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[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 13, 2017

[Written in early 2011 while living in Germany to care for Omi, Barbara’s mother.]

Praise you, Lord, for the knowledge that you are the manager of my life. In your goodness, wisdom, grace and love you are constantly at work, arranging events, filtering out evil, giving guidance, protecting and directing.

Thank you for the surety that, as I pray about the day, you hear, you answer, you reach down from on high and take hold of me, you draw me out of deep waters, you rescue me from my powerful enemy, from my foe who is too strong for me. You bring me forth into a spacious place. You rescue me because you delight in me. (Psalm 18:16-19)

What wonderful, rich, peace-giving, joy-providing, rest-producing Truth. Whatever comes I can praise and wait for your wise and good timing in bringing me through it.

In relation to Barbara’s mother, Omi, and the potential end of our time here, whether we leave in August or December, it’s fine: your timing is perfect. I can trust you to work things out: Omi’s accepting the change; a place opening up at the right time in the nursing home (she’s had an application in for 10 years and still no place); the selling of her house in a glutted market; the outworking of disposing of all her goods; the shutting down of all utilities; the closing up of our apartment; the actual leaving.

Praise you, Lord, that you have all these things in hand, will guide us through the maze and will cause each thing to happen at the right time. Praise be to you ahead of time because you are always good, gracious and righteous.

Epilogue: the Lord answered and brought every one of these events to pass–later than we expected (almost a year later, by March of 2012), but at the right time and in the right way, including providing Omi a place in a brand new, beautiful nursing home, with her being willing to go and then in the very last week of our time in Germany, the selling of Omi’s house for the price she wanted.

Truly, Lord God, you are the God of hope, who wants to fill us with all joy and peace, if we will only trust in you. Then you will cause our lives to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, blessing all those around us (Rom. 15:13). Help us, Lord Jesus, to trust in you continually, fully, richly and willfully so we can be carriers of hope to all those around us.

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Psalm 20

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 12, 2017
Psalm 20:8 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses…They are brought to their knees and fall,”
 
[Horses die, chariots shatter, people pass, strength subsides, and every person in the world comes to the end of his or her rope where there is no further hope.]
 
“but we rise up and stand firm.”
 
[But in you, Lord Jesus, strength endures forever: your love is everlasting and your grace goes on through all eternity. When we come to the end of our rope, we can switch to your infinite and eternal rope, surrendering to you, trusting in you, crying out to you.
 
In you and in your power, we will be able to advance against a troop, to scale a wall , for we are shielded by your goodness (Ps. 18:29). We will always be able to stand firm in you, if we have on the full armor of God.]
 
Psalm 20:9 “O LORD, save the king!”
 
[Praise you that you saved king David in every battle and in every difficulty–and through his line brought us our Savior!]
 
“Answer us when we call!”
 
[Every day we pray, and every day you answer in your faithfulness. You are my Rock in whom I can take refuge (Ps. 18:2); you are my high tower in whom I can hide; you are my hope in whom I can rest (Ps. 62:5). For this I give you praise and honor and glory, Lord. I give you exaltation, worship and thanksgiving. In your faithfulness you are worthy of all surrender, all obedience, all submission.
 
So I bow before you, the Mighty Creator, the Powerful Sustainer, my Strong Defender. I rise up in this day so that, by your power, I can obey you in praise, in patience, in trust, in thought, word and deed. Glorify yourself in my life today, O Lord God. Amen.]
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Psalm 20:7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 11, 2017

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses,”

Yes, Lord, sometimes we trust in other powers: money, might or men of position. Sometimes we trust in training, technology and theological systems. And sometimes we trust in planning, persuasion and people.

But all these fall far short of what we actually need; all are pitifully weak in comparison to our enemies: the world, our flesh and the devil. “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise….He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me” (Ps. 18:3,17).

All our enemies are less than nothing in comparison to you, Lord Jesus, the Star-breather, the Earth-spinner, the Dawn-bringer, the History-ender. Therefore we must reject confidence in anything else.]

“but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

[You are the only One who is trustable to the end: you are the eternal God of all might, the Lord of all power, the Creator of every creature, the Ruler of all dominions and kingdoms, the Lord of all principalities and powers. No one and nothing can stand against you.

“The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”  (Ps. 33:10,11).

You, Lord God, can do no evil, no wrong, no sin; you only do what is good and righteous and wise–therefore in you we can trust. In your Name we can exalt by believing and obeying your word. In your Name we can take refuge, for “the LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2). Praise be to you.]

