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Right Focus

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 4, 2017
I awoke with somewhat negative feelings this morning, perhaps from thinking too much about my books. Instead I want to be thinking on you, Lord Jesus, to be rejoicing in you and who you are throughout the day.
 
You are the eternal One, the Righteous One, the Holy One, the Mighty One, the Glorious and Beautiful One. You deserve our love, our devotion, our worship, our obedience, our fervor, our focus.
 
I praise you that you lift our eyes from the temporary to the Timeless, from the small to the Great, from the created to the Creator. You are the One to be worshiped and I repent of thinking so much about sales and success.
 
Guide me in being balanced in a biblical way, in approaching this work with you, in your time, in your wisdom, in your power. I thank you for all you will do in response to my prayers.
 
I praise you, that you are my Lord, my Refuge, my Fortress, my Stronghold, my Shield, my Shepherd, my Protector, my Guide, my King and my God.
 
To you be glory in this day. Help me to be a glory giver at each step, at each juncture, offering praise for the pleasant and the sacrifice of thanksgiving in every difficulty and disappointment, thereby honoring you.
 
You are the One whom I am to follow, to gaze upon, to focus on, to worship, to love. Help me to do that so that you may receive glory and honor for all that you will do today.
 
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Our Lavish Lord

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 3, 2017

 

You are the Lord of lavishness, full of Love and Life, Laughter and Light.

I praise you for your wise working in us in very practical ways, dealing with the details right down to the subatomic level—you care for us wonderfully, persistently, lovingly and graciously. It is especially warming to think of your loving care in contrast to what we deserve. I give you honor and glory for your powerful, persistent, perfect agape Love.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for what lies before us today: on our part partially planned but truly unknown, while on your part it is fully planned and fully known.

What an amazing thought: you have gone through the day of each one of your children—hundreds of millions of them–preparing things in detail, planning personalized lessons, guidance, protection, chastening, blessing and provision.

And you do the same for the elect, as well as pouring out your goodness and attention on those whom you know will never believe. “…your Father in heaven…causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

You are truly the God of Grace, the God of Goodness, the God of Giving. To you belongs all glory and honor, all praise and applause, all worship and exaltation, all obedience and reverence, all fear and love. Such care, such compassion, such cherishing, such comprehensive love is found in no one else.

We fall to our knees in wonder, we bow down in awe, we rise up to surrender to give you honor in belief and obedience. May you be exalted in our lives today.

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Psalm 28:2-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 2, 2017
 
Psalm 28:2 “Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,”
[Where else can I look for mercy and help but you, O Lord? You are the Spring of all mercy, you are the Source of all help. In the midst of wars, refugees and political upheaval, in the midst of suffering, sickness and sad relationships, you hear our cry for help.
The goodness and beauty we see on the earth is but a reflection of your great, faithful and wonderful character, reminding me that I can trust you to hear, to answer, protect and guide.]
“Hear…as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.”
[To focus on you, who dwells in the Most Holy Place in Heaven—and also within me–is the right thing to do, for there is no real help in any other place. You are the one who is moving History to a conclusion and taking us with you.
You are the Holy One who knows what is good and edifying for us, whether it be relief or the need to go through difficulties. In you I can trust to bring, in your mercy, what is needed. In you I can hope and therefore I can praise you before there is any sign of your working.]
Psalm 28:3 “Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil,”
[Lord, keep me from joining the wicked, from doing evil whether in thought, word or action. Help me to live according to the position you have given me, being a son of the Most High, a child of the King and an ambassador of Jesus. Help me to live in your power, to be filled with your Spirit, to be obedient and diligent in doing what is good.
I praise you that you help me every day, guiding me in deciding ahead of time to be gracious, kind, helpful, servant-hearted, and then, when the moment comes, to immediately respond with those qualities, along with thanksgiving and gladness.
I praise you for how you are changing me in this way instead of dragging me away with the wicked, for in my old nature I do deserve to be cast out, rejected, judged and condemned.
 
However, in you, Lord Jesus, I am forgiven, helped, guided and protected. I am being transformed, growing, deepening and changing through your mercy, strength and love. Praise be to you for your gracious and great provision; may you be exalted in my life today.]
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Psalm 28:1

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 1, 2017
 
Psalm 28:1 “To you I call, O LORD”
 
[You are the great I Am, the LORD of all, Yahweh, the Holy One who is totally other, totally self-sufficient, without need of anyone. You are pure and sinless, spotless and good, your glory is in your holiness. You hate sin and will punish it, but love the sinner and provide a way of forgiveness. You are the LORD, worthy to be worshiped, worthy of praise, worthy of reverence and awe, fear and obedience. Glory belongs to you; may it flow from my life to you today.]
 
