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God Sightings

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 20, 2017
Each day I pray Ephesians 3:17-19, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, Eph 3:19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
 
One powerful way to “know this love that surpasses knowledge” is to note the “God sightings” He gives us each day. It is so easy to take them for granted, hardly noticing them at all. We have to cultivate the ability to see them, and when we do, our faith increases because we do see more of God’s love. Here are a some examples from my life to help you see them in yours.
 
When wanting to do some very needed work on the barn this winter, but having no help for it, one of my former part time helpers turned up out of the blue and wanted to earn a bit of money. And, as a second God sighting, he said he’s been thinking about all the spiritual things I shared with him and wants to start going to church and see his life turned around!
 
Then, while working in the old barn, we jacked up a beam to put a support under it. However, just as we got it near the right height, the jack kicked out and the heavy timber we were using to jack it up was thrown to the side with great force, but missed us completely. The only damage done was that it bent my level, but even then it was still usable! We could have been badly hurt but were graciously protected.
 
In another God sighting, a friend sent me an email, asking if I had two copies of EDIFIED! she could buy. If she had written a day earlier, I would have said, “No.” But the evening before she wrote, another friend returned a copy he’d borrowed, so I had at least one. Then on the day she came to pick up that one, a new shipment of EDIFIED! I’d ordered more than two weeks before finally arrived, just in time so I could have two books for her. God provided at exactly the right time!
 
In another incident, when returning from an appointment, we talked about making two stops on the way back, then decided not to and went straight home, arriving at 4:30. Then Barbara remembered that a neighbor said she’d come at 4:30 to get some hay! We’d forgotten, but the Lord had not, and guided us in getting home just in time!
So look for God sightings in your day, may it be as ordinary as making it safely home from shopping, and praise Him for them as you get to “know this love that surpasses knowledge.”
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From EDIFIED!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 19, 2017
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.”
Psalm 92:12,13
Praise be to you, Yahweh, the great I AM, the self-existent, eternal, unchanging, holy and perfect One—and paradoxically, the Lover of sinners. While your qualities of righteousness, holiness and justice dictated the necessity of judgment, condemnation and punishment, you chose, through your own suffering, to have mercy triumph over justice, to have grace trump punishment, to have love overrule wrath. You called us rebels to yourself, cleansed us, transformed us into new creatures and adopted us into your family, making us righteous in Christ.
 
You planted us in your courtyard, making us flourish, sprouting lush, green leaves of praise, and succulent, delicious fruit of the Spirit. You make it possible for us to get our roots deep down into the wonderful water of your Word so even in drought we can remain green, bearing our fruit in its season, and being successful in whatever you call us to do (Psalm 1:3).
 
You are the great Giver of good, supplying what is needed to keep your children growing, maturing, bearing more and more good fruit. You have provided all that is necessary for living a godly life and for overcoming the evil of the world (2 Peter 1:3). Yet in your wisdom and grace, your great patience and kindness, you leave it to us, your children, to draw this living water up through our roots of reading, to remain in your courts, to abide in the vine and to bear your fruit.
 
To those of your children who keep their roots growing down into the water of the Word, you promise: “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…” (Ps. 92:14).
 
As we grow old, lose our physical abilities, have less strength, hear and see less, and may seem to dry up on the outside, we will still bear good, rich, delicious fruit for those around us: the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of good works, the fruit of people coming to Christ—which is just the opposite of what happens if we live naturally rather than supernaturally. And you cause us to remain fruitful so that we can declare “the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Ps. 92:15).
 
To you, O triune God, be honor and glory and praise. To you be worship, adoration and magnification. To you be power, might and exaltation. You are worthy, you are glorious, You are Elohim.
 
Prayer: “I bow before you, Heavenly Father in admiration; I rise up in enthusiasm; I go forth to worship you through obedience. May your name be honored today in all I think, say and do, my beloved God. Amen.”
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Psalm 6:5-7

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 18, 2017

Psalm 6:5 “No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?”
 
[While he is right that the dead cannot praise in this world any longer, David here did not seem to have a clear view of what came after death. We as believers will praise you, Lord, after we die physically. We will see you face to face, exalt you, and bring you honor as we see your glory more clearly. What a marvelous truth!]
 
Psalm 6:6-7 “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.”
 
[David was overwhelmed with worry, with fears, with anguish over his difficulties, his problems, his many enemies. In the night his mind raced from one problem to the next and sleep eluded him. His attempts to deal with this have met with failure; his strength is too little, his resources too meager.
 