Help us to walk today in the greatness of who you are, Lord Jesus, rejecting our tendency to primarily trust in other helps, which are feeble and futile.

Help us to instead trust in you, coming to you first in prayer and dependence, believing you to use whatever you chose to protect, provide and guide us through this day. Praise be to you now for how you will work, our great King and powerful Savior.

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The Desire of our Hearts

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 11, 2017
Praise be to you, Lord, for your rich and beautiful gifts: new life, joy and peace, hope and purpose, your love and embrace. To know you is far beyond good, for it is the deepest desire of every human heart to be enfolded in a rich relationship with the Creator of the universe–but sadly, most rebelliously resist your regal offer and are instead locked into the crushing, destructive embrace of the negative values of this fallen world.
 
It is such a magnificent and beautiful privilege to rest in your embrace of love, in the warmth of your acceptance, in the grace you exude at each moment. And it is a great freedom to rejoice in the lack of condemnation, the lack of accusation and conditional acceptance. These realities are so wonderfully edifying, strengthening, encouraging and empowering–giving us a rich, warm foretaste of Heaven.
 
I can go out with you into today, Lord Jesus, knowing that I am with you and you are within me, that you will never leave me. I can trust you fully to guide me through the obstacle course of today as we wend our way forward in this fallen world, leaving behind a trail that others can follow.
 
I praise you that you know every bend, every turn, every pitfall in the path, as well as every ambush the enemy has set up. And you prepare me for them as I spend time with you each morning. Then, as I keep on the whole armor of God, thinking your Word, listening to your Spirit, in your power I can respond to each ambush, stand against each attack and be more than a conqueror no matter what Satan may throw at me. “I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies” (Ps 18:3).
 
I may trip, fall or get knocked down, but remaining in your truth by confession and repentance, I can spring to my feet again and continue on the upward path of righteousness you are leading me on for your name’s sake.
 
“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” You, LORD, “are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer… my shield and…my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2), and as I remain behind the shield of your love, in the stronghold of your holiness, and on the rock of your mercy, I am safe.
 
Praise be to you, the God of goodness, the Lord of love, the King of kindness, the Giver of grace, the Healer of hearts and the Protector of you people. Today I choose to live in the truth that “Knowing Jesus is Enough for Joy,” following your example, Lord Jesus, who, for the joy that was set before you, endured the cross, despising the shame and are set down at the right hand of God (Heb. 12:2).
 
Help me to keep my eyes on you and on the joy of knowing you, of knowing where I am going in life and death, for then the difficulties and pain of this life will fade in significance and power, so I can run with patience the race you have set before me.
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Psalm 20:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 9, 2017
Psalm 20:6 “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;”
 
[This is a rock-solid certainty: you, Heavenly Father, saved king David in many difficult circumstances. And you saved Jesus, the anointed One–but not in the way any human would have expected. You did not save Him from suffering and death; you saved him through agony and death by the resurrection. And you saved us through the same act of grace.
 
I praise you that every day, in the battle of life, you continue saving us, your chosen ones, your anointed ones. You are a shield to all those who take refuge in you (Prov. 30:5).]
 
“he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.”
 
[You answered David in his distress, you answered Jesus in his death, you answer us in our difficulties–every day. And your answers aren’t some minor move, but are in the mighty majesty of your right hand, your most powerful means of action. Your munificent ministerings show the depth of your commitment and attention to your chosen and appointed ones.
 
Praise you, Lord God, that you are the Deliverer, the Rescuer, the Answerer, the Shield, the Lover of your children. You are the Trustable One to be worshiped and obeyed in belief!
 
Help us to trust in you today, Lord God, resting in the certainty of your presence, your power and your provision, even when at the moment, we can see no help on the horizon.
 
Praise you for your faithfulness we will experience today, so we can “know this love that surpasses knowledge” and our lives can be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:10).]
 
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A New Day, Potent with Possibilities

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 8, 2017
Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, my Shepherd and King, as I woke to find myself with you. My dreams were unpleasant, having one obstacle after another–kind of like real life, but without your presence–so it was good to come back to reality with you!
 
Thank you for the wonder of knowing you, Lord Jesus, of having your grace, goodness and greatness in my life, of being continually offered rest and hope, a partnership of purpose and power in prayer, of being able to join you in what you are doing.
 