“You are…my Rock;”
 
[You, the Great and Mighty One have made yourself to be my Rock: impregnable, unshakable, unmovable, unassailable, undefeatable. In you there is security, in you there is safety. Nothing can get through you to me expect what you allow in your wisdom and love. I can rest in you, be secure in you, trust in you. You are the everlasting eternal Rock, ever the same, ever trustable, ever good.]
 
“do not turn a deaf ear to me.”
 
[I praise you, Lord, that your ear is ever listening, never deaf towards your children. You are the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God. You delight in having us come to you in prayer, and you delight in answering. You may chasten us by not answering when we are willfully living in sin, but the problem then is with us, not you. Praise you for your faithful, loving, Fatherhood commitment to hear and answer your children.]
 
“For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.”
 
[This is true: if we had no access to you, how would we be different from those who don’t believe, who live in death, from those who have already died? In you, Lord Jesus we are given access to light, life, love, and lasting goodness—for that is what you are. And you are always there in our lives.
 
Praise you that your Word ever speaks to us, that you are active to bring us through each valley, through each dark night, through each difficulty and danger, for you are our great Shepherd who speaks and is not silent.]
 
Lord, today I lay my life before you on the altar of obedience. I praise you now for what you will bring, for how you will guide, for how you will protect. Because you are only good, I can trust you to do what is right, to bring what is best, to lead in what is wise.
 
May you be glorified in my life today, Lord God, honored, lifted up and exalted in my thoughts, motives, words and actions. Protect me from the evil one and evil men; protect me from myself; protect me for your own glory. I praise you now for all you will do in this day. Amen.]
 
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Today's entry in my worship journal, reveling in the love of God.

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 30, 2017
Thank you, Lord, for your gracious and good love for us, for your patience and kindness where we deserve the opposite.
 
I thank you for the peace, stability and rest that your wonderful character gives us as we gaze upon your face, the face of patience and wisdom, mercy and grace, of rejection of evil and embracing good, of unshifting, unconditional love, of your powerful presence in the whole of the universe.
 
Thank you so much for wholeheartedly making me your son, embracing me with joy, delighting in me with happiness, singing over me with love, enthusiastically making me part of your family. And along with these, giving me an important role in your Kingdom, significant work and full equipping.
 
I praise you, Lord God for your long and wide, high and deep love for me and all that you have created. Help us all who are your children to revel in, bask in, rejoice in, rest in your beautiful, rich, perfect and loving heart, knowing that in you we belong, we have worth and we are competent—truths that no one can ever change.
 
In you, in the midst of this dangerous and shifting world, we have stability, certainty, protection, meaning, a plan to carry us through and a future.
 
We are not limited to the time box of this world; instead it is only the foyer to the endless life we will have with you, with endless youth, endless love and endless involvement in your unending plans for beauty, creativity and ever deepening relationships. Praise be to you, our beautiful Lord, in all that will come to us from you throughout this day.
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(Untitled)

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 29, 2017
Further thoughts on Psalm 27:1,
 
“The Lord is my light”
[When all is dark, when I can’t see the way, when confusion reigns and I don’t know what to do, you shine your light on my path, Lord Jesus. At the right time, we will be enlightened. Praise you for your faithfulness in illuminating the way.]
“And my salvation.”
[You, Lord God, are the Star Breather, the Earth Spinner, the Dawn Bringer, the History Ender, the great Redeemer and mighty Savior. You are at work in great power, in deep wisdom and in unquenchable love to bring what is best within a broken world.
I think of all the times over the years you have protected me in driving, all the times I should have had an accident, yet you alerted me, or kept me from changing lanes or had others avoid me.
Thank you for keeping us safe when the brakes on my aged vehicle give out twice, both times in good places, preventing accidents. I praise you for what you are doing every day to protect us, both from our own foolishness and from others’ errors.
Praise be to you, Lord, for your great faithfulness and love, your gracious, undeserved protection and help. Truly you protect and deliver on every level: eternal, temporal, spiritual, intellectual, volitional, emotional, physical, financial, social, vocational.
You shield, you deliver, you provide, you warn, you rescue, you embrace. And why? Because you are love itself, you cherish your children, you delight in us, you choose to love us in spite of what we naturally are.
I praise you in repentance for my unbelief, in wonder for your gracious forgiveness, in humility for your undeserved kindness, in deep thankfulness for your unceasing love, in amazement at your delight in your children, in joy for your marvelous, rich, positive and good character.
In you I am safe, in you I am secure, in you I am significant, in you is all I need. Praise you that you are able and willing to save to the uttermost those who believe in you.]
“whom shall I fear?”
[With a God like you watching over me in love, tenderness, forgiveness and power, who else should have sway over me? Who can bring real damage to me when you filter out what is truly harmful? You only are the One to be feared, to be obeyed, to be revered. Praise be to you in all, Lord Jesus, Redeemer of all, especially of those who believe.
I praise you now for what you have planned for my life today, I delight in your power, rejoice in your provision, and revel in your perfection. May you be exalted today in my life, for you deserve all glory, honor and praise, in and for all things.]
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An example of lifting my soul to God, written a number of years ago during a difficult time.

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 28, 2017
 
 
 
Praise you, Lord, for your gracious work in my life: my miserable life on a human level, my wonderful life on your level. Thank you that you are working on raising me to that higher level, leading me upward and onward, out of the swamp of my natural self into the light of your presence and the lushness of your green pastures, into your powerful, positive presence.
 
I thank you for my unwanted circumstances, Lord, for the dreaded tasks I have to do, and the desired work I’m unable to do. You know what is best, what is right and will work it out.
 
I praise you, Father God, for your wisdom, love, goodness and power. You, my Heavenly Father, watch over me and bring into my life the challenges and opportunities I need.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, my great and good Shepherd, leading me in the proper paths, guiding me through disagreements and difficulties, through my poor choices and out the other side into the wide place you have for me. I praise you for your good and gracious presence at all times, and that you carry me through when life is too much for me.
 
I praise you, Holy Spirit, that you are my Heavenly Teacher, my persistent Transformer, my gracious Guide and my determined Director, seeking to bring me to ever-higher levels of walking with you.
 
Praise you, O Triune God, that you are the One I can trust in the midst of my present uncertainty and difficulties. You are my Heavenly Protector, blocking what is harmful, allowing what is edifying, providing all I need. Therefore, I can give you honor and praise now, before any of this is worked out, for you are gracious, great and good, full of power, positiveness and love.
 
Thank you now for how you will help me today to do all the things that you desire, to make decisions based on what is best, not just on what I’d like. Give me wisdom in how to proceed and what to accomplish. Help me to consistently live the truth that Knowing Jesus Is Enough for Joy, Period!
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Psalm 27:12b-14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 26, 2017

Psalm 27:12b “…false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.”

[Satan certainly rises against me and incites people to do the same. I think of a neighbor who in the past spread lies about me on facebook and in town and threatened me.

I praise you that you allow such attacks to strengthen my faith, expose my sin and mature me. As you led me to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving for my neighbor’s actions, and to respond by doing good to him, you resolved the situation and he’s become pleasant and positive.

Help me to discern the lies told about me, whether they come from the devil, my flesh, people, or the world—and to counteract them with your truth.

Help me also to be alert to any violent aspects of my own emotions that come from my old nature, the world and the devil: anger, impatience, strong words and negative actions. Help me to quickly process them before they can control me and to act instead out of truth, love and grace. I praise you for your gracious, specific protection and help.]

Psalm 27:13 “I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

[No matter how bad things get, your goodness will always be there, and it will shine through in the end. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life”(Ps. 23:6).

My confidence needs to be in your goodness, not measured by my desires being fulfilled, by my comfort or success, but by your greatness and glory revealed in your Word, by your beautiful and pristine character, as revealed in creation and by your doing what is best, as revealed in history.]

Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

[Repetition of this command to wait shows how important it is. I must wait for you, spending time with you, listening to your direction, not acting too early and on my own desires. As my wife is fond of saying “Waiting on the Lord is the greatest economy of time.”

[In you, in the midst of my weakness, I can be strong and take heart, for you are strength itself, you are faithfulness itself, you are wisdom itself. You have a plan and will bring it to pass. “In the day of my trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).

I praise you, Lord, for your trustworthiness, for the certainty of your moving at the right time, for your answering my prayers in the right way.

You are right, Lord, you are true, you are good and faithful. Therefore I can rest in you. Praise be to you for what you will do today as I wait on you.]

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Psalm 27:11,12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 26, 2017
Psalm 27:11 “Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path”
 
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, my Great Shepherd, that you consistently teach me your way through your Word and your Spirit. And that you continually lead me on your straight path, even though I sometimes stray off it. Forgive me for my failure to obey and to follow; help me to pay attention and implement what you teach. I praise you for your consistent care, your continual help and constant protection.
 
Teach me your way today, Lord, and keep me on the straight path that I may be bring joy to you, light to others and hope to all I meet.]
 
“…lead me because of my oppressors.”
 
[The main oppressor, Satan is always there, using people and events to trip me up. He wants to keep me in fear, make life difficult, and lead me into disobedience.
 
When Satan accuses, tries to beat me down and seeks to make me stumble, help me to stay on your straight path, Lord, laying aside every weight and sin that Satan wants to entangle me with, so that I may run with perseverance the race you have set out before me (Heb. 12:1,2).]
 
Psalm 27:12 “Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,”
 
[I praise you for how you protect us from our foes who are too strong for us. At the same time, I thank you that, in your wisdom, you do not protect us from many of the consequences of our wrong choices. You do this in order to teach us, to chasten us, to redirect us, to bring surrender and growth.
 
Thank you that you protect us from what will be truly injurious, helping us to discern and reject the voice of our enemy, while listening to and heeding your Word and your Spirit.
 
Thank you for your warning to me to slow down in life, to consistently spend more time with you, to be careful in not doing too much but to select, with your guidance, what I should be involved in.
 
Thank you that, on the other side, you help me to discern and reject the enemy’s encouragement to be lazy and self-indulgent, to waste time in insignificant activities.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are my Wisdom, my Shield, my Shepherd and my Strength. Help me to distrust my natural responses, which my foes want to use, and to fully trust you and your Word, so I can stay on your straight path, running well and wisely the race you have set out before me. Use me today for your purposes and bring honor to your Name.]
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Psalm 27:7-10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 25, 2017
Psalm 27:7 “Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.”

[It is wonderful to know that you, LORD, are consistently merciful, and always hear us when we call. You always answer our prayers at the right time and in the right way, whether it be “Yes,” “No,” or “Wait.” You are the great and wonderful God who cares for us richly, positively and powerfully.]

Psalm 27:8 “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

[Yes, Lord, I do want to consistently seek your face, spending time in your Word, opening my heart and my spirit to you and your direction. I want to understand and embrace all that you are and what you have for me.

To seek you I must let go of my myriad plans and projects, surrendering them all to you. Instead, I must hold onto your mercy, your goodness, your wisdom. And then I can rise above the uncertainty around me, the problems before me and my impatience within me.

Here on the farm there are so many possible projects before me, like finishing the roofing work, so every day I need to let go of what I’d like to do, hold on to what is possible and wise, and then be able to rise above all my worry and fear and frustration. Thank you that you always help me with this.]

Psalm 27:9 “Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;”

[I fail every day, Lord, in not leading myself well, in worrying, being selfish, not taking time to rest, fretting about spending–basically creating a lot of junk stress for myself.

I praise you for pointing this out to me right now as I write; forgive me! I praise you that you do, not reacting in anger and turning away from me–for you are good and ready to forgive and abounding in mercy towards all those who call upon you (Ps. 86:5). Help me to consistently draw near to you so I can quickly note my sinful tendencies and immediately repent.]

“you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.”

[Yes, you are my God, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Guide, my Protector. Thank you that you do not reject me, that in your great love and mighty mercy you are patiently and persistently working in and with me to bring transformation, growth and deepening. I praise you for your gracious goodness in leading me upward and onward.]

Psalm 27:10 “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”

[Your love is far greater than that of my parents, therefore you will always receive me. I praise you for how you will guide me today, for you are my Light and my Salvation, you are the Fortress of my life, whom should I fear, of whom should I be afraid?

You are great and powerful, wise and all knowing, positive and pure, holy and grace-filled. You are good and do only good, all the time. Thank you for the difficulties you are using in my life now. I praise you for them. Help me to walk through them with your power and wisdom today.

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