So he cried out to you, Lord, the only true source of help, the only actual salvation available. He poured out his heart, hiding nothing. In lifting his soul to you, he was able to get out his burdens before you and be open to a renewed filling of the truth.
 
In Psalm 46:5, speaking of Jerusalem, David wrote, “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” That is, after the coldest, darkest time of the night, God will come in to help. We have to wait in faith, knowing He will come in the right way at the right time.
 
May we turn to you, Lord, early on and not wrestle with our worry and fear, not depend on our finite insight and wisdom. Help us to consistently lift our souls to you, telling you what we are thinking, feeling and wanting, and submit this all to your Word.
 
Lord, we praise you that you are our Rock, our Salvation and our High Tower. May we rush to you for help in each challenge so that you may be lifted up before men and angels as you save us yet again from our enemies who are too strong for us.]
 
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Psalm 6:1-4

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 17, 2017
Psalm 6:1 “O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”
 
[Our guilt is so great and your corresponding wrath is so heavy, we would be crushed in an instant if you disciplined us in your full anger. I praise you, O Jehovah, that while you are the holy, sinless, pure God who hates sin, yet you love sinners and have provided us a means of shelter, a way to escape your righteous wrath through the death and resurrection of Christ.
 
Praise be to you for your gracious, kind and forgiving heart, and for your mercy triumphing over justice. You, Lord Jesus, took the wrath and anger we deserved, and you, heavenly Father were willing to pour your righteous wrath on Him rather than us, opening the way for us into your Kingdom, into your family, into full forgiveness.]
Psalm 6:2 “Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long?”
 
[You have made body, soul and spirit so intertwined that the anguish of one strongly affects the others. Praise you, Lord, that your healing touch in one area also brings healing to the others. You are the answer to our anguish, you are the healer of our hurts, the cure to all that troubles us.
 
You are merciful in our need and we can turn to you, knowing that our salvation comes from you, you only are our Rock, our Salvation and our high Tower. Our soul finds rest in you alone, and when our soul is at rest, so is the whole of our being.]
 
Psalm 6:4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.”
 
[You in your wonderful wisdom bring us through dark valleys where all seems to go wrong, where we are overwhelmed with failure and anguish, where we must walk by faith. And in this torment, we can appeal to your unfailing love—which is the only ground of approach to you, for we in ourselves do not deserve to even think of speaking to you; naturally we have no access. But you opened the way with your love, your everlasting, unfailing agape love.
 
You, Lord God, are great in grace, glorious in love, marvelous in mercy, mighty in forgiveness. We bow before you in awe, surrender in thankfulness, accepting your grace, putting on the full armor, and then rise up to walk with you into this day, shining in the light of your love, bringing hope and truth and grace to all we meet through this day. Glorify yourself in us, through us, in spite of us, Lord.]
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Psalm 5:12

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 16, 2017
Psalm 5:12 “For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;”
 
[Yes, you do, Lord, you bless those who have bowed before you, have received your pardon, have been cleansed of their sin by the blood of Christ, have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ and have become members of your family.
 
You bless us daily with your presence, your love, your grace, your goodness, your wisdom, your power, your protection and your purpose. To be your child, to know you is to be blessed beyond conception, beyond imagination, beyond belief!
 
Truly you are worthy of our wholehearted worship: “Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).]
 
“you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”
 
[Every day we live in your favor as your dearly beloved children, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in. You are enthused to meet with us each morning as we awake– are we as enthused to meet with Him? You are pleased when we come to you in prayer, you are delighted when we bring our problems to you, you are glad when we intentionally walk with you through the day.
 
Your favor surrounds us, covers us, protects us, guides us, provides for us. “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him” (Ps. 18:30).
 
You, Heavenly Father, Shepherd Jesus, indwelling Holy Spirit, are fully, truly, absolutely worthy of worship, obedience, exaltation and love. So I bow before you this morning, I give myself to you anew. I pledge my obedience to love and praise you for what you will bring today, no matter how it may appear to me. May you be glorified in my life today.
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Psalm 5:11

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 15, 2017
Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy.”
 
[Yes, you, Lord Jesus, are our Refuge and Strength, our Mighty Rock, our Fortress in the day of evil. You invite us into your protection, you opened the way to safety, and for those who come, you give joy.
 
Truly, knowing you is wonderful; you are the Mighty Shepherd, the Powerful Creator, the Strong Sustainer, the All-knowing King, the Majestic Victor over all evil, who in the end will right all wrongs, and you are our High Priest who lives forever to intercede for us. Yes, knowing you is enough for joy!]
 
“Spread your protection over them,”
 
[And you do this, Lord Jesus, putting your tent of shelter over us every day, every minute: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty”!!! (Psalm 91:1).
 
As we choose to live in the light of your presence, your light banishes darkness; you are our personal protection and you are totally trustworthy in your provision. We can praise you for whatever comes, good or ghastly, delightful or difficult, nice or nasty, for you are wise and persistent, powerful and protecting, allowing only what can be used for growth, good and your glory!]
 
“that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”
 
[One reason for your protection is so that we may rejoice more in you. It is such a privilege to love your name, Lord Jesus, for you are Yahweh, the Eternal One, the Holy I AM. You are Elohim, the Triune Creator and Faithful Redeemer. You are Adonai, the Lord of all who has the right to demand full obedience and faithfully provides all we need so we can do so.
 
We love your name and with all our being rejoice in you wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, willfully! May this bring you much honor today as we continually offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving in whatever you allow.]
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Another From Edified! Written in the early 80s

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 14, 2017
 
“I pray also for those who will believe in me….”
John 17:20b
 
He glanced sideways to make sure no one else in the restaurant was near enough to hear what he was going to say. Then he leaned towards me, his face deadly serious. Only his eyes betrayed the excitement he felt as he spoke.
“Tell me, just where and how I can apply for this eternal life?!” My mind went back over the four or five long discussions we had had earlier, and knew that this man, Orin, was serious in his questioning.
God had been preparing him for years for this conversation. He had been born in a remote, primitive village far out in the East where there was no possibility of hearing the gospel. But when he was five years old, while playing in the ruins of a church, he had asked himself this question, “I wonder, is the God of this church the same as the God of our Mosque?” Then he’d spent the next 29 years looking for an answer, and I was the first Christian he had been able to find!
At our first meeting, I had given him the Gospel of Mark, which he read extensively, memorizing portions and asking me many questions. He knew he was a sinner–“I can’t take one step without sinning”–an unusual insight for a Musl.im, evidencing a genuine work of the Holy Spirit.
He somewhat understood the price of persecution he would have to pay for being a Christian: in his excitement of learning about Christ, he had shared with his family and friends and had been strongly opposed. Yet he was eager to “put in his application” for eternal life, and he did, entering the Kingdom of Christ!
On another day, we sat on the hillside, chatting. Below us sprawled the capital city, a wave of red tiled roofs that washed up and over the hills and mountains surrounding the city center.
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Although sunshine splashed over most of the scene, dark thunderclouds menacingly shouldered their way in from the West, foreshadowing the suffering that would come into his life. But it would be a while before these storm clouds reached us: there was still time to talk.
We watched four children playing in front of their solitary house down below us. The two smaller ones had not a stitch of clothing on. Orin broke the silence. “Yes, I enjoyed reading the book you gave me, but it’s more important that we read this,” he tapped the New Testament portion lying in his lap. “Tell me,” he continued, “what does it mean here…?” And he went on to ask a number of questions.
To have an eager, serious disciple like this who has come out of Isl@m is the dream of every evangelist. This man’s coming to Christ is the fruit of many people praying.
He is a good reminder to us to be faithful in interceding for the world, for we do not know the distant lives those prayers enter to stir up a desire to know the true and living God.
 
Prayer: “Lord, help me to be faithful in praying for those who have never heard. Work in them, give them a desire to know Truth. Bring them into contact with your Word. Sweep them into your Kingdom, into your Church, into your protection. Amen.”
 
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Psalm 5:9,10

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 12, 2017
 
Psalm 5:9 “Not a word from their [my enemies] mouth can be trusted;”
 
[Satan is the father of lies: his native language is deception, so nothing he says can be trusted. Just look at how he dealt with Eve in Genesis 3. Every statement was a twisting of truth either by insinuation (“Did God really say….?”), by outright contradiction (“You will not surely die….”) or by accusation of God withholding something good (…for God knows that when you eat…you will be like God….”). Not one word from Satan or his forces is reliable.]
 
“their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.”
 
[In our enemies there is no life or light or love, all is rebellion against what is true, right and good. The words and thoughts of Satan and his hordes are destructive, debilitating and demonic. Yet we somehow naturally believe the lies of the devil, drawn like moths to the flame, to the illusion of comfort and power, excitement and fulfillment.
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Satan loves to deceive us with lies like, “If you do this, you will be happier than in denying yourself for God,” and “Don’t miss this one, you’ll never have another chance to indulge yourself like this.”
 
But we end up getting burned and having, as the Psalmist says, a mouth full of gravel, broken teeth and ongoing pain. Such is the result of listening to advice from the kingdom of darkness.]
 
Give us wisdom and insight, Lord, so that we might willfully reject the lies of the enemy and walk instead in the light of Truth and Righteousness and Grace, so that your Spirit can have full reign in our lives, bringing you ever more glory.
 
Psalm 5:10 “Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.”
 
[You are the One who must deal with my enemies, O Lord, whether they be demons or people being used by the devil. And praise you, Lord Jesus, that you have vanquished them through your incarnation where you were weak and vulnerable as a man.
 
You have defeated them through obedience, humility, meekness and self-denial. In doing so, you have rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into your Kingdom of Light!
 
What a wonder, what a joy, what security, safety, purpose and freedom–freedom from the evil of the enemy, the lies of Lucifer, the seduction of self and the rot of rebellion! Help us to rest in your protection today by walking in obedience and praise.]
l
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Weak Roots

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 11, 2017
While on a walk I saw the tree in the photo below. It reminded me of how important it is for us followers of Jesus to get our roots down deep into God’s Word.
If we don’t, the adverse winds of life will knock us right down, no matter how strong we may appear to be–like this tree which had only shallow roots that couldn’t support it in a storm. As Jesus said in Mark 4:17 “But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.”
In contrast to this is the tree of Psalm 1, which is planted by the streams of water and gets its roots right down into the water [of the Word], so that it “yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” This remains true no matter how difficult or dry it gets, now matter how powerful the blasting, withering winds may be. In fact, this description concludes by declaring about believers who delight in God’s Word and meditate on it day and night: “whatever they do prospers.”
I can attest to the reality of this. The two disciplines that have been the most powerful proponents of growth in my life are meditation (memorizing and praying the Word) and lifting my soul to God (honestly laying out my thoughts, feelings and desires, then evaluating them in the light of the Word and surrendering to it). I am so glad God led me to invest greatly in these, disciplining myself to spend time in each every day, as He used them to get my spiritual roots down deep into the life-giving waters.
Now as the dry blasts and whirlwinds of Barbara’s depression sweep over us daily, God holds me steady with those deep roots and refreshes me with the waters of Truth.
If it were not for this, would I would be overwhelmed by impatience, discouragement, anger, frustration and selfishness.
Instead, the Spirit brings out His fruit as I need it, so I rarely feel any impatience or anger; I can bear that fruit of the Spirit and Barbara can eat it, enjoy it, profit from it–all to God’s glory, not mine.
So I encourage us all to get our roots down into that life-giving water every day with meditation and lifting our souls to God, so no matter what storms may come, we will stand strong in the Lord’s strength.
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Psalm 5:8

Published by S.M. Wibberley on March 10, 2017
 
Psalm 5:8 “Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.”
 
[Praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for you are my Shepherd, who faithfully, consistently, without fail, leads me. Praise you that you guide me in your righteousness, meaning that you never make a mistake or a wrong turn, never get lost, are always correct.
 
And in your leadership you are sinless and pure, your motives are right, your purposes are right, your plans are right, your decisions are right. You are the One to be trusted.
And I do desperately need your leadership, because I am the opposite of these qualities: I am small, ignorant and sinful; I have mixed motives, have no control over the future and do not know what is best.
 
Plus I am faced with powerful spiritual enemies who desire to bring me down. As it says in Psalm 62: 2,3, “How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place….”
 
The devil and his demons want to defeat God’s plans by destroying my spiritual life, my witness, my marriage, my family, my future. Alone I am helpless against them, lost before the battle begins.
 
But you, Lord Jesus, are the mighty Victor. You have conquered Satan and his forces, and I must flee to you for protection: “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge” (Ps. 62:7).
 
You, Lord, equip me, empower me, employ me in your grace and might against the forces of evil, and in your armor and strength I can “resist the devil and he will flee” from me. (James 4).
 
Help me follow you as you lead, Lord Jesus, to be strong in you and the power of your might, to keep on and use your full armor through each day. Help me to fight the right enemy with the right weapons so that I may join you in what you are doing, and that you may be honored in my life today.
 
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