Thank you that this day before me will be filled with multiple possibilities of honoring you with faith, responding to disappointments, interruptions, problems and challenges with thanksgiving and the chance to thereby defeat frustration, impatience, selfishness, fear and worry.
 
To respond with faith is to do something that has eternal value, to fulfill the purpose you have given me in life of honoring you rather than focusing on myself and what is visible.
 
Thank you that you have made faith the primary means of joining you, for anyone can do that: young and old, illiterate and highly educated, rich and poor, powerful and weak, new believer or old.
 
This is an exciting truth, for it shows how everyone in the spectrum of maturity, from the newest believer to the most mature saint, can all give you glory at each moment in time, simply by responding in faith–getting up the shield of faith by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 50:23, Heb. 13:15).
 
I praise you for what you have before me today, Lord; help me to partner with you, knowing that all will flow from your hand of goodness, from your heart of wisdom, from your boundless grace, from your desire for me to join you in your great plans.
 
Help me to see each next negative as a positive possibility to offer you honor through thanksgiving, to grow spiritually and to be a shining light to those around me. What a privilege! Thank you for it and for what you will do in and through me today.
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Psalm 20:4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 7, 2017
Psalm 20:4 “May he give you the desire of your heart”
 
[This echos the statement of Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” As we find our delight in you, Lord, it is safe for you to answer our prayers, for you know that the answer will not become an idol.
 
Lord, truly you are my delight, my joy, my goodness, my God; help me to consistently focus my love on you, to reject the temptation to let events and people siphon off that love to lesser things.
 
Praise you that as we delight in your character, putting you first of all in our lives, you can in wisdom grant us the desires of our hearts, for you have conformed our desires to yours, you have placed in our hearts the desires that are right.]
 
“and make all your plans succeed.”
 
[Lord, may only those plans that flow from you succeed. May you be glorified, honored and exalted by the success of any plans we seek to implement. May you come first, may you be praised, may you be lifted up in any success that comes.]
 
Psalm 20:5 “We will shout for joy when you are victorious”
 
[We will glorify you, Lord God, for any and all victories–for people being set free, coming to know you, overcoming temptation, maturing in you, sharing with unbelieving friends. You are the great Doer of the wonderful, the powerful Bringer of good, the mighty Victor in all.]
 
“and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.”
 
[It is your name that should be lifted up, magnified and glorified. Whatever results come from our efforts to obey you should result in honor for you, not for us. May the world see your power and purpose, your grace and goodness in whatever success comes into our lives through your hand.]
 
“May the LORD grant all your requests.”
 
[May you fulfill whatever requests line up with your will, Lord. May none of my requests that you know aren’t right be granted. I don’t want to be asking for a king as the Israelites did, or for a longer life when that is not your will, as King Hezekiah did. Protect me from myself and my own ideas. I surrender my all to you and ask that you lead, that I might follow and do what is your desire.
I commit to you all of today and ask that in my thoughts, motives, words and actions I may please you, give you honor and exalt your name before all those around me.
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Another excerpt from Canterbury, CT. Characters of the 20th Century. Now available on Kindle.

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 6, 2017

 

Reverend Henry Strube had connections with Canterbury long before he moved here in 1951. He and his wife, Lois, were missionaries working in Columbia, South America in the 1940s. As they were supported by Calvary Chapel, they visited Canterbury each time they came to the US.
Mr. Strube was full of fun and life. He liked to tell jokes and had some he told a lot, like how he asked his wife to marry him. “I said to her, ‘Wilt thou marry me?’ and she wilted.” And about his first night living in the jungles of Columbia. They stayed in a thatched roof hut and after getting into bed, creatures began to fall from the rafters onto the bed. He said he wasn’t sure what all of them were, beyond rats, lizards and a snake or two, but as each one fell, he’d hit it with a stick and throw it on the floor.
In one rainy season when they were living in the jungle, their oldest child became ill. Since the roads were impassable because of the deep mud, they were unable to get the boy out for medical care, and he died.
It was, of course, a tragic happening and they mourned the boy’s death. But Pastor Strube said that the Indians attitude towards them changed much to the positive after that, as they saw how the Strubes were willing to live and lose as they did.
After they moved to a ministry in an urban center, Pastor Strube survived three assassination attempts. In one incident, his whole family was fed food containing ground glass, but miraculously they were not injured.
Later when Pastor Strube was preaching on the street, a mob came after him. He was able to get into his truck, but they surrounded him and turned the truck over, hoping to kill hime, but only succeeded in cutting off two of his fingers.
Another time he was in his kitchen moving the galvanized container they used for a bath tub. Just when he bent over to move it, a bullet came in the open window and went right through his hair. Later the gunman became a follower of Jesus and told Pastor Strube that the local religious leader had promised to marry him for free if he killed Mr. Strube!
He liked to tell how, after moving to Canterbury, he prepared his sermons at night, always keeping a 22. rifle on the desk so he could shoot the rats that came out of the baseboards of the old parsonage. In his time the parsonage was the house next to Creative Interiors.
He was very interested in meeting people where they were in life, as willing to help folks get in hay, milk a cow or take them to the hospital as he was to preach, teach a class or visit the sick. He was also a good mechanic, fixing his own car and anyone else’s that needed work.
In interviewing people about him, one word they used a lot to describe him was “fun.” He and his wife led the youth group and he was always finding a new place to take them. Claire Ellston remembers how entertaining their times were in the “Young Peoples” group with Pastor Strube: swimming, ice skating, roller skating, trips to the beach and to camp.
He bought an old hearse to take the young people to events, including Word of Life Camp in Schroon Lake in NY. More than once that “re-hearse” broke down on the road, but with Mr. Strube along, they always got it running again.
 
