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Praise in the Midst of Difficulty

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 13, 2016
In the midst of Barbara’s debilitating illness and the deterioration it brings, we want to continue to follow Habakkuk’s example in Habakkuk 3:17-19
 
“Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
 
YET I will rejoice in the LORD, (Yahweh)
I will be joyful in God (Elohim) my Savior.
The Sovereign (Adonai) LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.”
 
I choose to rejoice in you, Lord, for you are good always, you are the source of our joy–not our having things go right. I praise you for what you are going to do in this situation, Lord. I can let go of the negatives and cling to you. I praise you for what you are doing, for what you are planning, for what you will work out, as you did with Joseph in all he suffered.
 
Help us all to respond as he did, bringing glory to your name, and healing to our souls. I thank you for the unseen things you are going to accomplish through this, for the good that you will draw out. I ask for your guidance in what I should do to join your purposes.
 
Lord Jesus, you are the Wonderful One, full of wisdom, grace, righteousness, mercy, justice, goodness and power. You are the One who can overrule in any situation you desire. You could have worked this illness out otherwise, but you allowed or guided things in this direction, so we choose to trust you and to look at the bigger picture.
 
Lord, to belong to you, to be your possession, to personally know you is wonderful. Blessed is too mild a word! To know that you chose us, wanted us as your people, sought us out, bought us, adopted us, transformed us, and that you love us and cherish us—this is marvelous! It is more than we could ever have hoped for, especially in the light of what we actually deserve (punishment, rejection, suffering, eternal separation from you and all that is good).
 
So we choose to trust you through praise, knowing that you have laid out the race before us, empowering us to run with perseverance and patience, looking to you, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that as we look ahead to the joy you have for us, we can endure whatever cross you give us, for we will be seated with you in heavenly places (Heb. 12:1-3).
!
 
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God's Grace

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

As it says in Psalm 107, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

[and so we see your love every day in the myriad of provisions and protections you pour out upon us; we can see, hear, speak, walk, work and write. You give us food, shelter, health, community and sleep, among many others wonderful gifts.]

“Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,”

[You, Lord Jesus, have certainly redeemed us from the hand of Satan, from the hand of sin, from the hands of evil men. You are our Savior, Shepherd and Sustainer. Praise be to you forever and ever.]

“those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”

[Thank you, Lord, that you work in people everywhere, opening their eyes, giving them the desire for truth, bringing them your Word. You are the true, loving God, gracious to all, forgiving to all those who come.]

“Some wandered in desert wastelands,”

[when we reject your truth, go our own way, we dwell in dry and parched lands of our own making, far from the green pastures you have for us.]

“finding no way to a city where they could settle. They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.”

[In our own path we go from one bad decision to the next. We search for sustenance and find none, we grow weaker and weaker. Everything goes downhill because we are far from your way.]

“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,”

[When they finally saw that their way was not good, that their wisdom was insufficient, that their strength was too little, then they cried out to you.]

“and he delivered them from their distress.”

[You, Lord, in your goodness were right there, waiting for them to come to their senses, to see their need, to cry out to you. You were ready to help as soon as they were ready to receive.]

“He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.”

[You, Lord, know the way and are very willing, eager to lead us by it, if only we would follow. You give us wisdom, insight, security and community, all we need to prosper.]

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love”

[and truly it is unfailing as you wait and wait for us to repent of our selfish, stubborn independence. You don’t give up, you are patient, persistence and prepared.]

“and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

[What you have for us is beyond good, it is wonderful, marvelous, awesome, great. You, Lord, have only good for us, satisfying our thirst for love and forgiveness, our hunger for relationship, reality and meaning. You know our needs, for you are our Creator; you are able to supply our needs, for you are infinite; you are willing to supply our needs, for you are good. Praise be to you, both now and forever.]

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God's Gifts Part 2

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 11, 2016
 
God’s gifts to us, part 2
 
Psalm 50:23 starts with “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving,” and continues with “…and prepares the way that I may show him the salvation of the Lord.” Here we see the the second gift God has for us: the privilege of partnering with Him in bringing the solution to the situation.
 
As we give thanks in and for difficulties, we open the way (get out of the way) for Him to bring the resolution and results He’s planned and prepared. They may come right away, or they may not be visible until years later, as with Joseph in Egypt. Whether seen or unseen, God moves as we give thanks in faith for what is painful for us.
 
A third gift that is bestowed when we give thanks, is the privilege to be a powerful witness to those around us. Our unnatural, supernatural response to troubles puts us right up on the stage of grace, in front of all those watching us, where we can do the dance of grace, trusting God and thereby bring a focus on God’s good character in a way that words alone could never do.
 
