Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Arrived!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2017
Writing today from my son’s home in the Middle East! Had a good trip, arrived safely and in reasonable shape. And after a good night’s sleep we both are ready to go! Thank you for your prayers on our behalf.
 
Today’s devotional.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are the Sovereign King, the One who will work things out, who will bring good things to pass in the best way—even out of all that is negative.
 
Praise you, too, Lord Jesus, for reminding me last night that you are the One I am to delight in. It was good that you drew me away from work, so I could be quiet and hear your reminder. I was in danger of veering off into delighting in projects. You reminded me that my passion, my first love, my delight must be in you, Lord Jesus, the Creator of all, the Owner of all, the Ender of all. You are the One and Only to be exalted.
 
Worship is very much wrapped up in delighting in you, intentionally nurturing our first love for you. So I delight in you now, remembering that you are perfect in wisdom, complete in knowledge, always doing what is best for your children. You are magnificent in power, creating galaxies just by speaking. You are majestic in your grace, forgiving where justice demands punishment. You are mighty in your goodness, pouring it out on both the righteous and the rebel.
 
In you there is no evil, no sin, no wrong, no error. You are the King of kindness, the God of goodness, the holy Hater of Evil, the just Judge of wrong doers, the faithful Forgiver of sinners.
 
What a wonder you are, Lord Jesus, in your willingness to suffer the anguish of the cross, the despair of abandonment, the pain of rejection, the battering of Satan’s attacks, the horror of becoming sin, the crushing weight of the Father’s judgment, the banishment from His presence, and condemnation to death.
 
There was no need for you, the Righteous One, to suffer these things, but love led the way, faithfulness stayed the course, obedience brought the glorious conclusion. Praise you for this great display of your rich, loving, gracious Character, O Everlasting God!
 
Praise you for your loving care, shepherding your rebellious children, displaying great patience in the face of our disrespect, unbelief, disobedience and selfishness.
 
You, Lord Jesus, are worthy of worship for boundless reasons. I praise you for the joy you give as I think on how you have worked in my life, providing personal, powerful, persistent, patient intervention to bring me to my senses, to surrender and out of trouble.
 
I love you, I rejoice in your all-sufficient grace, I praise you for your all-encompassing goodness. You are worthy of all-absorbing worship, so I bow down now and give you honor in my thoughts, desires and words. I rise up to enter this day, giving you all glory in my life. May you be the One I continually delight in.
Filed under:

Traveling Today

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 1, 2017
Today, Sunday, we leave on our long trip to visit our sons and their little families in the Middle East. We’d be glad if you prayed for the trip to go well, for Barbara to be calm and actually enjoy it.
 
Here’s a picture of another piece of old farm equipment, a chopper-blower to process field corn and blow it up a pipe into the silo, just like the one my grandfather had.
Image may contain: people sitting, tree, grass, shoes, sky, outdoor and nature
Filed under:

Aid for the Lost

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2017
It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Sunday afternoon, so we went for a walk in the woods with my son Josh and his little family.
 
About halfway through, I noticed that one of my hearing aids was missing. Instantly I realized what had happened: I’d been carrying my smallest grandson on my shoulders, and when I put him down, the hearing aid was dislodged. It had fallen off at that point, or somewhat later.
 
My first reaction was natural, “Oh no!” for this was an expensive item. But the Holy Spirit immediately prompted me to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving: “Thank you, Lord, for allowing this. I pray that you’ll help me to find it, as you know where it is. And if I don’t find it, I’ll praise you anyway.” I then retraced the several hundred yards we’d covered, looking carefully among the leaves for the missing item, but to no avail.
 
As I was searching, the Spirit reminded me of how our car had been stolen shortly before we moved to Germany in 2009. I had looked for that, too, but again, to no avail. We’d hoped to sell it and buy a car in Germany, but, as you may remember, the Lord had something much greater in mind for us.
 
He not only supplied a car for free through our new friends, Dr. Chris and Melanie, but they paid for the insurance, taxes, repairs and all our fuel for the whole 3.5 years we were there!
 