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From my worship journal, written in 2010

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 5, 2017
You, Lord, are the God of provision, flooding our lives with your gracious goodness, your constant kindness, your wide wisdom, your penetrating insight, boundless strength and great grace.
 
Truly, our cup overflows; you have brought us into a spacious place; your have rescued us because you delight in us.
 
What rich goodness you have poured out on us:
–The great and glorious privilege of being your children, sons and daughters of the Most High King;
–The grace of knowing and living ever more intimately with you, the Gracious and Glorious God;
–The worldview-shifting truth that whatever comes into our lives is part of your plan to work good, to give opportunity for us to fulfill the purpose of our lives (giving you glory) and to give us significant parts in moving history to its conclusion;
–The powerful possibility to rewrite every hurt from your point of view and to forgive the offender as you have forgiven us, thereby freeing ourselves from the cruel bonds of resentment;
–The wonder of your love lavished on us in undeserved richness, in marvelous breadth and height, length and depth;
–The joy of belonging, of having worth, of being competent in you;
–The security of knowing where we are going;
–The anticipated joy of spending eternity with you.
 
With these shining, beautiful and powerful truths, I can enter this day at your side, joining you in the adventure you have for me, the work you have for me to enter in partnership with you.
 
There may be disappointments, hurts, troubles and difficulties, but each one is a fine tool you will use to shape me more into the image of Christ. And each one will be an opportunity to be weak in myself but strong in you, to praise, to rise on wings of eagles, to see things from on high and to give you glory.
 
What a life you’ve given, what joy you share with us, what a God you are! May you be glorified in my life today by the working of your Spirit and Word to bring me to quick, eager, loving obedience in each situation.
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Psalm 20:1-3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 4, 2017
Psalm 20:1 For the director of music. A Psalm of David (and a wonderful prayer for us.)
 
“May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;”
 
[Praise you, Jehovah Yahweh, that you do answer: “I will call upon the Lord in the day of trouble, for he will answer me” (Ps. 86:7).]
 
“may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”
 
[You, heavenly Father, are the strong and faithful One. In your name is persistent power, demonstrated in your working with that rascal, Jacob the deceiver. You pursued him to the end and finally brought Jacob to surrender in worship on his death bed. And now, in spite of his ugly past, you are not ashamed to be called “The God of Jacob!”
 
As your name Elohim means “the powerful and faithful One,” so you protected Jacob all through his life. In like manner you protect me in all times, in every place, in all circumstances. You are rock-solid-sure in your faithfulness and power.]
 
Psalm 20:2 “May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.”
 
[Praise you, Lord God, that by prayer we can enter your sanctuary at any time and know that you will hear and accept us. Praise you that you always send help, just the right help, at just the right time—which may be much later than we want it–but then we have a chance to live by faith as we wait for your perfect and wise timing.]
 
Psalm 20:3 “May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.”
 
[Praise you, Lord Jesus, that in your name and by your grace, we are able to offer the acceptable worship of the sacrifice of thanksgiving to you throughout the day. We are able to give you honor and glory in ways that are pleasing to you. Only in you and by your own sacrifice is this possible. Praise you for opening the way for us.]
 
As we pray this prayer, Lord, help us to see your certain answers in our lives today. Thank you for how you will respond, O Lord, our God.
Selah
 
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