A fourth gift He has for us is that, in expressing gratitude by giving thanks in things both positive and difficult, we cooperate with God in improving our emotional, mental and physical health.
 
A secular article on NewsMax entitled “Giving Thanks Makes Us Happier,” points out research that an attitude of gratitude brings many benefits. A summary says, “Researchers delving into the physiology of gratitude have discovered it acts powerfully upon neurotransmitters in the brain to increase happiness, reduce stress, boost energy and even improve sleep.” Another benefit is that it strengthens our immune system.
 
This, of course, is simply discovering what God has told us all along: giving thanks is a powerful good for us, for all those around us, and for God.
 
These truths are reiterated in an article in the latest Reader’s Digest, entitled “The Goodness of Gratitude,” saying, “people who wrote thank you letters or performed good deeds for a six-week period decreased their pain, upped their energy, accomplished more every day, and improved their mental health for up to six months. And you can reap these benefits at any age.”
 
God’s wisdom is far deeper than we can imagine! It is our privilege to live in Psalm 50:23 and make every day a “Thanksgiving Day.” Do yourself and many others a good turn and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving in each event, especially the ones you don’t like.
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Gifts Part One

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 9, 2016
Part 1 Gifts
 
What a kindness you have given us in calling us to give thanks in all things. You, Lord God, know what is best and work powerfully and patiently to bring it to pass.
 
Giving thanks in all is a privilege. It is also God inviting us into a partnership with Him where He has at least four rich gifts awaiting us.
 
Psalm 50:23 shows us two of those gifts. “He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me…” This speaks of sacrifice, denying self, giving thanks when it is not natural, when it costs us.
 
This obedience of faith is a great means of glorifying God. When we give thanks in the midst of hurt, disappointment, suffering or loss, the angels stand in awe, the demons cringe in defeat, people are amazed and God’s name is lifted on high.
 
Note that this is not being thankful, which is an emotion, but giving thanks, which is an act of the will, often against what we feel.
 
Giving God such glory is the purpose for which we were created. So every time we find ourselves in situations where there is no solution, no discernible good, no positive point (as we are right now with my little wife’s illness), we can choose to believe that God is good, at work and trustable–and we can demonstrate this trust by giving thanks.
 
In doing so we are fulfilling the reason for our existence (worshiping God) and doing something that will last for eternity. This privilege of giving thanks by faith is the first gift.
 
You, Lord, are the God who is beyond our dreams, beyond our hopes, beyond our understanding. You are Great and Powerful, Glorious and Perfect, Gracious and Pure.
 
You are the fulfillment of the longing of our hearts and far more. Glory and honor belong to you alone! And we praise you for the privilege of giving you honor with the sacrifice of thanksgiving.]
 
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The Power of Little Choices

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 9, 2016
Praise you, Lord God, for the many opportunities you give us each day to choose for you or others, for good or evil, for positive or negative. Many of these choices seem innocuous and unimportant, but are steps towards or away from where we should be.
 
To choose to read email before doing my quiet time, to choose to have extra helpings regularly, to choose to look at pictures, images or people which stimulate negative thinking, to choose to speak selfish words—these all move me in the wrong direction.
 
They bring a sense of guilt and remorse, of emptiness. Over time these build up in my soul, clogging the flow of grace, sapping energy, bringing discontent, discouragement and possibly depression.
 
When I have chosen what is wrong, and feel bad about it, you bring me to confession and cleansing. You forgive me, reminding me of your full rich love and how each failure is a potential doorway to deeper surrender, further breaking and spiritual growth. You remind me of the effectiveness of your death in bringing forgiveness, of your unending love for me, of you knowing all about me and still delighting in me—illogical as that may be, it is full of grace.
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, the Lover, the Liberator, the Leader of my soul. You are a marvel, so different from any human being, so pure, so persistent, so powerful, so perfect in your character. You never change, you never vacillate, you never alter your ideas. You are rock solid, ever loving, ever correcting, ever forgiving. With you we can move through the valleys of failure and selfishness, sin and poor choices and still come out to a good place.
 
To know you, Lord Jesus, is to be given stability in your love, grace in your commitment, hope in your power, peace in your forgiveness, joy in your presence, delight in your beauty, wisdom in your word, strength in your might, help in your compassion and guidance in your grace.
 
Prayer: “Glory be to you, honor be to you, obedience be to you in my life today, Lord God, that your Name may be lifted up before men and angels. Help me to hear you, to comprehend and obey you for your glory. Amen.”
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The Gospel for Who?

