honor, demonstrating to all around us the power of your grace, the wisdom of your way and the support of your Spirit.
 
Help us to be honest before you about how we feel, lifting our souls to you, God, while always ending with “But, I trust in you, Lord!”
Image may contain: fire, night, food and indoor
Filed under:

Psalm 31:7-8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 20, 2018
Psalm 31:7 “I will be glad and rejoice in your love,”
 
[Your love alone is enough for joy, O God. You, heavenly Father, showed your love in sending the Savior into this violent, deadly world; you, Lord Jesus, showed your love in suffering immeasurably to save your enemies; you, Holy Spirit, show your love in working here in this fallen, twisted world to bring light to all, the elect to faith and to mature them in Truth.
 
You all three show your love in patiently allowing us to grieve you daily as we zigzag through life, bouncing from belief to selfishness, from obedience to rebellion. Truly your love is great, powerful, wise, endless, enduring and wonderful. To know you is enough for joy, to be your child is more than enough reason to praise, for you are love itself.
 
“for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.”
 
[You, Lord God, are omnipresent and omniscient. You see and know the difficulties of my life, my disturbed soul, my anguished heart. And you are consistently at work bringing the healing fruit of peace and righteousness as you help me respond to your gifts of guidance and grace. May I consistently cooperate with you in belief and surrender.
 
Psalm 31:8 “You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.”
 
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Protector and Guide, for you brought me out of the prison of sin and self into a spacious place of love, joy and peace. And you did this because you delighted in me—against all reason, all odds, all facts–you delight in me, your former enemy, your rebellious son, your uncooperative child.
 
I praise you that your love is not dependent on my performance, but upon your unchanging, rock solid Character of holiness, purity, love, wisdom and mercy that triumphs over justice.
 
To you be endless glory and honor, Lord Jesus, for your great work of salvation, your continued work of sanctification and your future work of re-creation. May you be honored in all my responses to the little things of today as I actively trust you.
 
Image may contain: tree, sky, plant, outdoor, nature and water
Filed under:

Psalm 31:5-6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 19, 2018
 
Psalm 31:5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit;”
 
[These were the words of David in difficulty, and the words of Christ on the cross; they should also be the daily words of every believer. As we commit our spirit to you, Lord Jesus, we are surrendering our life, our future to you, giving you permission to lead our us through whatever you deem best and at the right time to take us out of this world. We can trust you and thank you now for what you will do.]
 
“redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.”
 
[A great admission of our need to be purchased back out of the kingdom of darkness.
 
Because you are the God of truth, we can wholeheartedly run to you, the High and Holy One, the Mighty One who knows and sees all, for you are pure and merciful, righteous and forgiving, just and redeeming. We can trust you, for if you, the Most High, the Final Authority, the Great Judge have declared that all in Christ are forgiven, cleansed, holy and dearly loved, then we are redeemed indeed!]
 
Psalm 31:6 “I hate those who cling to worthless idols;”
 
[How about us? how often do I cling to some worthless idol—which is anything I demand to be happy, anything I put ahead of seeking your will and submitting to it. It can something as simple such as wanting a bowl of popcorn so much that I will shut off myself from you in order to have it. And there are many other such idols in my life–whatever I think I need to be happy.
 
Clinging to idols is looking back into the darkness from whence we were redeemed, instead of facing the light of wisdom and goodness and grace that comes from you. Praise you, Lord God, that you expose these idols to us one at a time and help us to let go of and repudiate them so we can live in the light of your truth, declaring with David,
 
“I trust in the LORD.”
 
[This is a choice, a willful rejection of all else, including worry, fear, and negative thinking. It is a launching out over the gorge of the future, swinging out on the three-strand cable of Truth, Love and Grace, trusting you to protect us and do what is best.
 
Praise be to you, Lord God, for what you will do today, for how you will watch over us, protect us, equip us, train us, expose us to the battle, help us to stand and fight along side of you while you fight for us. To you belongs all honor, all credit, all glory, all praise. May my life bring you more of each of these today, O Great and Mighty One, my heavenly Father, my Lord Jesus, my Spirit of holiness. Amen.
Image may contain: indoor
 
Filed under:

Psalm 31:2-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 17, 2018

 

Psalm 31:2 “be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.”
 
[Praise you, O Lord God, that you are consistently with us: you have made yourself our Refuge by redeeming, adopting and embracing us. You have made yourself our Rock of stability in a world of uncertainty, the personal Refuge of every one of your children. And you are our strong Fortress that we can run into at any time and be protected in whatever way you deem best. We can trust you.]
 
Psalm 31:3 “Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.”
 
[Yes! Because you are my rock and fortress, I have hope! There is help! There is hindrance of my enemy and his plans! You will answer and act for the sake of your holy Name.
 
