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Trust

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 8, 2023

Psalm 11:1 “In the Lord I put my trust;”

What an appropriate message for me as when I wrote this in bed I was down with a severe bout of vertigo, unable to be up, having to cancel all my plans–an opportunity to join God in His plans!

[Yes, Lord, I willfully choose to trust you, not myself, not people, not circumstances, not power, nor politicians. You alone are the One to rest in, for you alone are All-powerful, All-knowing, All-seeing All-present, and All-loving.

Therefore, I choose to praise you in and for all things–all the proof we need for trusting you, Lord, is found in your faithful, sinless, pure and positive character. This is displayed in the rich outpouring of your Love in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, I choose to trust you.]

“How can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’?”

[No mountain will save me, no mountain will love me, no mountain is impregnable. Only You, Lord God Almighty, are the actual, adequate, all-protecting refuge and strength needed; you alone are my High Tower, my Mighty Rock and my Stronghold.

To you, Lord, I will flee when worry, fear, danger, sickness or loss threaten. To you I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving—praising you when it costs me, when I don’t feel like it–thereby honoring you and opening the way for your salvation to come to me. Your help is all I need.]

No photo description available.

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Mercy

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 7, 2023

I praise you, Lord Jesus, that in your mercy you bring positive pressure on us to see truth, to come to ourselves and surrender to you. You are the One we can trust, the One who is our refuge and strength, our joy and wisdom, our Loving Shepherd and Warrior King.

Through challenges and adventures (including suffering, tragedy and persecution) you give us opportunities for faith-responses, for glory-giving, for grace-demonstrations, for clenched-teeth praise, for faith-filled obedience. These are chances to fulfill the purpose of our existence: to bring honor to you, to be reflectors of your glory, to  exalt your name and your Word above all other things.

I praise you now for another day, another opportunity to live for you, to live by faith, to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving– and thereby honor you while opening the way so your daily salvation can flow further into my present and future and into the lives of those around me (Ps. 50:23).

May you be glorified.in my thoughts, actions and words today, May those around me be touched by your Spirit overflowing from me. May grace be the fragrance of my life. For your glory, may I be a strong aroma of life to those around me who are looking for truth. And through that may many more be swept into your Kingdom. Amen.

No photo description available.

 

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Good Ending

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 6, 2023

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

[What a hope for the future: I WILL be in your presence for eternity. Therefore,

death need hold no fear,

the shortness of life no panic,

the uncertainty of the future no threat.

We dwell in the certainty of biblical  hope as we press on to what you have for us in this life, and more so in the next.

You, Lord Jesus, are the One we yearn for, live for, hope for. And our hope is as certain as your Love, as trustable as your Word, your Power, and your present Presence!

Glory and honor are due your wonderful Name, Lord Jesus. May my life give you that honor today as I trust you through praise and thanksgiving in and for all—even before I see your goodness and mercy yet.

 

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Open Doors

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 4, 2023

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;”

[You, Lord, constantly pour out goodness and mercy on your children; it is a certainty that in each situation you are providing these in our lives. Very often we cannot see them at the moment– but when we can look back at a difficult situation, there they are: goodness and mercy were following us!

An example is the disappointment I had recently. After waiting two weeks for an overhead door installer to come, he only did half the job and then left, saying, “I’ll be back in about two weeks!” I could see no goodness and mercy in that! But, the next day while talking to one of my disciples, I found that he had worked as a door installer and he offered to come and finish the job for me.

We both profited: he needed some extra income, I needed the help; plus he knew where to get the springs I needed at a very reasonable price. We both saw God’s goodness and mercy in the first man not finishing the job. In fact his failure opened the door to better things!

This pattern has been and will be true throughout the whole of our lives with you, Lord Jesus. You are always faithful, you are consistently good and you are deeply merciful– whether we can see it at the moment or not. Praise be to you my wonderful Shepherd!]

May be an image of lighting and sliding door

 

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Overflowing

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2023

“My cup runs over.” Psalm 23:5c

[You, Lord, give us what we need–and far more. What I actually need is only air, water, food, clothing, shelter and love. But when I look at all you have given me, it is way beyond that, much more than what I need spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially, financially and in every other realm.

Now it is my privilege and responsibility to share these with others, to let your blessings flow through me to those around me. For example, the joy you give me should bring joy to others as I am kind, thoughtful, positive and helpful to them, whether I feel like it or not.

The material provisions you’ve given I should be sharing around. And the spiritual riches you give I should also be passing along, for, in your Kingdom, getting and hoarding is not the norm, but receiving and giving.

So, when we go to church on Sunday, we can go filled with the Lord’s riches and grace as well as insights from our quiet times during the week. Then we are ready to give to others as they have need, as well as to receive what the Lord may have for us.

May we continually overflow with the wonder of our walk with our Shepherd, Jesus, bringing encouragement, hope and perspective to all around us.]

May be an image of flower

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The Anointing

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 3, 2023

Psalm 23: 5b, “You anoint my head with oil;”

[Shepherds put oil on the heads of their sheep to keep away pesky insects, to heal wounds, to refresh and so when the sheep butt heads, they will slide by and not be badly injured.

Oil here can represent many things: the Holy Spirit, protection, blessing and healing. You, Lord, provide for us all these blessings and more in your gracious giving, pouring out continually from your unending, inexhaustible store of riches.

As it says in Ephesians 1:2 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who HAS blessed us with All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians goes on to detail some of these blessings:

–He chose us before the foundation of the world.

–He has made us holy and without blame before Him in love.

–He predestined us to be adopted as His children.

–It was His good pleasure to adopt us.

–We are accepted in the Beloved, Christ.

–In Him we have redemption through His blood.

–We have the forgiveness of ours sins according to the riches of His endless grace.

— And in 1 Peter 1:3 it says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life….” ]

 

Truly He is the God of Blessing. May we continually rejoice in His goodness to us!

 

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Little Lambs

Published by S.M. Wibberley on October 1, 2023

“I will fear no evil for You are with me….” Psalm 23:4b

You, Lord God, are ever present, ever with us, your little lambs. If there is evil threatening, enemies approaching, you are there, watching, providing, protecting in whatever way you deem best.

Often, we are living in limbo, uncertain of what is going to happen, in fear of possible danger or disappointment, and when the door to the future opens, we have no idea what is on the other side. But there is one thing we can be sure of: that you are there on the other side of that door, waiting to greet us with your planned path prepared.

As you announce in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” In you we can rest.

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

The shepherd’s rod is a stout club to beat off attackers. Your rod is powerful, effective, more than sufficient to protect us from whatever Satan can bring against us–for you are invincible, undefeatable and all powerful. You have already won every battle at the cross.

And then there is your staff, the shepherd’s crook used to guide and correct your sheep as we stray. You are faithful to warn us when we wander willfully out of the way: you tap us on the shoulder, or you pull us back, or if necessary, give us a whack to get our attention. You guide us persistently, even when we insist on rebelling, trusting in ourselves rather than you.

You are absolutely faithful, fully wise and eternally good. Praise you that your pristine and positive character assures us of your perpetual protection and provision. May we live in the light of that!

Picture: we are  God’s little lambs

May be an image of 2 people, baby and people smiling

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(Untitled)

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 30, 2023

As we take refuge in His love, power and truth, God does not always protect us from what will harm us physically, but will protect us from what would harm us spiritually. Then we can shine in the darkness of this world as a burning fire (like this picture) for those seeking Truth.

The valley of the shadow of death is therefore not a threat but an opportunity to fulfill the purpose of our lives: honoring the One who walked this road before us and will walk with us through it again.

So, let us look to Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).

Let us obey the advice of the Word to:

“throw off everything that hinders [our natural worldview]

and the sin that so easily entangles [addiction to comfort, selfishness and security, to name a few]

and run with perseverance the race marked out for us [some of which will go through the valley of the shadow of death],

fixing our eyes on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2a)

In doing so,  we will come out on the other side of the valley of the shadow of death, into a pleasant place: “He brought me out into a spacious place, he rescued me because he delighted in me” (Ps. 18:19). Let’s stick with and run with Jesus, knowing He will carry us through.

May be an image of 1 person, camping and fire

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Light in Darkness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 29, 2023

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;”

[At least one of the paths of righteousness you will lead me on, Lord, goes through this dark valley. It may be a time of dying to a desire, to my will, to a possession or it may be physical danger and sickness or death of a loved one–or myself. Whatever it is, I do not need to fear that evil will triumph.

There may be loss and suffering, but in the end, evil will not win because Jesus is already the Victor and I belong to Him.

Think of Paul in his shipwreck described in Acts 27. In the midst of a great storm there were days and nights of uncertainty where Paul was cold, wet and hungry; and then the smashing of the ship into a sandbar and everyone having to swim to shore through crashing surf. There was evil: the soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners, Paul included, so they couldn’t escape, but that was prevented. Then the viper bit Paul, but God protected him and no harm was done.

It was a dark valley, but in it, the witness of Paul shone brighter in his faith, in his declaration of God’s sovereignty, in his prediction (all possessions will be lost, all people will be saved), and in his being protected. Without that dark, the light would have not been seen so clearly. God is always drawing upward and onward, ever into greater light; are we following?

May be a black-and-white image

 

Another valley of the shadow of death:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/covid-vaccines-causally-linked-to-increased-mortality-resulting-in-17-million-deaths-scientific-report-5499001?utm_source=Health&src_src=Health&utm_campaign=health-2023-09-29&src_cmp=health-2023-09-29&utm_medium=email&est=uGWVvja75WRBrUyen5OBX25Fsmk6k26PNeMcNwvBhjMvWxsSr%2F6PJJWClBwKndfp6zwY

 

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The Right Path

Published by S.M. Wibberley on September 28, 2023

You, Lord Jesus, promise to lead me in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake—but again, I must choose to follow. And I can be sure that the way you lead me will be righteous and upright, pure and positive, godly and good, bringing honor to your Name.

If I sense leading which is not one of these, then I can know that it is not of you, but from the subtle and sinister call of the world, the flesh and the devil. These I want to reject, so I can give you glory in all I do. Therefore, for the sake of your name, help me to gladly follow your righteous lead, no matter how much self-denial it requires.

Praise you, Lord Jesus, for you are my Shepherd, my King, my Sovereign, the One to be obeyed and feared, loved and served. Praise you for the wonderful and powerful privilege of being both your sheep and your ambassador in a fallen and faulty world, bringing your light to deluded and deceived people.

Praise you for your Holy Spirit that you fill, empower, guide and encourage me continually. I praise you, Lord Jesus, my 23rd Psalm Shepherd, for your preservation, your protection, your provision and your presence throughout the day. May I be filled with your Spirit; may I be a vessel of grace to all I meet today; may I be a useful instrument in your hand, Lord.

May I live obeying you, living worthy of your calling and pleasing you in every way. To you be glory, honor and praise in and through my life today.

May be an image of text that says 'Walking in the Path of Righteousness'

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