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2016
The gospel is not just for unbelievers to hear, it is a body of truth we should be repeating to ourselves often. We should continually be standing in awe at the wonder of God’s outrageously, illogically qualifying us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light.
 
Lord, to belong to you, to be your possession, to know you as Father, God, King and Shepherd is beyond wonderful. Blessed is too mild a word!
 
To know that you chose us, wanted us as your people, bought us, sought us out, adopted us, transformed us, that you love us and cherish us—what marvelous truths! It is more than we could ever have hoped for.
 
And our wonder is increased when we think of what we actually deserve–punishment, rejection, suffering, eternal separation from you and being far from all that is good.
 
Truly, you are the God who is beyond our dreams, beyond our hopes, beyond our understanding. You are Great and Powerful, Glorious and Perfect, Gracious and Pure. You are the fulfillment of the longings of our hearts, giving us belonging, worth, competence and far more. Glory and honor definitely belong to you alone!
 
May my wonder at you increase every day, may my amazement at being redeemed and loved by you deepen each morning, and may praise, thanksgiving and worship pour out of my soul to you throughout the day as you lead me to walk in the light of your powerful and preserving presence.]
 
 
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Help in Darkness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2016
Today’s reading in the book EDIFIED! is very relevant to us as my little wife continues to live under a weight of multiple negative symptoms without any relief in sight. Is this simple depression, or chronic Lyme’s Disease, or something else? No one knows and thus far nothing has helped.
 
In the midst of this we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for He is the one who knows and will both give grace to pass through it and, at the right time, bring relief. Here is the perspective we must have:
“Let those who fear the LORD say: ‘His love endures forever.’”
Psalm 118:4
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, that you are my Shepherd, that we can know that whatever comes, you have led us into it, as you led your disciples into the storm on the lake, into the opposition of the crowd, into the pain of your death. You have the larger picture, so we can trust and follow you as you walk with us into the future.
 
Psalm 118:5-9 says, “In my anguish I cried to the LORD….” This is the proper response to any situation, going right to you, O God, fleeing from self-pity, worry, fretting and anger to embrace your goodness, wisdom and love.
 
You will respond to our prayer: “In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me” (Ps. 86:7). And your answer begins inside: “I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). “In my anguish I cried out to the Lord and he answered by setting me free” (Ps. 118:5).
 
You, Lord God, are the Freedom-giver—freedom from eternal death, from punishment, from condemnation, from selfishness and Satan, as well as from fretting and fear, problems and difficulties. You are always at work to set us free from things that bind us, on a deeper level, in a higher way.
 
Praise be to you for your wisdom, your insight, your understanding. You operate with full knowledge, certain of which thing to work on next, which enemy to defeat, which sin to reveal, which point to camp out on until we respond. You don’t guess and fumble as we do in life; you know exactly what is wrong and you know exactly how to deal with it, for you are the Creator, the Healer and the Freedom-bringer.
 
“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid” (Ps.118:6). As we look away to you, fear is defeated, fretting is routed, worry is wiped out, unbelief is banished. They cannot stand in the light of your mighty, majestic, magnificent power, of your gracious, great and good heart, of your perfect, powerful, positive character, of your deep, dynamic, everlasting Love.
 
To trust in you is always wise, to take refuge in you is always good, to rest in you is always right. Praise be to you, Lord Jesus: Creator and King, Lord and Savior, Judge and Victor.
 
Prayer: “To you be glory in my life today and forever more. Help me to flee to you with each challenge, problem and difficulty, so the answer can come from you and bring you glory. Help me today to distrust myself and to trust in you instead. Amen.”
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More on Trust

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 4, 2016

More thoughts on this passage.

Psalm 62:6  “[The Lord] alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.”

[This is an exact copy of verse 2, a repetition of the truth of where real security is found, and if I seek refuge there, I will not be shaken, no matter how traumatic the events.]

Psalm 62:7  “My salvation and my honor depend on God;”

[We so naturally seek our salvation in our own efforts, and our honor from the opinions of others. However, both our salvation and our honor actually depend fully on God, not on us or others.

He has provided salvation for eternity, and for every day; we know where we are going, and we know He is with us in the nitty gritty events of life, protecting, guiding and providing.

He is the One who has already given us great honor–making us children of the Creator of the Universe,  granting us membership in the Kingdom of light, giving us each a special part in His plan.  What else could we desire? Yet we stubbornly tend to seek our salvation and honor elsewhere. Forgive us, Lord, help us to seek salvation and honor only from you.]

“he is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

[The unshakable, unassailable, unconquerable God is the One to be trusted. When all else seems to fall apart, He is there, unchanging, reliable, good, wise and sure.]

Psalm 62:8  “Trust in him at all times, O people;”

[There is that command again: “Trust!”  When we trust, we can rest. And this is possible all the time because God is always there in His goodness and grace. You, Lord, are sufficient, you are faithful, you are absolutely trustable.]

“pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

[Lord, It is right, good and necessary to pour out before you all our fears, desires, feelings and thoughts. When our heart is emptied of these, with the Spirit’s help we can fill it with Truth and Trust. Then we are safe in your refuge.

You will never reject us for being honest with you—you know all about us already—and you are delighted when we are open, transparent and truthful with you. You desire to be our refuge, you call us to yourself, and in you we are safe.]

Help us, Lord God, to trust in you more and more, to find our rest, our refuge, our salvation, our honor, our safety, our joy in you. You are worthy of trust, you are worthy of praise, you are worthy of worship. May my life give you honor and glory today as I trust in you alone.

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Trusting

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2016

I praise you for your wonderful Word, Lord, and the power of it in our lives. During a very trying time in my life, the following was written.

Psalm 62:5  “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;”

[This is a command (not a suggestion), while in verse 1 the same truth is given as a statement “My soul finds rest in God alone,” telling us where rest is possible. Here we are called upon to make a choice to find our rest in You, Lord.

We need to turn away from what we naturally pursue for rest– getting what we want, resolution of situations and tensions, positive reactions of people, removal of conflict.

The fact is that each of these solutions is fleeting and superficial, so quickly replaced by other stresses. But finding our rest in you is deep, powerful and eternal. Help us to willfully, volitionally find our rest in you alone.]

“my hope comes from him.”

[Again, this statement is a bit different from verse 1 (“my salvation comes from him”). Here is hope, the possibility of receiving what we desire: rest. We need to turn from our desire to desiring the One who can grant it.

As it says in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”  You. Lord, are to be the focus of our affections; then you can safely give us good things, knowing that they will not become idols.

You are giving us great responsibility and possibility here, Lord. Romans 15:13 clarifies this: “May the God of hope give you all joy and peace as you trust in Him (there is our part, trusting, finding our rest in Him), so that your lives may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

As we trust, the power of the Spirit comes; as we find our rest in you, Lord, then you pour out all kinds of goodness in our lives.]

We can trust you because you are Elohim, the incredibly powerful and faithful One. You show your power in creation–you are the star Breather, the galaxy Former, the planet Hanger, the dawn Bringer. The variety and detail of every aspect of this world you spoke into existence is mind boggling. You are great beyond comprehension.

You are also incredibly faithful–you promise and it happens; you plan and it comes to pass. At the right time you came to be our Savior. No one and nothing can stop you.

So I choose to embrace your character as Elohim, powerful and faithful. You know what you are doing as you shape, guide, change and transform my life. Therefore I gladly join you wholeheartedly by trusting you today–in the midst of uncertainty and disappointments–with total praise.

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Jesus is the Most High

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 2, 2016
You “…O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.” Psalm 97:9 You, Lord Jesus, are the exalted One, the highest One, towering far above all creatures, all creation, all time, all eternity. You are the final Authority, the Almighty King, the Measure of all good, the Determiner of what is right.
You see all, you judge all, you will end all. Your righteousness shines out from your being; in your purity you bring light; in your holiness you illuminate the world. You are truly the Most High.
To bow before you in worship is the response of those who know you, see you, love you. You are the One to be praised, adored, exalted and lifted up.
In worship our eyes are opened, our understanding is enhanced, our knowledge is deepened, our souls transformed. As a result we will say: “Let those who love the LORD hate evil” (Ps. 97:10a). Yes, Lord, to love you is to hate evil, for you are purely good.
In your goodness you “guard the lives of your faithful ones and deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Ps. 97:10b). As we worship you, obey you, walk with you, we can rest in the power of your goodness: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the All Mighty” (Ps. 91:1).
In your goodness, you pour out your grace upon us: it flows out of your being like water from a deep, pure spring, like love from a new mother, like light from the sun. As we look upon you in worship, “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart” (Ps. 97:11).
 
You, Lord Jesus, are so loving and kind, so gracious and pure, so giving and forgiving. To you belongs all glory, all honor, all praise, all exaltation, both now and throughout all eternity!
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, help me to walk in the light of your presence today, thinking your Word, living worthy of you, pleasing you in all I do. Amen.”
–from the devotional book “Edified!”
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