It is wonderful that we can appeal to you on this basis—for when you lead and guide us, our lives become for you a source of glory and honor, praise and acclaim. May we follow your guidance, thinking of giving you more honor; may we be trusting and obedient so that you may have more glory for your Name.]
 
Psalm 31:4 “Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.”
 
[Based on what you have declared yourself to be, Lord God, we can appeal to you to take us out of the traps of the devil, of evil men and our own old nature.
 
And so you have done in your mighty act of redemption, opening the door of our cell in the kingdom of darkness and calling us out into the Kingdom of Light. You, Lord Jesus, are greater and more powerful than any enemy there is and you have, in joining us in our weakness, defeated every enemy in every way.
 
I exalt you, my Refuge, Lord Jesus; I exalt you, my Rock, O Heavenly Father; I exalt you my Guide and Comforter, Holy Spirit. In you I can trust, in you I am safe, in you I am secure.
 
Praise be to you, O Triune God, for your great and wonderful faithfulness and love. To you be glory in my life today. May you be endlessly honored in my motives, thoughts, desires and words. Amen!
Picture kdsphotos
Image may contain: cloud, sky, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

Meditating on Psalm 37:4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 17, 2018

“…delight yourself also in the Lord….”

I want to delight in you, Lord Jesus–you who were on earth simultaneously both entirely God and entirely man—being both finite and fully infinite.

You were the star breather, and the table maker. You were the galaxy former and the sawdust sweeper. You were the history maker and the box builder. You were the one who set up kings and took down tools from your carpenter’s rack. You were the pivotal person in all history and you were the sharpener of chisels. You were the owner of all the universe and lived on the gifts of others.

You are unfathomably amazing, wonderfully awe inspiring, fully beyond comprehension. To delight in you is to approach the essence of life, the meaning of existence, the light of eternity.

You are sparkling in your purity, generous in your grace, marvelous in your goodness, dazzling in your wisdom and overwhelming in your greatness.

To delight in you is to enter into a fuller reality, to let the shadows of our natural thoughts and values fade into the background, as the light of Truth and Love from your inner beauty shine into our hearts. Such gazing on your beauty brings transformation and joy, a deeper grasp of your acceptance and forgiveness, and a solid sense of the security of being your child.

You are delightful, you are delectable, you are infinitely wonderful and as I bow before you, all else pales and falls away. Only your gracious, glorious presence remains.
To know you is so inexpressibly sweet and so overwhelmingly powerful at the same time.

I choose to delight in you, Lord Jesus, rejecting the tinsel of this world, along with my pride and self-centered sinfulness. In you I am forgiven, in you I am cleansed, in you I am accepted, in you I am unconditionally and eternally loved. What more could I want?

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

Filed under:

Tribalization vs Community

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 16, 2018
“Tribalism is Satan’s counterfeit for community.” So said a friend; I’ve been thinking about this.
 
Community is based on positive relationships: love, grace, forgiveness, service, self-denial, encouragement and healthy confrontation, to name a few of its qualities. Community leads to the development of individuals within a supportive context. The outcome is seen in churches where the members serve each other and the community, actively share their faith daily, disciple others well and participate in spreading the gospel over the whole world.
 
Tribalism, on the other hand, is based on control over its members, making sure they keep within the bounds of blind loyalty and traditions. Group think is encouraged, questioning is not allowed, innovation is frowned upon, deviation is punished. Those who are different are viewed as the enemy, as less than the tribe. The outcome of this thinking is seen in the mass murder that occurred in Rwanda as the Hutu tribe attached the Tutsi tribe, killing over 800,000 within a 100 days.
It is sadly true that some churches become like a tribe, where blind loyalty is demanded, members are punished for not fully conforming and are manipulated emotionally, physically and financially. Such perversions of community are the exact opposite of what Christ taught and modeled.
The fact is, we live now in a tribalized society where conformity is demanded, deviation is denigrated and questioning is punished. Political correctness is coerced; there is forced approval of others’ values which a short time ago were seen as perversion; expression of opinion contrary to the tribe is labeled as hatred and racist.
 
How should we, as followers of Jesus, respond in this situation? Many Christians are retreating to a their own tribalized position of “us and them,” seeing those who oppose biblical values as the enemy.
 
While there is truth to the lines drawn, Jesus would have us give a radically different answer to the attacks and pressures of those who oppose biblical truth: “Love your enemies” “Pray for those who persecute you” “Fret not yourselves because of evil doers….Trust in the Lord and do good….” “Deny self, take up your cross daily, follow me.”
 