But much more importantly, the Lord gave opportunity to share the gospel with Dr. Chris, answering all his questions, so that near the end of our time there, he came to Christ. That was certainly worth losing my 15-year-old rusty car for!
 
So, what does God have in store through this loss? I don’t know yet, but we shall see!
 
I returned to join my family, again looking carefully as I retraced my steps and then we all looked again as we walked back home–but no hearing aid. I returned later in the afternoon with a magnetic stick and swept through the leaves, but nothing. The next morning, I brought a young friend who is really good at finding things—but again nothing.
 
Each of these fruitless searches was another chance to trust God in praise. He certainly knows where that hearing aid is, but has chosen not to show me. I don’t know what He intends to do with this, but I can trust Him to know and to reveal it at the right time.
 
It is so good to relax in His love, to let go of what is temporal (it belonged to God anyway), to hold on to the truth of His goodness and grace, and to rise above the situation.
 
As it says in Hebrews 12:1-2, remembering that I am surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, I am told to lay aside every weight (sadness at the loss) and the sin that so easily entangles me (worry, fretting, anger) and run with patience and perseverance the race He has set before me, looking to Jesus (not to people, possessions or success), the Author and Finisher of my faith (He will carry me through).
 
Then, following His example, for the joy set before me (of being His child, of having Him as my Shepherd, of His protection and provision, of a certain future, of spending eternity with Him), I can endure whatever cross may come (loss) and despise whatever shame I may feel (for my failure to find it), knowing that I will be set down in heaven with Him.
 
What a freeing, empowering perspective! I encourage you to pray that passage for yourself every day for a month and see what God does! And I will wait to see His further purposes in this adventure of loss.
 
[Epilogue: I never did find the hearing aid, but the Lord provided money to pay for a new one in an interesting way. A friend was unable to sell his pickup truck, so I bought it to help him out, then was able to resell it with enough profit to pay for both a new hearing aid, and a crown from my wife’s tooth! God has it all in hand, if we will only cooperate: “He who offers the sacrifice of praise, honors me, and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Psalm 50:23]
 
Filed under:

When I Awake

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2017

Praise be to you, my marvelous Lord and Shepherd and King. I awake in the night, and find you there, watching over me. I awake in the morning and find you again, waiting with a freshly prepared day to share with me.

You are faithful in your love, passionate in your care, gracious in your provision and persistent in your protection. I am like a feeble vine clinging to you, my solid, unshakable Rock. As thoughts of evil threats came in the night, I could easily reject them by meditating on your presence and power as presented in Psalm 18.

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

You are the protector of the weak and the provider for the poor in spirit, so I can trust you, as I am both. Your Word firmly calms my churning thoughts, sweetly soothes my anxious soul, provides positive, encouraging perspective and safely shields me from Satan’s subtle subterfuge.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength” (Ps 18:1)—you have drawn me graciously into a rich and strong relationship with you, making yourself my Lord, pouring into my life your strength, sharing with me your power–even though you know I will at times miss use it, rebel, disobey and disbelieve, wounding your heart—you continue on in your unquenchable mercy. You are so gracious!

Your love is lavished on us, your lazy and illogical sheep, because of your majestic and marvelous Character. You are faithful and forgiving, gracious and good, positive and pure. We do not deserve your love and protection, but you are insistent on having a warm and rich relationship with us, pouring your time, grace, care, protection and guidance into our lives 24/7.

You are faithful in the face of our faithlessness. You are good in the face of our rebellion. You are constant in the face of our unbelief.

I praise you, O my Lord of lavishness, my Rock of refuge, my Fortress of faithfulness, my Defender of the defeated, my Shield of strength, my Tower of power, my Stronghold of safety. I call to you, who are worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies (Ps 18:3). I praise you for your protection, glorify you for your deliverance, exalt you for your unbelievably wonderful grace at work in me each day.

You are Life, you are Light and you are Love. You are my King, my God, my Savior, my Deliverer and my Protector. You are worthy of praise, worthy of exaltation, worthy of obedience. So to you I bow down, to you I surrender, to you I give myself: I lay down before you all my desires, my possessions, my plans, my preferences. I give you my will and take yours in its place.

May you be glorified in me today, may my responses flow, not from my puny thoughts and understanding, but from your Heart, your Word, your Power. May your Spirit overflow from my life onto all those around me so they, too, may taste of your goodness, and thereby may your Name be lifted up before all I meet this day. Amen.

 

 

Filed under:

Psalm 23:6b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 28, 2017
Psalm 23:6b “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
 
[This powerful statement of certainty turns my gaze ahead, beyond the end point of our journey here on earth, to being with you forever, Lord Jesus, in a sinless, unending, glory-giving relationship.
 
We will live in your Light, revel in your Love and embrace your eternal Life, unfettered by any darkness, brokenness, negativeness or failure. We will live with you face to face!
 
There will be joy without sorrow, happiness without regret, celebration without interruption and relationship without pain. We will be able to live in perfect patience, selfless service and a surplus of self-control. There will be surpassing beauty, unending joy and incomprehensible glory.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, for this unspeakably marvelous future you have prepared for us through your terrible suffering, your becoming sin for us, your taking on yourself the punishment our rebellion deserved.
 
When I look to this future, and see this certain coming reality revealed in these powerful promises, the pressures and problems of this world fade into the background. I still have to deal with them, but their importance shrinks, their significance lessens, their power to hold me drops away.
 
What is happening in the world politically, economically and socially shifts from being a source of fear and frustration to being a window into your wisdom, into your power and grace.
 
You use the evil of men and devils to strip away illusion and bring all who are willing into your Kingdom of light. You, Lord God, are Sovereign, Almighty and All Knowing–nothing escapes your attention as you inexorably move ahead with your mighty and marvelous plan of redemption, transformation and re-creation.
As we look back, we can see your love, mercy and goodness following us. As we look forward, we can see greatness, joy and glory awaiting us. You have done it all, prepared it all and will bring it all to pass. Therefore, you deserve all obedience and submission, all praise, honor, glory and love.
 
And I praise you, Triune God–Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit–for your great work in bringing this all to pass. You are the only One worthy of eternal honor, exaltation and worship, and I begin giving you those right now!]
 
Filed under:

Psalm 23:6

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 27, 2017
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love [mercy] will follow me all the days of my life,”
 
[What a beautiful promise. Lord Jesus, my Great and Faithful Shepherd. Your goodness, love and mercy will be with me all the time, without fail. However, I will often not see them in the midst of a difficulty because they follow me; later I will look back and see how you used them in my life. I may not see them yet, but I can know that they are there, supporting, protecting and finishing your work.
 
Therefore I can trust you in any circumstance which is allowed through your wisdom and purpose. I think of what you did in one situation as we faced uncertainty and the threat of loss. In your mercy we did lose, but know now that you had a higher, greater purpose, so in your goodness, we won by losing.
 
Praise you for what you did in our local friends’ situation where they were assigned to work in a dangerous, difficult and down trodden place. Looking back now, we can see your goodness, mercy and love at work in their lives, as you protected them from attacks by terrorists, as you brought new maturity and deepening, provided for their needs, and helped them live by faith, including giving them courage to share about you when it was dangerous.
 
To you be glory, Lord, to you be honor, for your goodness and mercy are always at work amongst us, even though we can not see them. I give you praise now for the outcomes you will bring today as I face uncertain situations.
 
You are truly the God of goodness! I praise you, Lord, for the stability this Truth brings into my life: stability flowing from your consistent and warm love. I praise you that I am always with you because you promised to never leave or forsake me. No matter what I do, you are always there, as the perfect Father, ever waiting with open arms, gracious thoughts and forgiving heart.
 
In you I am safe, on sure ground, fully protected, even though I may not see your goodness or mercy at the moment. In you alone I can find rest, protection, acceptance, approval, affirmation, worth and significance. In you alone there is shelter, a shadow for protection from the heat of the day and a sovereign grace to erase all my guilt.
 
I praise you, Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit—for your wondrous, gracious and rich love: undeserved, unending and unquenchable.
 
Your thoughts are higher than ours and if we don’t seek your input, we will certainly not follow your greater ways. Help me to be consistent in seeking your deeper thoughts and higher wisdom. Help me, Lord, to partner with you each day, each moment, to be open to your direction, to come to you very frequently to ask for your perspective on the situation. Thank you for the goodness, mercy and love that will follow me in every event.
Filed under:

Psalm 23:5b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 26, 2017
 
Psalm 23:5b “You anoint my head with oil;”
 
[This anointing is the act of choosing, of giving worth, of blessing, of providing and protecting.
 
–You chose me before the foundation of the world.
–You had your Spirit convict me of my need for you.
–You poured out your Spirit on me at the point of belief.
–You sealed my adoption as your child by placing your Spirit in me.
–You pour out on me continual blessings of grace, goodness, strength, wisdom, weakness and power.
–Every day You provide me with protection, guidance, insight, goods, money, relationships, opportunities to give you glory, chances to share your Word, time to be with you, and enough health to serve you as you desire now.
–And most of all, you give me your presence and love in a rich and enduring relationship, the one for which you created me.
 
You are amazingly gracious and generous, for I actually deserved the opposite of all this: condemnation, rejection, punishment, suffering, pain, failure, separation and eternal death. Praise be to you for your gracious, glorious goodness you pour out on the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve!]
 
“my cup overflows.”
 
[You promise that my needs will be met, but you usually give far more. Nothing I have can contain the blessings you pour out. Your gifts overflow in my life so I can share them with others. Some of these gifts are joy, praise, peace, insight, wisdom, strength, faith, vision, love, grace and goodness. Along with these are material gifts, which I can then share with others.
 
So, we bow before you in belief, Heavenly Father, exalting your high and holy Name. We rise up in faith, trusting in your goodness and wisdom. We move into this day in trust, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving so that we may honor you and open the way that you may show us the salvation of the Lord.
 
And I have opportunity to practice this right now, as yesterday I got a big bill for my trip to the emergency room last month. I can rest in you in the midst of this surprise, trust you to work this out and provide in whatever way you choose. It is wonderful to face difficulties with you, knowing you will carry us through.
Praise you for what you will do in the coming days, Lord, as you lead us in paths of righteousness, and for how we will be able to trust you in everything that comes because you are absolutely faithful, unchanging in your generosity and grace. Amen.]
Filed under:

Psalm 23:5

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 25, 2017

Safety is not the absence of danger, but the presence of Jesus.

Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
 
[We tend to think of peace as being the absence of any threat, but you give us a different perspective, Lord, one where your presence is enough to bring peace, no matter what may be threatening us.
 
In the picture you give us, you provide us with a sumptuous table set out on the lawn, decked out elegantly, filled with delicious food, ready for the guests. But, on the edges of the wide lawn are a roaring lion (fear), a growling bear (worry), a prowling tiger (greed), a slinking jaguar (lust) and a menacing rogue elephant (impatience) trumpeting his anger. The sight and sound of any one of these dangerous enemies is enough to strike fear in our hearts.
 
Yet there stands Jesus, calm, quiet and smiling. He calls us to the table and motions for us to sit down. The threatening roars and growls increase, but our enemies dare not come close when the All-Mighty Shepherd is there.
 
As we turn our focus to Him, the threat, the noise, the fear all fade. Peace comes because of His presence, contingent not on the absence of danger but on the absolute power of Christ. We eat in peace, enjoying His company, the conversation and the feast provided by His hand.
 
He could remove the enemies if he wanted, but as we live in a fallen world, he allows Satan and his cohorts to exist, for he uses them to accomplish his purposes of bringing all who are willing into the Kingdom, of maturing His children, of giving us opportunity to live out the Truths of His Word. We are safe, in spite of the presence of danger.
 
Lord help me today to live in the power of your presence, ignoring the threats of the enemy, focusing instead on you, on Truth, on your might, on your beautiful character, on your being the One in control, the One who has a plan, who will carry it out in faithfulness and power, and on the fact of your continual abundant provision. Praise be to you, our Conqueror, our Protector and our Provider.]
 
Filed under:

A God Worthy of Our Enthusiasm

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 23, 2017
Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of waking from disturbing dreams and finding you there, strong and gracious, kind and firm., protecting and delivering. In the midst of all the world’s uncertainty, the stability of your goodness is such a support. It is so comforting to know that you do not change, for you never tire, grow impatient or fade in your love.
 
You are my resting Place, my Shelter, my Shield, my high Tower, my Fortress and my Deliverer. As I think of the past, a long stream of God sightings come to mind, events where you have provided, protected, intervened and answered prayer—all showing your love, commitment and goodness.
 
As I look to the future, which is ever uncertain–every day could harbor a disaster—knowing you as the unchanging, mighty and gracious God, I can relax in your love, rejoice in your goodness and be ready to embrace whatever comes.
 
Not only do we have you as our personal Shepherd, you have given your children a wide and high perspective on history, both past and future. You have great and comprehensive plans which you will bring to pass. You are dealing with injustice, violence and evil. You are working to bring as many as possible into the Kingdom.
 
In addition, you are giving your children multiple opportunities to mature, deepen and earn rewards by responding to all in faith. As we offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving for whatever you allow, we can, like Jesus–for the joy that is set before us–endure whatever cross you give us, despising the shame, knowing that we are going to be set down with you in heavenly places (Heb. 12:2).
 
We can know that, along with whatever challenges you bring to us, you will give us more than enough grace to move through them with power: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. 23:1). You will give us more than enough insight, answers, direction and resources.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, for your mighty grace, your majestic love and your magnificent plans, into which you have brought us. I praise you for the purpose, the meaning, the hope and the future you have laid out before us.
 
I praise you for your giving us your Spirit to teach, rebuke, guide and provide for us whatever we need to live for you. I praise you that no matter how I may feel, the truth is that you, Lord Jesus, in your “divine power [have] given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of [you] who called us by [your] own glory and goodness” (2 Pet. 1:3).
 
Help us to live in the light of these Truths, Lord Jesus, to walk in wisdom, in faith and in grace so that we may be hope carriers, light bringers and faith givers to all those around us today.
Filed under:

Psalm:23:4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 21, 2017

Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

[Such valleys come in my life. I have been faced with physical death, with death of a vision and death to self: dark times that were difficult, disorienting, distressing–like my wife’s long lasting depression. You knowingly lead us into these, just as when you sent the disciples out  in their boat into the teeth of the storm (Matt. 14:22-24)

And it is for good reasons that you, Lord Jesus, lead me into and through these valleys–the greatest two being my giving you glory through trust, and my growth in grace. And you have other reasons beyond my present understanding. I can trust you as you lead me through the darkness, no matter how it feels–what you taught me in the light is still true in the darkness.]

“I will fear no evil, for you are with me;”

[Evil is there in both presence and potential, but I need not fear it, for you are with me–you, my Great and Good Shepherd, who is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer. When you are there, what grounds do I have for fear? You are over all and in control of all; you are our great and mighty Ruler. I praise you for your faithful and powerful presence, full of wisdom and grace, love and firmness, able to  protect us in the midst of any evil.]

“your rod and your staff, they comfort me.’

[With your rod, you hold our enemies at bay. You rule with a rod of iron; no one can defeat you in battle: “there is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” (Prov. 21:30). Therefore I need not fear.

And with your staff, you guide me, correct me, bring me back to the path when I wander off your way. It is my nature (old self) to veer off the path, for I don’t have a valid compass of my own. But your constant correction with your staff (your Word, your Spirit, consequences to my wrong choices) keeps me on track. My course may be a zigzag as I stray and you bring me back, but the progress with you is always forward.

Praise you that you are helping me to walk more in wisdom, to zigzag less, to squander less time and energy on my own way, thereby bringing you more glory as I tread your path.

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for your faithful and powerful presence and protection. To you be glory and praise and honor, for you know the way through the dark. You are worthy of exaltation, thanksgiving and obedience.

I bow before you today in faith, I rise up in the day’s dawn to walk in submission to your loving guidance, especially when it takes me through dark times. Truly, the commandments of the Lord are radiant, giving light to my eyes (Ps. 19:8). Praise be to YOU!]

Filed under: