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Deny self, get freedom

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 5, 2025 Respond

Death of a vision, a difficult concept.  In this, God gives a vision, but then He makes us wait, and wait, and wait before He brings it to pass. There are many examples of this in the Bible.


–Abraham, “You will have a son by Sarai.” He then has to wait 18 years before this comes to pass.
–Moses, “I want to save my people.” He spends 40 years in the desert, then weeks trying to free them from Pharoah.
–Joseph, Had a dream of leading his family. Became a slave, sent to prison, was forgotten, and after years, Pharaoh sends for him.
–Daniel, experienced God’s protection often, but ended up in the lions’ den so he could experience God’s deliverance.
–Paul, becomes a believer, is ready for ministry, but God sends him to Arabia for three years of training.
 
And so it is with us. It is hard to wait for something we can envision, but God often makes us wait. Recently I’ve experienced this; God gave a vision and I was ready to start. My normal method is to get the basics in place and take off running, learning as I go along. However, in this case, and other times in my experience,  my team mates often are “thoroughlists” wanting everything in place before starting. That is the call for me to back off, and to do the uncomfortable, waiting for things to be ready. And it is a struggle.
 
Instead of moving ahead, I must practice Jesus’ command, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must DENY themselves and TAKE UP THEIR CROSS daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23. Deny self, take up my cross, dying to my desire, my timing.
 
And then there is 2 Corinthians 12:9&10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
 
Paul’s response to his weakness: “Therefore I will BOAST all the more gladly in my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” !!! This is what  I call “winning by losing.” Deny self, let the others have their way, and see what God does bringing in the power of Christ. Not easy for me, but necessary in the Kingdom of God.
 
Picture: Surrender to the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
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Direction in the Fog of Life

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 4, 2025 Respond
Life is so confusing at times and I don’t know what to do. Ever feel that way?
I praise God for Psalm 143:8 giving me direction. “Show me the way I should go, for I lift up my soul to you.”
There it is:  God’s way to get direction.
In the last week I’ve followed this way, telling God what I am thinking, feeling and wanting. It started out confusing, but then as I wrote and asked God what He thought, the fog began to clear a bit and I had some insight.
Then the next night more, and the next day more. I am still not sure of the whole picture, but got good direction in how to respond to some troubling interactions. And as I lift my soul more, know He will continue to guide me.
The good news is that we are not alone in this mixed up world. As we open ourselves to the Lord, being honest with Him and ourselves, direction and insight can come, and we can move forward with Him.
Picture: lifting my soul to God
May be an image of heart and body of water
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Let go, Hold on, Rise Above

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 3, 2025 Respond

I was faced with a situation where others were making decisions about my future, and I had no power to influence these. As I struggled with this, the Lord brought two verses to mind.

As Paul talked to God about his thorn in the flesh, in 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.“ Paul’s weakness in his situation was the opening to the power of God. So how was he to access this power?

“Therefore,” Paul said, “I will boast in my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” Embracing the situation, giving thanks for our weakness, exalting in it opens the way for Christ’s power to flow into the situation.

Then Paul says an amazing thing. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

He had caught the fact that these negative situations were opportunities for two things: an adventure with the power of God, and a chance to give honor to Jesus.

This understanding is helpful to me, lifting my eyes off of what I am losing in my situation onto the opportunity to let go, hold on and rise above the attacks of the enemy! Quite a change in perspective, possible only through thinking God’s thoughts. Give it a try!

Picture: Learning to Let go, Hold on, Rise above.

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Relief from Above

Published by S.M. Wibberley on August 1, 2025 Respond

Humanly speaking, it was a rough day with rough criticism.

Turning to God and His Word is comforting, clarifying, encouraging.

“Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you” (Ps.143:9).

Yes, I come to you, Yahweh; fight for me today, guide me, give wisdom.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God” (Ps.143:9b).

I do surrender myself to you in this difficult situation, Elohim, I commit to doing your will.

“May your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Ps.143:10).

Praise that you, Adonai, are only good, that you will lead me on good ground, in a constructive way, in paths of righteousne.

“For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble” (Ps.143:11).

Yes, do this to bring glory to your Name, the great I AM, do this according to your character. Only you can bring me out of this swamp of turmoil correctly.

Wow! How refreshing, lifting my eyes off myself onto the eternal Creator God.

Looking away from those who criticize me to the One who with great desire brought me into His family.

Truly, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” John 8:32

Denigrated by men, but Embraced by Jesus

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Secure

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 31, 2025 Respond

“Fret not yourself….”  Psalm 37:1

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for as I awoke, you were there, waiting for me

in your great Goodness,

your shining Glory,

your immense Power,

your perfect Wisdom,

your rich, immutable Love.

You are the One to delight in,

you are the One to obey,

you are the One to rejoice in,

you are the One to trust.

I praise you that you have revealed yourself to us in your Word,

which is rich,

deep,

full,

powerful,

transforming,

eternal

and trustable.

I Praise you that you are moving history to a conclusion and taking us with you.

In all that swirls around us, events that are beyond our control, that humanly speaking are distressing, we can trust you to be weaving all into the fabric of your plan

for the ending of history,

for beginning eternity,

cutting off all evil,

and initiating a sin-free existence

all who have come into the shelter of your righteousness and love. Praise be to you!

Help us to live in the light of these truths today, Lord, honoring you.

Picture: truths as beautiful as God

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Precision in Creation

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 29, 2025 Respond

In yesterday’s post we looked at the nearly infinite size, billions of light years of expanse, galaxies and stars, all spoken into existence by  our Great and Wonderful God.

Today we will look at His creation on a much smaller scale.

in a little place tucked under one arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, you, Lord, laid the foundations of the earth.

You made the molten core,

you clothed it in its mantle of minerals and metals,

then you laid over it the garment of water

and crowned it with a transparent atmosphere.

You placed it in just the right spot,

provided it with a sun, a moon and sister planets,

gave it just the right tilt, orbit and speed of rotation,

all making carbon-based life possible..

Then through the millennia you have sustained each of those so that your creatures are able to live on it.

You, Lord God are marvelous in your creativity and wisdom, your might and imagination.

You, “who churn up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD Almighty is your name” (Isa. 51:15b) —

Your power is unlimited,

your wisdom is boundless,

your greatness is without end,

your glory is eternal,

your holiness is without change.

You are worthy of exaltation and fear, of worship and honor, of praise and obedience. Help us to give those  today!

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Immensely Great

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 28, 2025 Respond

How great is our God?

“I, even I, am he who comforts you.” Isaiah 51:12

He is the King of Glory, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Guide and Lover of my soul.

You Lord, are wonderful in your words of comfort: “Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth…’” (Isa. 51:12-13).

Yes, You are the Mighty One who made the measureless heavens, stretching them out light year after light year, in length and breadth, height and depth.

You filled them with stars and galaxies, light and dust, space and nebulae. Your love of beauty, your enjoyment of variety, your penchant for order and the vastness of your power are all on display there.

You number the stars and call them each by name. The scope of your power is overwhelming:

the power of planning to lay it all out;

the power of creativity to make them out of nothing;

the power of greatness to create stars so gigantic;

the power of memory to know each one by name;

the power of faithfulness to keep each in its place.

Yes, You, Lord God, are marvelously, amazingly powerful. You only are the totally Trustable one.

Forgive us when we doubt you, worry, fear, and fret.

Help us to live in the shadow of your greatness,

to revel in your power,

to rest in your wisdom.

May be an image of outer space

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Living Right Side Up

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 27, 2025 Respond

The world is upside down from a biblical perspective.

In the world,
 to win you have to conqueor.
To have worth you have to perform.
To be successful, you have to be better than others.
To lead you have to get others to accept your way.
But the biblical way, the “rightside up” way,  is very different.
To win, you have to lose:   
 
“whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matt 10:29
Jesus won by losing His life so He could defeat Satan, death and sin.
To be productive, you have to die:
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Matt 12:24
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matt 16:24
To have worth, you have to let go and accept what God says about you:
“…he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Eph. 1:4
To be successful, you have to surrender:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matt 16:24
To lead you have to serve.
“whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Matt 20:25.
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,

to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up….” Eph. 4:11,12

To live the ” right side up” way, 

we have to live by faith, 

to  think Truth, 

to trust God and surrender to His way. Let’s do it!

Jesus is leading; are you following?

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Walking on with Him

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 25, 2025 Respond

Psalm 23 summary

As the Great Shepherd, Lord Jesus, you are constantly at work in our lives:

leading,

guiding,

disciplining,

protecting,

providing,

commanding.

You are worthy of all

exaltation,

worship,

glory,

honor

and praise.

It will require more than eternity

to give you what you deserve,

and I glorify you for that!

 

Prayer: “Today, may my drinking of the pure waters of your Word

and my walking with you in the path of righteousness you have prepared,

bring glory to you, Lord, and transformation to me

so that I may give you more and more honor each day. Amen.”

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Being led, am I following?

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 24, 2025 Respond

More thoughts on Psalm 23

You, Lord Jesus, lead me in paths of righteousness,

guiding,

teaching,

warning,

disciplining.

You nudge me when I am about to say something negative, out of bounds, unhelpful or gossipy.

And when I heed your warning, there is a sense of freedom—freedom from the selfish desire to give myself a thrill by being the one to pass on information or to be the authority in some matter.

To deny self and obey you, that is following you in the paths of righteousness.

I praise you, Lord, for you have sent your Spirit in me to lead me.

I praise you for your great patience in working with me to help me to

quit worrying,

reject complaining,

refuse to feel sorry for myself,

walk away from disappointment and discouragement,

choose instead to walk with praise in the demanding paths of righteousness that you have prepared and where you lead me.

I praise and thank you

for your wonderful shepherding,

for your faithful goodness,

for your continued, gracious patience.

You are marvelous, merciful and magnificent

in your persistent, powerful, positive transforming work

in the lives of your children.

Help me to  live in the light of these truths, no matter my circumsatnces.

Picture: The Great Shepherd  Jesus watching over us, leading  you and me in paths of righteousness.

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