We can begin to combat tribilization by refusing to be tribal. We can offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving for the opportunity to be light and salt, praying for those who view us as the enemy, loving our neighbors who are so different, returning good for evil, establishing relationships with those who are different, offering wise, gracious correction to false thinking. In short, be a community to those who are caught in tribal thinking–just as Jesus was in His day. Such love bridges the gap, heals wounds and brings salvation. Are we willing?
 
picture below by unknown artist, seen in an office. The left side is community, the right side is tribalism
 
Image may contain: sky, ocean, outdoor, water and nature
Filed under:

Psalm 31:2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 15, 2018
Psalm 31:2 “Turn your ear to me,”
 
[Thank you, Lord Jesus that you listen to us intently, that you have opened the way for us to cry to the Father and that our prayers are consistently heard. Praise you that you are the One who thought up prayer, who hears prayer and answers prayer.]
 
“come quickly to my rescue;”
 
[Praise be to you, Heavenly Father, that in answering prayer, you are never late, never miss the mark, never lose an opportunity. You know the best way to answer, which sometimes means leaving us in our desperation as long as it takes to produce the growth you know we need, the surrender that will open the way for deepening, and the maturing which will enable us to give you more glory.
 
Praise you that you answer out of your wisdom, your love, your grace and your goodness, rather than out of our impatience. Help us to rest in you rather than in getting our way.]
Filed under:

Great is the Lord!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 14, 2018
“Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
Psalm 145:3
 
Yes, praise be to you, Lord God, the Triune One, Breather of the stars, Lighter of the sun, Spinner of the earth, Bringer of the dawn. We glorify your name, for you are the Holy One, sparkling in purity, shining truth into our lives, spreading light with every act.
We exalt you, the totally good One, pouring grace upon your creation, watering the garden of our souls with your love, planting seeds of good desire in our hearts.
 
You, Lord God, are the Most High: the Wise Creator, the Mighty and Kind King, the Successful Savior, the Righteous Redeemer, the Faithful Father, the Perfect Planner, the Powerful Protector, the Beginner and Ender of time.
 
Therefore, it is right to submit to you in joy, it is right to rise up in obedience, it is right to live in the light of your presence, it is right to exalt you in all we do. Yes, praise belongs to you forever and ever!
 
Prayer: “May I walk in the light of your presence through this day, Lord, aware of your mighty grace, your powerful wisdom, your majestic goodness. May I give you praise in each event, whether it be pleasant or painful, for you are always worthy .
–From EDIFIED!
Image may contain: sky, tree, plant, snow, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

John Piper on Prayer

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 13, 2018
John Piper in his talk on prayer shows his deep commitment to Scripture and his integrity as he speaks against his own Calvinistic position.
 
“It’s simply staggering that God, would ordain–now get this–that the Ruler of the universe would ordain–now get this–that prayers CAUSE things. They do! That prayer causes things to happen that would not happen if you didn’t pray. I wonder if there are any Calvinists out there squirming?
 
Listen to this, when James 4:2 says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” That does not mean, “You would have anyway even if you didn’t ask because I’ve got a plan!” The verse does not mean the opposite of what it says! It says, “You have not because you ask not.” That means prayer causes things to happen that wouldn’t happen if you didn’t pray.
 
This is why this is such a staggeringly glorious privilege. To be taken by the Sovereign God of the universe who works all things according to his infinite wisdom, and to fold it into his causality.
 
This is breath-taking. If you do not avail yourself of the privilege of bringing to pass events in the universe, that would not take place if you didn’t pray, you are acting like a colossal fool! Aren’t you? I’m just thinking logically here.
 
If you are offered the privilege of engaging with God in such a way that your request could bring into being things that would not otherwise come into being, Not to avail yourself of that privilege is folly of the highest or lowest order!
 
That’s why we pray. He’s beckoning us into our share, in the running of the universe. Do you not know that you will judge angels? Do you know who you are, child of God?”
 
For further such good input, get the book Both/And available at:
 
https://www.amazon.com/Both-Laymans-Resolving-Calvanism-Armenian/dp/1979464049/ref=sr_1_94?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1515851287&sr=1-94&keywords=S.+Maxwell
Filed under:

Light in Loss

Published by S.M. Wibberley on January 12, 2018
Praise you, Lord God, that I wake up each morning to your goodness. My experience last night of losing all my luggage, computer included, turned out to be a dream–but I didn’t know that while living it! And this gave me the chance in my dream to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and trust you in the midst of loss.
 
Praise you for all the times that you have protected the possessions you have given us, as well as allowing us at times to lose some. You, O Lord, are good and gracious and kind–Even if I lose it all and have only you, that will be far more than enough! “Whom have I in heaven but you, and earth has nothing I desire besides you!” Psalm 73:25
 
I thank you, Lord, for your care, your compassion, your constant presence. You are the One to be sought continually, to be thought about consistently, to be sought in prayer in every situation. “In the day of my trouble I call to you for you deliver me” (Ps. 86:7).
Image may contain: cloud, sky, tree, snow, outdoor and nature
Filed under: