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Ongoing Salvation

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 18, 2016

As I awoke, there was a tightness in my spirit, a worry because of the email I sent on Saturday. I was afraid of what the person would think. This was fear of man, not trusting God, while trying to find my security in others’ reactions.

I praise you, Lord God, because in reality, my security is in you. If the person is upset by my letter, then it is an opportunity to demonstrate a positive response on my part, to show how to work through such an issue. It is an opportunity to deepen a relationship, to work more on the issue of motives. It is a chance to lower a burden before you in praise and have it become the next step up in my relationship with you and potentially in my relationship with him.

Psalm 124 speaks of a much more intense and dangerous situation and how you actively involved yourself: “If the LORD had not been on our side,” Praise you, LORD, Yahweh, the Holy and faithful One, that you are on our side, that you are intensely, consistently, actively protecting, helping and guiding us.

“…let Israel say— if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive.” Lord, we recognize your holding back the tide of evil. You are always there, you are good, you are active, you are powerfully gracious.

“…the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.” The forces surrounding us are much more powerful than we are; our strength is totally inadequate to deal with them, but you are able and utterly willing to help us stand, commanding us to, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand” (Eph. 6:13).

“Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.” We have gotten away from the power of sin and Satan, not by our own strength or cleverness, but because you, Lord God, our good Shepherd, have broken the trap too strong for us, you made a way out through your own sacrifice, released us, led us to safety.

“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Our eyes are on you, Yahweh, the Holy One whose glory is in His holiness, who hates sin and will punish it, but has made a way out of the trap of sin for sinners.

Your help is astounding, immense, expansive, expensive, wonderful beyond conception and powerful beyond understanding. No person, no angel, no created being would have, could have thought up such a salvation.

Praise be to you, the awesome, exalted, immensely powerful and entirely good God who is at work delivering your quarrelsome, troublesome children from daily harm and eternal condemnation.

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God Is A Haiku

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 17, 2016
From the devotional book, EDIFIED! A good one for me!
 
“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’”
Isaiah 30:15
 
God, I think, is like a Haiku. Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry: 17 syllables in four lines usually involving an unexpected twist at the end. For instance:
 
Spring has come
The snow melts
The village is flooded
With children.
 
We expected damage from water and end up with happy kids! So it is with God; except that instead of twisting, He untwists things. For instance, to make a Haiku out of my experience,
 
Unjustly jailed
Put on trial
Prosecutor stood firm
To defend me!
 
God is the great Transformer, the great Surpriser. He can and does take the most painful and difficult happenings and tenderly turns them into our good and His glory. Think of the death of Lazarus; of the blindness of men Christ healed; and of His own suffering.
Old age is an example of God’s transformation powers.
I recently visited a 98-year-old friend. He can no longer walk, but is clear-minded. When I asked him how he is doing he replied, “I have so much to be thankful for! I just can’t understand why God is so good to me. I’m such a sinner; I certainly don’t deserve it!”
It is clear that, as he has aged, he has grown in his understanding of his depravity, as well as of how much God has forgiven and loves him, and how much God is blessing him.
Old age may be the process of losing things, but maturity is the willingness to let them go. In knowing what God has in store for us in the new heaven and earth, we can let go of what we cannot keep anyway.
As a second example of how we can trust God to untwist things, take a mother whose 15-year-old daughter had a skiing accident with severe head trauma, ending in a coma. Doctors had to remove much of the girl’s skull and did not hold much hope for any recovery. What was the mother’s response?
 
“We are so reminded to be at peace and not to look forward in fear . . . but to look forward with full hope. . . . Do not fear what may happen tomorrow, the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day….
“God . . . You are the Provider of our lives. We are so empty, so grief filled, so tired, so weary of this complicated confusing unwanted journey that has devastated our lives . . . yet we continue forward in hope, watching You show up every day, every moment, providing what we need to care for Jessie, to take the next step, to get up every morning and face the day, to get up every night and care for Jess, to know that this season will change one day, . . . We wait upon You . . . . Thank you for loving and caring for us . . . amen and amen. . . .”
 
This woman knows God well; she knows, without seeing any results, that God is at work transforming this tragedy into something for His glory and for the family’s good. And she is certainly cooperating, being His “flashlight of praise” in her dark world. She does not know whether God will make her daughter well by healing her or taking her, but she knows God will do what is best.
So, as we face difficulties, let us look to our living Haiku, the Lord God Almighty, the Creator, Sustainer and Ender of all. He will carry us through as we come to Him in our weakness and needs, submitting to Him. He always has a sequel, and it will be good.
 
Prayer: “Lord help me to know you better in the light so that when I must walk in the dark, I will trust you fully and give you glory whether I see any answers or not. Help me to live in the truth that you are good, all the time. Amen.”
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Psalm 37:1,2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 16, 2016
Psalm 37:1 Of David. “Fret not yourself because of evildoers;”
 
[Praise you, Lord, for your clear commands which steer us away from our natural, selfish reactions and towards your wonderful ways.
 
It is so easy to get worked up about evildoers: selfish political leaders here and abroad, unjust actions, destructive organizations and brutal attacks. But you in your great wisdom and knowledge of the future, have reasons for allowing them. You will use them to open people’s eyes to truth and bring many into your Kingdom while maturing your children. Therefore we can rest in you and pray for and about them, rather than wasting energy and time in fretting.
 
It was wonderful to do that in this past election, knowing that you would bring to pass what was best. I could just rest in you, the One who takes down and sets up rulers.]
 
“be not envious of wrongdoers!”
 
[It is so easy to envy their power, the effectiveness of their ways and thereby imitate their methods, desiring to use them, of course, for good. But the good is then tainted and negated by the world’s wily ways.
 
“Be not!” I praise you for this command that moves us towards a supernatural view of things, freeing us from what is natural. Then we can live and act out of your thoughts and understanding: loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, forgiving those who harm us. Praise you for the possibility of letting go of temporary values, of holding on to what is eternal and rising above our difficult situations.]
Psalm 37:2 “For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
 
Here’s the freeing perspective you give us: these evil doers won’t be around for too long. You will cause them to fail and fade (think of Stalin, Hitler and Mao), while your children still stand, because you are the preserver and protector of the righteous.
 
Praise you that you can see into the future, that you know all to come and that we can trust you to work out what is best, guiding us in joining you in the process.
 
To obey worldly ways brings death. To obey you brings eternal fruit. Help us to choose your ways throughout this day so we can honor you before all.
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Feeling Far From God

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 15, 2016
Today, Lord, I feel far from you. Thank you for this opportunity to walk by faith, to be reminded that all depends on your unchanging character, not my senses. Praise you, Lord, for your great and gracious presence, whether I sense it or not, whether I feel close to you or not, for in your faithfulness you have promised to never leave or forsake me.
 
Your plan, your power, your purpose, your persistence are the basis of our salvation, not our feelings or will, actions or obedience. I praise you that you have provided all and our part is simply to respond in belief.
 
To you belongs the glory of having prepared all through the sacrifice of Christ; to us belongs the privilege of faith and repentance. To you belongs all honor, glory and worship, for you are the pure, perfect, positive and powerful One who has done all necessary to redeem us.
 
I am so thankful, Father, that against all logic and law, you have chosen and transformed me. I was a seditious slave to sin, a fool fully controlled by my own foolishness, a criminal correctly condemned to an eternity without any good. I was a captive of Satan’s kingdom, a victim of my own evil, without goodness, without power, without hope.
 
But, in spite of what I am naturally, you called me to yourself, along with all the other sinners in this world. You made it possible for me to believe, you forgave me, transforming me into a new creature, with a new heart after yours, with the beginning of being like Christ. You placed your Holy Spirit within me, you gave me sonship, citizenship, and fellowship in your family.
 
You saved me because you mysteriously delighted in me and I now stand before you dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in—what a wonder! And all because of your great and gracious heart of love, your wisdom, grace and goodness. I do not deserve this, but I am deeply thankful that you have given me such marvelous and mighty grace.
 
May you be exalted throughout eternity for your illogical, counter-conditional, outrageous love! May I bring you honor today as I live in the light of your presence, whether I feel it or not.
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Psalm 36:10-12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 14, 2016
 
Psalm 36:10 “Continue your love to those who know you,”
 
[I praise you, Lord God, that you are love and therefore can never not love. I am so glad to be your son, chosen in love before the foundation of the world, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, rescued from the kingdom of darkness, accepted in the Kingdom of Light, adopted into your family, and brought out into a spacious place because you delighted in me—not because of any quality of mine, but because you are Love itself.
 
And your love will continue throughout eternity without end, without interruption, without diminishing. I praise you for your beautiful, majestic, wonderful character, founded on love, marvelous in balance and harmony, eternally perfect.]
 
“continue…your righteousness to the upright in heart.”
 
[You are the only Righteous One, O Lord. I praise you that your righteousness is unending, unrelenting and uninterruptable. Praise you that your always act in righteousness, in integrity, in purity, and that you have imputed your righteousness to your children.]
 
Psalm 36:11 “May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.”
 
[Yes, Lord, as we remain in the shadow of the Almighty, we are protected from the evil one and evil people. We may suffer persecution and difficulty, but they come as a way of growth, a way of witness and a way to honor you as we triumph over the world in faith. Praise you for the powerful and good working of your hands.]
 
Psalm 36:12 “See how the evildoers lie fallen—thrown down, not able to rise!”
 
[Righteousness will rule, evil will be vanquished. Eternity will have only holiness, goodness and purity, for all wickedness will be locked up in hell, unable to come out and influence the rest of the universe, as it has for so long.
 
You, Lord Jesus, are the conqueror, the King, the Ruler, the Lord of all. To you be glory and honor forever. May we live a life worthy of you today. Amen.
 
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Psalm 36:8,9

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 13, 2016
Psalm 36:8 “…the high and low among men…feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.’
 
[Even in the midst of difficulty, we can eat and drink of your marvelous provision—but we must choose to do so. You offer us so much on the spiritual side (love, joy, peace, grace, goodness, hope, purpose, power and wisdom) as well as the physical side, and you call on us to open wide and receive your gifts. You are our source of all, you are the provider of all. Praise you that you are the abundant God, the reason for all our delight.]
 
Psalm 36:9 “For with you is the fountain of life;”
 
[Without you is only death, destruction, damage and decay. As we come to you and surrender, we are made alive, brought into a life that flows from you fountain of grace and the well of your Word.
 
This life continually grows ever more rich, deep, wonderful and abundant as we see more and more of your great and gracious character, and love you more and more in response to knowing your love that surpasses knowledge through noting God sightings.
 
“in your light we see light.”
 
[To know you is to begin to see, and the more we walk into the light of your presence and power, the more we can know and understand. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining on ever more brightly til the full light of day” (Prov. 4:18).
 
You are the Revealer, the Teacher, our Guide. From you flows all revelation and insight. With you we are continually seeing more and more treasures in your Word, in your work, in your way. Praise you for the clarity, the vision, the in sight and the understanding you bring.]
 
I praise you, Lord God, my Heavenly Father, that you are so loving to us, taking us now through this team conflict, this difficult, hard, trying, painful, unpleasant, distressing time.
 
On one side, it is because of the stubbornness of those involved; on the other hand, it is because you are bringing pressure to bear on all of us to grow and deepen, to trust and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving.
 
I praise you now for how you are going to work this out, for you are the fountain of life, the light of wisdom and the God of abundance. You, Lord, are good, loving and wise. We trust you, we praise you, we submit to you with all our hearts. Guide us today in living disciplined and wise lives. Amen.
 
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Psalm 36:7b

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 12, 2016

 
This entry was written a number of years ago while mediating a serious conflict on one of our teams.
 
Psalm 36:7b “Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
 
[Lord, I come to you to find refuge, to find hope and help in the shadow of your mighty, protecting wings. In every situation, I choose with Habakkuk to, “rejoice in the LORD, to be joyful in God my Savior” (3:18). There is no other source of help, there is no other refuge, there is no other way.
 
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength;”
 
[You, Lord, are awesomely powerful, while I am amazingly weak–powerless and frustrated in many situations. I cannot get people to budge from their destructive, self-defensive positions. Only you can do this Lord; you are my strength, making up for my lack. And I chose to join your strength through prayer.]
“…he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
 
[Lord, help me to stay stable, to be able to move ahead, to climb these intimidating heights, to be obedient to the Truth that you have given us. May you be God in the difficult situation before me. Answer my pleas according to your righteousness, according to your wisdom, to your graciousness, to your Love.
 
For the sake of your Name, for the sake of your church, for the sake of your glory, please intervene. Bring us all to our knees, to see our sin, to be humble before you, to be broken, to stop trusting in ourselves and to start listening to you. Bring the breakthroughs needed, Lord. I thank you now for what you will do. Help me to leave this with you, to rest in you, to be content in you, Lord.
 
Praise be to you, Lord, for your consistent guidance and direction. I praise you, Heavenly Father, that you are my Rock and Refuge, that you, Lord Jesus, are my Shepherd and Salvation, that you, Holy Spirit, are my Guide and Teacher. According to your plan you will lead me through this disquieting, distressing time.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus that you are the Way, the Truth, the Life, and that you unswervingly, unendingly, unchangingly are at work drawing us on to doing what is right and good and positive. Please move us all forward through this time of trouble. I praise you, Lord, for what you are doing and what you will do, you who are my Fortress, my Salvation, and my Stronghold.
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Psalm 36:5-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 10, 2016
Psalm 36:5 “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”
 
[Praise you that there is no limit to your love, no frontier to your faithfulness, no end to your endurance. Your wonderful grace flows from you nonstop–so you love is omnipresent, ever persistent and all pervasive. We praise you that in your love and faithfulness you are eternally good, totally positive, unendingly wonderful.]
 
Psalm 36:6 “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.
 
[Thank you that your Love encompasses righteousness and justice. You are fully faithful to your Word, to your Ways, to your wonderous Character. You are faithful in the midst of whatever you allow into our lives, be it pleasant or painful.
 
Thank you that your every action is righteousness and every decision is just. And I thank you even more that you, in your wisdom and goodness have caused mercy to triumph over justice. I give you honor and glory for the protection you provide as you act righteously and exercise justice. Help us, too, to be righteous and just.]
 
“O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.”
 
[You are the One who keeps us alive, giving us breath, food, water and protection; without you we would perish immediately. And we, in our old nature, deserve to be immediately snuffed out, with no recourse.
 
But you, in your inscrutable love, keep us alive, watch over us and invite us into your plans in spite of our inabilities and liabilities. May we remember our weakness and thereby be humble and obedient before you.]
Psalm 36:7 “How priceless is your unfailing love!
 
[It is not only the outstanding, fundamental quality of your being, Lord God, but more deeply, unfailing love is what you are. You are Love itself, therefore you can never not love. Praise you for this powerful, unending Truth which influences every aspect of our existence.
 
Living in this love is the basic desire of our hearts, for you created us to exist in such a relationship with you. And you have restored us to it, rescuing us from exile, from extinction, from extermination, while bringing us into your wonderful presence, your warm embrace, your wide-ranging plan. In this you will restore the whole of creation to its original pristine and perfect condition.
 
Help us ever be in awe of your unfailing love, to remain in your lavish love, loving you back well. “This is love for God: to keep his commandments, and his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3]
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Psalm 36:4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 8, 2016
Psalm 36:4 “he [the wicked man] has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.”
 
[This can also be true of believers–those who at one time committed themselves to be followers of Jesus, but now follow their own way. I think of an acquaintance in ministry who has run roughshod over a multitude of relationships, and has been confronted about this by multiple people, but refuses to admit any wrong doing.
 
He sees no sin, although he has ceased to do what is wise and good. He has committed himself to a sinful, self-protecting and self-promoting course.
 
Fear of God brings the opposite: humility and a teachable spirit, in contrast to an independent, self-justifying attitude manifesting itself in pride and rebellion.
 
The outcome of failure to fear God is described in James 3:16: “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Not a pretty picture, and, unfortunately, what often happens in individuals and churches who fail to fear God.
 
In contrast is the picture James 3:18 gives us: “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” And we can become peacemakers by fearing God as is described in James 3:17, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
 
As it says in Psalm 34:12, “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,” fear the Lord, for it is the beginning of wisdom.
 
So let’s check ourselves regularly: are we caring deeply what God says, standing in awe of His wisdom and submitting ourselves to His Word? Or are we going by our own twisted hearts, convincing ourselves that we know best? Big consequences flow from each course!
 
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Psalm 36:3

Published by S.M. Wibberley on December 8, 2016
Psalm 36:3, “The words of his [the wicked man’s] mouth are wicked and deceitful;”
 
[Such a person deceives himself, as well as others. He is good at giving a positive spin on whatever he desires to do. Just as Satan deceived Eve by making himself look good while implying that God was withholding something good from her (“when you eat of it…you will be like God, knowing good and evil” Gen 3:5), so a person without fear of God can convince himself that doing the opposite of what God commands is good.
 
We see this every day around us as people attempt to use Scripture to support abortions, unbiblical forms of marriage, living together, or putting unqualified people into church leadership–to name a few of many such examples. What they are actually using is culture rather than God’s Word. They let their desire to fit in and be accepted deceive them into rejecting God’s wisdom for that of the world.
 
In contrast, one who fears God, spends time in His Word, learns to think God’s thoughts and puts them into practice. God’s perspectives are consistently the opposite of our natural ones (“Love your enemies.” “Do good to those who persecute you.” “Forgive as you have been forgiven.”)—and we could never come up with such beautiful ideas on our own. Each command is God protecting us from unnecessary negatives and harm, such as bitterness, worry and fear.
 
A God fearer will check his desires and plans before God rather than trust his own devious heart. One way to do this is to wait on making a decision, taking time to think it through, asking God for wisdom, looking for direction in His Word, listing out the pros and cons. George Mueller described “God fearing” as bringing his heart to the place where receiving a “yes” or a “no” to his prayer was the same, for he wanted God’s will, not his own.
 
Fearing God is standing in awe of His majestic power, marvelous wisdom and mighty goodness. It is caring deeply what He thinks about each thing in our life. Fearing God will protect us from the deception of the world and from deceiving ourselves; it will bring wisdom and will open the way to His greater working in and through us. Why would anyone ever want to reject it?
 
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