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Being a Glory Giver, not a Glory Stealer

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 29, 2016
From Edified
 
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
Hebrew 13:15
 
My plane had taken off from Istanbul over an hour late and was now circling Frankfurt for the second time. It was 6:15, my train left at 7 pm. and my train ticket was for this train only. It looked doubtful that I would make it. I could feel the tension of worry building in my body.
God often gives me tests like this, opportunities to trust Him, Will I praise Him in faith, or worry in fear? If I give a response of faith and praise, then God gets great glory, for we are all being watched continually in the battle of life by spiritual beings—angels and demons—as well as people. If I give in to fear, I rob God of glory because I am worshiping the idol of having everything go my way, of being comfortable.
In this case, with His grace, I remembered to praise Him while still struggling with worry, and the inner tension lessened. After the plane landed, I quickly made my way to passport control, then to baggage claim where I waited for my bag—and waited and waited—another chance to turst and praise. Finally it came out. Then there was the long dash to the train platform—I got there with 7 minutes to spare. Whew!
Then it began again, for my train was late! Late enough so I would probably miss the next connection. Another chance to praise God! And I did, this time with more enthusiasm, telling Him that if He allowed me to miss my next train, I was sure He had something better for me.
That is a key aspect here: if our plans don’t work out, we can be certain that God has a better plan. We can trust Him with that. If we are praising Him in the midst of the changes and challenges, we will be more alert to the opportunities He will give, having us meet someone, be an example, share a word of comfort or witness.
In the end, the other train waited for our arrival and I made it home that night. In all this God showed Himself faithful again, while giving me a chance to grow in my faith.
Each such “test” is another chance to put a brick in the wall of faith that God is building in our lives, a chance to live by truth, to give Him honor. We just have to recognize what is happening: “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and opens the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord” (Ps. 50:23).
 
Prayer: “Father, help me to praise you when things are not working out, when failure and problems loom. Help me to be a glory giver, not a glory stealer, praising in faith based on your good character. May you be honored in my life today. Amen.”
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Psalm 35:24-27

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 28, 2016
 
Psalm 35:24, 25 “Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me. Do not let them think, ‘Aha, just what we wanted!’ or say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’”
 
[A number of years ago, when I first wrote these comments on Psalm 35, I was involved in helping a group try and resolve a conflict. The leader, who had been confronted by his teammates on abusive leadership, maintained that he was blameless and all the rest of us, including those he asked to help him, were wrong. He thought he’d “swallowed us up” as he steamrolled us with his logical arguments, not realizing that he was demonstrating exactly what his team mates objected to!
 
Lord, protect us from having such pride, such self-righteousness, selfish ambition and self-deception. Expose such sins of ours to us quickly so we can, unlike this leader, immediately repent and avoid bringing dishonor to your name. I thank you, Lord God, for what you will do, that your wisdom is much higher than ours: you are always firm and clear in what is best. I give you glory and honor for what you are doing in our lives.]
 
Psalm 35:26 “May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.”
 
[Lord, may Satan and his hordes all be brought to shame in their attempts to bring disunity and distress. Even years later this leader I mentioned has not accepted his fault and continues to hold a bitter grudge against those who tried to help him; may he come to a true and deep repentance and thereby to a greater usefulness for you, Lord. Thank you for leading us to forgive him as you have forgiven us. In faith I give you praise now for what you are doing in the turmoil this man has caused, for you, Lord, are good, gracious and loving.]
 
Psalm 35:27 “May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, ‘The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.’”
 
[Yes, may you win, vindicating your servants, Lord, may you be exalted as we obey you, may you be the One who is lifted up in our joy and gladness at your goodness. We can trust you in all things, knowing that you lead us through the dark valleys so that you can eventually bring us out into wider, greener pastures.]
 
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Swampy Days

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 27, 2016
From Edified!
 
“I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you.”
Psalm 119:168
 
Recently I spent two weeks on a difficult spiritual trek, slogging through a swamp of mists, mud and mind-numbing darkness. I was wrestling with some serious negative issues with no discernible positive outcomes. And the negatives were amplified by my not being well physically.
 
While in this swamp, the Spirit challenged me to continue to use all that God has taught: praise, journaling, confession, meditation, reading the Word and prayer. Doing these took a lot of effort because I really didn’t want to do them. It was like struggling through deep mud, taking one difficult step after another without any seeming progress. Living the truth that “Knowing Jesus is enough for joy, period!” had to be done on faith, without any positive emotions and against plenty of negative ones.
 
One night I went to sleep meditating on Psalm 31, “I am like a piece of broken pottery, I hear the slander of many, there is terror on every side…but, I will trust in you, Lord. I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands….’”
 
The next morning while still in the last of my dreams, Psalm 62:1-4 welled up in my mind, “My soul finds rest in you alone….From you comes my salvation…you only are my rock….” As I came out of sleep, I noted a difference: I found myself on the edge of the swamp, the Son was shining and there were the first discernable rays of joy in my heart again.
 
The situations hadn’t changed at all; the uncertainty was still there, the hard choices were still going to have to be made. But God’s Word proved true again: focusing on Him and obeying what He had taught brought me out of the swamp and into the light once more.
 
If you are struggling with something, let me encourage you to keep going to Him, processing your thoughts and emotions, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, thinking Truth, encouraging yourself in the Word, meditating on Scripture, knowing that He is at work and will bring you out.
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.”
 
Prayer: “Praise you, Lord, that your precepts and your statutes guide me in what is right, that they protect me from what is evil and give me light to move forward. Help me to keep on doing what is right no matter what, to keep on thinking and trusting your Word. Forgive me for my unbelief. May I bring you honor by walking in truth and obedience today. Amen.”
 
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Psalm 35:19-23

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 26, 2016

Continuing in Psalm 35
 
Psalm 35:19 “Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.”
 
David had a lot of enemies who were jealous, wanting his power, wealth and standing. Satan has the same motives in attacking us.
 
We have been given eternal life, while he is doomed to eternal death; we have the Holy Spirit living in us, the power of the living Lord, while he is separated from God; we have been made heirs with Christ while he has lost all; and we are children of the King, members of His family, citizens of His Kingdom and partners in His great plans, while Satan is an outcast, a loser and a reject by his own decision.
 
He will do whatever he can do to help us forget who we are in Christ and urges us to veer off onto our own selfish course of life and action, just as he has done.
 
Psalm 35:20, 21 “They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
 
[Satan uses people and their unjust accusations to pressure us to get our eyes off of God and onto the natural desires for safety and comfort, significance and fulfillment. And yet in Christ we already have a super abundance of each of these!
 
We must be careful to listen to truth, recognizing the lies of the enemy, and we can do this by daily reveling in the richness of belonging to Christ, nurturing our first love for Him.]
 
Psalm 35:22, 23 “O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.”
 
[David here makes exactly the right move: when threatened he comes immediately to God for help, seeking input from Truth Himself, from the Most Powerful and Wise One. Sadly, prayer is usually our last resort when it should be our first response. Let us follow David’s good example, and make “my God and Lord” our refuge right away!]
 
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Psalm 35:11-18

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 25, 2016
 
Today we return to a dark part of Psalm 35 where David lifts his soul to God in distress, seeking relief in the attacks coming against him.
 
Psalm 35:11-13 “Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting.”
 
In the daily spiritual battle, Satan often uses those around us to pressure and accuse us. Those we have done good to now stand and oppose us, attack us, blame us.
 
This can be disorienting, as two versions of the past collide, perhaps causing us to question our own sanity. David needed a touchstone of reality, so he remembered how he had been so kind and concerned for those who were now attacking him:
 
“When my prayers [for them] returned to me unanswered,
Psalm 35:14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.”
 
[But these same people had a very different response when David was down.]
 
Psalm 35:15,16 “But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing. Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked, they gnashed their teeth at me.”
 
[Note that these are “like the ungodly” meaning they were probably believers, people who had been close to David.
 
So we, too, can experience injustice and evil from fellow believers who are pursuing their own agendas rather than God’s. And, like David, we must look to Jesus for help.]
 
Psalm 35:17,18 “O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.”
 
[Your timing, O Lord, is right, but to us some suffering seems to go on too long. Thinking of my wife’s illness, I cry out, “Act, Lord, and bring the changes, bring the deliverance that is needed. Lord, help us to wait through well, learning what is necessary, giving you glory in praise through it all.
 
Answer for the sake of your Name, for the sake of your Glory, O Lord. And I can and will praise you now for how and when you will respond, for you are wise and good and gracious.”]
 
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Thanksgiving Day

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 24, 2016
Today being Thanksgiving Day, I want to list out 100 things I am thankful for. For your edification, here are the first fifty-seven.
 
Spiritual reasons to give thanks
 
God is real.
He is eternal.
He is holy with no sin, evil or negative.
He is perfect.
He is wise beyond comprehension.
His ways and thoughts are far higher than ours.
He knows everything.
He understands everything.
He created everything giving each thing its complexity and superb design and did so just by speaking!
He is present everywhere, all the time.
He is Sovereign.
He is powerful beyond conception.
He is beautiful in perfect and full-orbedness.
He loves beauty and shares it with us in His creation.
He is love.
He is light
He is life
He inexplicably loves His enemies.
He desired to buy us back from the kingdom of darkness.
He rescued us from Satan, sin and self.
He has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in the Kingdom of light.
He chose us before the foundation of the world to be His children.
He then predestined us to hear the gospel.
He convicted us of sin and righteousness and judgment.
He revealed Himself to us through whatever means each of us needed.
He sent people to share the good news with us.
He pinned us down to listen.
He gave us faith and repentance.
He is our Shepherd.
He has made His Spirit dwell in us.
We have become the temple of the Living God.
He has made us members of the church universal.
He has given us a church local.
He has given up purpose and meaning.
He has a plan for our lives laid out in detail.
He is running with us in the race He has set out before us.
Nothing comes to us randomly.
Every bit of suffering has meaning and purpose.
He helps us in every weakness.
He chastens us when need it (which is much of the time).
He is tender, gracious, loving and kind.
He will make us into the Bride of Christ.
When we die we will go to be with Him.
There will be no sorrow and suffering, no tears or terror.
He has given us peace and joy.
He wants us to trust Him so our lives can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
He invites us to join Him in His great plans.
He has given us the gift of prayer.
We can enter His presence any time.
He has made us His ambassadors.
He has promised to never leave us or forsake us.
He has given us the three things all human beings long for: belonging, worth and competence.
He gives us rest for our souls, if we seek refuge in Him.
Jesus loves us as the Father loves Him.
He has given us all the significance and security we could ever need.
Because He is always good, we can give thanks to Him in all things.
And the list could go on. What a wonderful God we have, far better than we could ever have thought up. Let us be in awe, fall before Him in worship and live lives that bring Him both joy and honor.
 
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Over heard

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 23, 2016

Perfectionism is a form of self abuse!

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God Has A Plan

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 22, 2016
It is so good to have Barbara home. Yesterday she started a daily group therapy program, got a new and sympathetic doctor and most importantly, has begun to lift her soul to God, with almost immediate improvement. The road is still long, but we are thankful for the progress.
 
In this difficult and challenging journey of Barbara’s illness there is one truth that has kept my faith strong: God’s Word is trustable: “Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight” (Ps. 119:142).
 
And His Word says that God has a plan (“run with endurance the race that is set before you” Heb. 12:2). Nothing is random, nothing is out of His control, in every event He has a purpose and every purpose is good.
 
So in every heart-wrenching twist and turn in this illness adventure, I can say, “Lord Jesus, I look to you, I trust you because you are the great Shepherd, intimately concerned and involved with each of us every moment. The Truth is,
 
• You know us completely.
• You supply all that is necessary.
• You design the next lesson we need.
• You make us lie down in green pastures.
• You give us rest in the midst of turmoil.
• You bring transformation.
• You guide us in the right way.
• You lead us into and through the dark valleys.
• You know exactly what you are doing.
• And we can trust You.
 
May Your commands always be my delight no matter what you may cause me to experience.
 
Prayer: “Praise you for your great wisdom, your love, grace and goodness. We bow before you in worship, we lift up your name in awe, we exalt you in your perfection, and we surrender our hearts to your love in joy.
 
We rise up now to obey you in each decision as part of our worship. May you be glorified in our lives today. Amen.”
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The God of Suffering

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 21, 2016
More encouraging words from EDIFIED!
 
Psalm 119:141-144a comes to mind, “Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.” Our response to feeling this must be to go immediately to your Word, Lord, to find our comfort, perspective, help and direction from you. People may not understand us, but you do. We may not understand what’s happening and why, but you do and will help us through it.
 
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” In the midst of stress, trouble and despair, I can still delight in your commands. In fact, in the midst of such difficulty your Word is sweeter still.
 
“Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true. Your statutes are forever right….” Praise be to you, O Lord God Almighty, that you, as revealed in your Word, are the measure of what is true and right and good.
 
We so easily confuse comfort and convenience with good; but you so carefully teach us that weakness, hardships, insults, persecutions and difficulties are also things to delight in, if we have your perspective, think your thoughts and see with your eyes (2 Cor. 12:9,10).
 
Praise you that with your Word you give us the big picture, you help us understand what you are doing. You draw us up above the rebellious thoughts and snares of the world, the flesh and the devil.
 
Thank you for the shield of faith that we can raise with praise to ward off the fiery darts of self-pity, anger, frustration, impatience, self-centeredness and hurt as well as short-term thinking and feeling.
• Praise raises the barrier of protection.
• Praise heals the wounds.
• Praise opens our eyes.
• Praise produces perspective.
• Praise brings freedom.
 
All this is true because you, Lord Jesus, are the great Shepherd, intimately concerned with each of us each moment. Praise be to you for your inexplicable, unreasonable, unending love. Help us to abide in it especially when things are hard and you seem for far away, for you are actually always right the with us and in us.
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The Good of Suffering

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 20, 2016
Today’s reading in EDIFIED! is a very appropriate reminder to us as Barbara goes through this dark valley.
 
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.”
Psalm 119:143
 
I praise you this morning, Heavenly Father, for you are the Sovereign One, controlling all that goes on, all that comes to me. You hold back the tide of evil, allowing Satan only so much rope, and you use the fury of his attacks to advance your Kingdom.
 
Just yesterday I read of how many thousands in Haiti have come to faith after the great earthquakes of 2010. You used this tragedy to plow the hard and rebellious hearts of people, opening them to hearing Truth and surrendering to you.
 
Suffering is an unavoidable part of life in this sin-warped world; you are the One who allows what suffering comes to us, regulating it according to what we need to grow and give you glory, as well as what we can bear with your grace.
 
In the suffering that comes, you have reasons and purpose, you have goals, you have growth and privileges for us.
 
And we have the responsibility to flee to you, to turn to your Word, to take up and use your grace, to praise, to rest in you, to embrace what comes as opportunity to bring you glory.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, my good and great Shepherd:
• for your wisdom, which is far above our understanding;
• for your grace, which is more than enough;
• for your compassion, which provides all we need;
• for your love, which you pour out on us every moment.
 
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