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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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From my worship journal

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

I praise you, Lord, for what will come today: the planned and the unexpected, the accomplishments and the interruptions, the painful and the pleasant. You, Lord God, are my shield, my strength and my stronghold, always there to protect, provide and carry me through whatever challenges you allow. You are the light, shining into my life. You are all I need for today.

You will do what is best in your faithfulness, in your goodness, in your wisdom, in your love, in your righteousness, in your grace and in your power.

[This devotional (written years ago) is especially appropriate for me today, as I am sending it from my hospital bed after having an incident of “Atrial Flutter,”  another adventure with God. This caused my blood pressure to go way down and my pulse way up, resulting in a trip to the emergency room. There I got an infusion of drugs that corrected the destructive rhythms, which could have caused blood clots resulting in a stroke or worse. They don’t know what caused it, but said i “lucked out” in having it straighten out so quickly. But no luck involved, only our gracious God answering prayer. Will be taking some meds to prevent it again.]

I praise you, Lord, for the privilege of being weak, of resting in your might—there is so much out of my control, while all is within yours. You know what you are doing, you have a plan, you are moving all to a conclusion, bringing it down to an end, from which all will then expand into eternity, filling the universe with good, righteous, godly and gracious beings, acts, and events. Because you are the Almighty One, no one can stop you, no one can thwart you.

I praise you for your Word and for the wonder of meditating on it, having it trickle down into my being to bring cleansing, insight, transformation and joy, for you are the infinite One, always having more to reveal to us of your Great and Gracious character.

I praise you now for what you will show today, do today, provide today. May I give you glory all through this day, Lord, by choosing to obey what I know to be true, by trusting you, praising you in and for all things, delighting in my weaknesses, rejoicing in your strength and exalting in your righteousness, wisdom and power.

I bow before you now in worship, I will rise up in surrender, wanting to walk with you in obedience and godly fear, desiring to bring you glory before the seen and unseen hosts. Help me to do this consistently through the day, choosing in each event to trust you by offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving in all that comes. Amen.

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Psalm 19:14

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 2, 2017
 
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,”
Yes, Lord, may both my inner and outer speech please you, for out of the heart flow the words of my mouth. Lord, bring the continual transformation I need to please you in my thought life, so my public life may honor you before others.
 
May my impatience, selfishness, pride and ambition be replaced with patience, Christ-centeredness, humility and contentment.
Help me to consistently meditate on your Word, to think your thoughts, to respond with your wisdom and to speak your Truth. And may you be greatly pleased with that obedience growing in my being, the result of your good work.]
“O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
[You are my unmovable Rock, my LORD–that is, Yahweh, Jehovah, the Holy God, pure and sinless, separate and other, who hates sin and will judge it, while somehow you love sinners and therefore provided for us a way of escape from your just wrath.
You are the God of wondrous qualities, of gracious goodness, of lavish love and of seeming paradoxes, able to join together what looks contradictory from our limited perspective: justice and mercy, truth and grace, judgment and love.
As my Rock, you are the stability of my life, the only solid source of rest, of shade, of protection, of hope. In you alone I can take refuge, for you will never be shaken, changed, fail or be defeated.
You are my Redeemer, the purchaser of trash so you can turn it into treasure. You are the One who could take upon yourself the sins of the whole world because you want each person in creation to come to you, to believe, to become your child, to be dearly loved, deeply cared for, eternally doted on, doubly cherished and delighted in.
You, the great Savior, have brought us out into a spacious place, before your throne, before your face, before the hosts of Heaven, and there you delight in us, your unfinished and cherished children.
Praise be to you for your long-lasting love, your wild wisdom, your glorious grace. You are worthy of our worship today and throughout all eternity. I bow before you now, O King of the universe, Lord of time, Ruler of all creation. To you be honor, glory, praise and exaltation in my life today. Amen.]
 
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Psalm 19:12-13

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 1, 2017
 
Psalm 19:12 “Who can discern his errors?”
 
[My inner being is, to a large part, inscrutable and opaque to me–below my consciousness. In there I unknowingly sin with wrong motives, wrong attitudes and wrong desires. These sins are from my flesh, from the inherited residue of sin from past generations, from the subtle working of the devil, from input from the world–and from my giving in to them. These sins are there—but their penalty has been paid in Christ’s death and resurrection, praise be to you.
 
We can pray, along with David, “Forgive my hidden faults” and know that we are forgiven.
 
As I spend time in worship (giving you, Lord, honor for who you are), you are slowly increasing the depth of understanding of what’s in my inner being–showing me more and more of these hidden faults. Then I can knowingly confess and reject them and instead obey you in these areas. Praise you for your persistent, patient and powerful work in my life.]
 
Psalm 19:13 “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.”
 
[This is where I am fully responsible and where I very much need your grace, your help and guidance, Lord Jesus, my great Shepherd. I thank you that you have prepared me for this struggle, as it says in 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” I have to learn to take up and use what you have provided.
 
Praise you for the continual upward progress of your transformational work in us, which I see daily within and without, as the Holy Spirit warns me, giving conviction, insight and protection. You make it possible to stand against the pressures that push me towards personal sin. As I obey, you are making supernatural responses (praise, denying self, patience and mercy) more “natural” for me.
 
You are at work: you are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Shield, my Strength, my Stronghold. In you alone is the needed help in the battle with sin, self and Satan, with you alone is there hope, power and victory.]
 
“Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”
 
[Only in you, Lord, only in you is there the possibility of being blameless, without reproach, innocent of great sin. Praise be to you for your unwarranted desire to help, your unearned love, your undeserved grace.
 
You are marvelous in your Might, great in your Grace and wonderful in your Wisdom as you usher us farther up and further into the freedom, growth and goodness of your Kingdom. Glory be to you. Help us today to follow you wholeheartedly in this journey into the light of transformation.]
 
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