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Countering Fear

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 30, 2025 Respond

We were on a safari in Kenya after speaking at a conference in Nairobi.  Our host had lived many years in Kenya and as photographer had a lot of experience in being around wild animals. And we were surrounded with them now: graceful giraffes, busy baboons, speedy gazells and curios zebras.  No lions yet, but just then we came upon a rhino, a really big one. He was sleeping, so my fried drove his safari truck a little closer, then closer. The rhino stirred; closer, and it got up on its feet, swaying a bit. It looked like it weighed about 3 tons. A little closer, and the rhino was obviously trying to figure out what this noisy creature approaching him was.

“Look,” I said to my friend,” that huge rhino is on my side of the truck. If he charges us, that big horn is going to come right through my door, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t get any closer!”
“Oh, I just was to get close enough for a good picture,” he said, winking.
“Maybe so,’ I replied, “but I’d prefer you use your telescopic lens!”
“Hmmm,” he said, inching closer and closer.
At that point I got angry and let him know it! “Ok, ok,” he said, “we’ll back off!”
Why was I angry? Because my security was threatened. I knew where I was going when I die, but I didn’t particularly want to go out stuck  on the end of a rhino’s horn! But my friend was wise and diffused the situation by backing off. No conflict.
That may be a somewhat extreme situation, but anytime someone steals our security, there is great potential for a conflict. Unless we combat our fear with faith.
I remember being wheeled into emergency surgery for a double by-pass. “This,” I said to myself, “is a win-win situation. If I die, I’ll be with the Lord, if I live, I will stay with my wife and kids!” Total peace, not a twinge of worry.
Psalm 23, what I call the all-purpose Psalm, gives us lots of truth to combat fear, to find security in the right place.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” No need to fear lacking what we really need.
 “He leads me in path of righteousness.” When I need direction, no need to fear, He will guide. “
Your rod and staff, they comfort me.” The shepherd used his rod to beat off the prowling beasts, and with his staff he guided the sheep.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” With the shepherd there, the sheep can graze peacefully even though there may be a lion, a bear or a wolf skulking in the shadows.
The sheep know they are safe in the presence of the shepherd.
This is all true for all of us followers of Jesus. As we trust in the Shepherd, we can counter the fears that arise from situations and people, from institutions and authorities. They may want to control us with fear, but our God is far greater than any of these and we can fully trust in Him. So, choose to find your security in the right place and you can avoid a lot of conflict.
Picture: my “friend” trying to decide what to do with me:
May be an image of rhinoceros, horn and text
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Freedom in Truth

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

Today an example of disarming/resolving conflict from our side.

A friend told me how his mother wouldn’t take the time to drive 30 minutes with his aged grandmother to visit him.

He was so angry he could hardly speak, and broken down in tears.

What was  the trigger for his anger and hurt? His sense of significance was trampled on, a very painful event.

He is a new believer, not yet well versed in scripture,

but  with growth he will be able to call up truth that can set him free and heal the hurt inflicted by people.

He can remind himself that:

“I am chosen by the Creator of the universe, made holy by Him  and am dearly loved” Col. 3:12

“I am a child of the most High King,” i John 3:1

“I am a citizen of heaven and have eternal life.”  “

I am a chosen person, part of the royal priesthood, part of a a holy nation,

and I am God’s special possession,” 1 Peter 2:9.

“I have the Holy Spirit living in me.” 1 John 4:13

Concluding with, “So what can man do to me?

If God is for me and gives me all this significance, no one, not even my mother can take if from me!

If God is for me, who can prevail against me?”

As we memorize and meditate on such truths, giving weight to them instead of people’s words,

we will be freed from  the transitory significance offered by this world  and will be tethered to eternal significance God gives us.

We can live in  the lavish love of God’s grace and in the freedom He offers us.

Picture: Basking in the light of God’s rich love.

No photo description available.

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The “How to”

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

Resolving conflicts—How to draw your significance and security from God.

This requires a worldview shift from the natural to the biblical supernatural thinking. The natural focuses on “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life….” 1 John 2:16. The spiritual follows Colossians 3:1, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God….” not on things of the earth, like making significance and security as the most important things in life.

So, to the question: how can I practically draw my significance and security from God. The basic answer is “fill your mind with Scripture.” Memorize passages that speak to the issue, Repeat them to yourself often, especially when you feel the need to fight for your significance or security. And practice this every day, every  time someone tries to steal your significance or security. In other words, practice thinking God’s thoughts, for they are Truth and will set you free.

Here are a few passages to start with.

Security: Psalm 23, Psalm 46:1-3, Psalm 18:1-3, Psalm 18:16-19, Psalm 62:1-8.

Significance: Ephesians 3:1-8, Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 2:9.

Tomorrow  some scenarios to illustrate this.

Picture: A boy who thought God’s thoughts instead of thinking naturally.

May be a doodle of 1 person

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From whence immovable significance and security

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

More on conflict’s causes and resolution.

As mentioned yesterday, at the root of all conflicts are the desire, the lust for significance and security. This is true for both individuals and countries. Wars start either to expand power and influence (significance) or to defend against a foe (security). Today I experienced this on a personal level, as a friend had a visitor who inadvertently said something insulting. My friend’s reaction was anger and attack. His sense of significance had been attacked.
In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, we need to learn to draw our significance and security from the right, unchanging, unassailable source.
First, where do people normally get their significance? From their own success, and from others’ approval. These are very unstable sources. One day you succeed and you are the hero, the next day you fail and  are the villain. We tend to react negatively to anything that impinges on our perceived significance. How do you feel when you come  into a room where friends are talking, and no one greets you at all (see the picture below? There arises an anger at being ignored. And when a teammate does something that makes us feel insignificant, the seeds of a conflict are sowen. Or, when someone we are teaching fails badly, it means we failed and we can become angry with that person.
Second, from where do people normally get their security? Primarily rom having  as much control as possible. Again, a fragile, fleeting source. There is actually very little that we can control beyond our reactions, and sometimes we can’t control those either! We can’t control the weather, other drivers, politics or often our children. Our sense of security is easily broken by an illness, an accident, a loss, a failure, a slight (again, see picture below). So when a teammate threatens our security in  some way, presto, a conflict.
Now, the next question is, where does real significance and security come from? The obvious answer is: God Himself.
He has given us immeasurable, infinite significance.
We are created in the image of God;
chosen before the foundation of the world;
 redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
adopted into the Family of God;
made citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
made priests and kings….and the list goes on.
Not one of those things can be changed or lost. If we find our significance in Him, nothing can take it from us. This forstalls conflicts because one major cause has been removed, if we embrace that significance. Think of the simple shepherd David, given incredibly great significance by God, chosen to be king. We, too, are kings, and more:  “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1
And He has given us tremendous security:
He has made Himself our shepherd,
promising all we need, promising to never forsake us,
to protect us from what is truly evil,
and to carry us through every event He allows into our lives.
 “My soul finds rest in God alone, for my hope comes from Him,” Psalm 62:5.  Think of Joseph, betrayed by his brothers, sold into a death sentence of slavery, put in prison, but destined to become second in the kingdom of Egypt.
Tomorrow we will talk about putting this into practice.
May be a doodle
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Conflict Sources

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 26, 2025 Respond

Conflicts! They are an essential element in life—but not one we like. They are unavoidable, but with the right understanding are, in many cases, solvable.

In order to solve a conflict, you have to know the bottom line reason for it. People rarely know themselves what the root cause is. But after having enough conflicts of my own, and helping others resolve theirs biblically, it seems that there root cause of every conflict is basically the same.
James 4:1 gives us a big clue: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
 
In my experience, the most powerful of those wants are the desire for significance and security. Think about it: everyone wants to be important, to have respect, to have approval. And everyone wants to be safe. Any threat to these two desires is going to lead to a conflict.
 
So, if you can figure out how the situation is threatening a conflicted person’s sense of significance or security, there is great hope to resolve the conflict. 
 
For instance, in one team conflict, there were two members with exacttly the opposite goals. Having started a small gathering for new believers, the security seeker wanted to limit it to only people they knew. However, the guy who sought significance wanted to invite anybody he met on the way to the meeting. They were working in a restricted country where the police were out to quash anything they did, so if the guy met someone on the bus and invited them, chances of this person was a spy or a policeman were high. The significance seeker felt very fulfilled when getting more people to come, while the security seeker was greatly threatened by this invasion of unknown guests. Neither were willing to come to a compromise, and the team disintegrated.
 
At that time I had not come to this understanding of the root cause of conflict, and was unable to help them adequately. However, in the next conflict I was asked to mediate, applying this understanding, we were able to come to a solution and both sides went on to serve God effectively for many more years. 
 
So, when you have a conflict, or are asked to help in one, think, “How do the desire  for significance or security fit into this?” and “How can I help these people to find them in the proper places—for trying to find them in the wrong place is the big mistake that leads to conflict. And that will be the subject of tomorrow’s post. 
 
Picture, the essence of conflict.
May be a doodle of text that says 'parate rong& ELMOR M E od Astrovy erlch cuKec right ake WInner poor e-t favor blame distrust white tamillar Loser ight huddle disl ress. white isolate contest, poor conspire ude oppr comfort Winner good hav unfamiliar aalllar ress 4oйKC B8 sider contest ioh friend trust black contest/ foreig attack enemy u huddle, approve eйeTye couspire black ide submit with familiar mine foreign pprove lominate weak have not oppos wrong approve good submit sub collude good attack white olack reject Lend poor cho have threat opP sbad safety weak blame ame solate rong favor LmLar Left have wotright ppress'
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Complete Care by God

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

A Way to nurture our first love for God, meditating on His beautiful qualities: Psalm 84:11: “…the Lord God is a sun and a shield….”

Think about what the sun does for us.

It gives warmth without which life can’t exist.

It is the source of light so we can see,

and it makes many other things possible including, like:

food (light interacting with chlorophyll),

energy (all usable energy has sun light as its ultimate source),

clean water (the weather cycle providing clean rain comes from evaporation),

the rhythm of the seasons (regulated by our distance from the sun),

variety in weather (sunny days and cloudy days, calm and storm),

direction (the sun rises in the East and sets in the West),

discipline and rest (night and day),

beauty (sunrise and sunsets, shadows to highlight the landscape),

and consistency (it comes up every day).

Our God is like this, providing all this and more for us. We are surrounded by His love and provision, but sadly take most of it for granted.

God is also our shield, like the atmosphere, filtering out what will harm us.

There are many promises in Scripture of His protecting us from what is harmful (e.g., Ps. 23, 1 Pet. 1:5). He knows what is good for us and lets the pleasant and the painful positives come through

while keeping out that which will damage us spiritually.

 

I am tempted to complain at some of what He allows to come through the filter of His love,

but must come back to the fact that He is shielding us from all that is truly evil with wisdom and power, and in praise bow before His will.

It is good to meditate on the fact that our God is our sun and our shield,

to note what He does for us every day,

and to cultivate the deep yearning of our souls for His presence and grace

by spending time with Him, in worship, in the Word, in intercession.

Picture: The Sun, bringer of light, beauty and food.

May be an image of grass and horizon

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Driven to Worship

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 23, 2025 Respond

How great is our God!

Lord, “…you have done what is just and right.” Therefore, we will “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy” (Ps. 99:4b,5).

We praise you, Lord God

that we can bow before your footstool,

that you allow us entrance into your presence,

that as we come in the blood of Christ, that our worship is acceptable to you.

I exalt you Lord God for what you are:

pure and powerful,

good and gracious,

mighty and magnificent,

wise and wonderful,

holy and happy,

eternal and ever-present,

all seeing and all knowing,

intimate and involved,

caring and consistent,

loving and lavish,

rich and real,

forgiving and forever.

You, Lord God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—are Triune and Complete in yourself;

you are worthy of worship without considering how your qualities benefit me—and they certainly do!

May be an image of 1 person, horizon and mountain

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Weakness and Strength on Display

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 22, 2025 Respond

The intersection of our weakness and God’s infinite power (mentioned in the last two posts) is actually a daily occurrence, but we often don’t notice it.

These intersections are what I call “God sightings.” Here are 4 from today.
Wednesday I had planed to make a 50+ mile trip with our 19-year-old van, but at the last minute decided to cancel  it. This was the first God sighting as He directed me to the right decision.
.
Then this morning we drove 6 miles to a nearby town to have blood tests done. On the way the heater in the van would not work (it was an exceptionally cold May day). I checked the radiator fluid; it was full. Suddenly the temperature needle went fully on high! I waited a moment and it went back down. Not good! We had to make our appointments, so we pressed on. God sighting 2, we made it there.
Then on the way home the heat gage again went to high, and the red overheating light came on with a warning buzzer! I pulled off and waiting until it cooled some, and then was able to drive the remaining 2 miles home. God sighting 2: this all happened close to home, not 50 miles away, so we could limp home.
Then after things cooled down, I took the van(my only vehicle for this) one mile to the town transfer station. One of the attendants there is a part time mechanic, so I asked him about it. He checked the engine and said it was definitely a defective thermostat—and proceeded to tell me how to change it! God sighting: I made it to the station, God sighting 3: the mechanic guy was willing to help me, problem diagnosed! God sighting: 4 And I made it back home safely.
Simple happenings. I could chalk them up to “Nice,” or “luck,” or “coincidence,” or not even notice them. But each one was the All-knowing, All-power Creator of the universe reaching into my life to protect and provide. Noticing these increases my faith, my gratitude, my joy, and my love for the Father. Look for the intersections in your life and rejoice.
Picture: God reaching into our world to protect, provide and guide.
May be an image of 2 people
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No One Greater

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 21, 2025 Respond

Yesterday we talked about how weak we are. Today we will look at the opposite: how mighty God is.

“The King is mighty; he loves justice—you have established equity;” Psalm 99:4a

Praise be to you, Lord Jesus,
King of Kings,
Lord of Lords,
Ruler of the universe,
Creator and Sustainer of all.

You are the star-Breather,
the atom Keeper,
the earth Spinner,
the dawn Bringer,
the Beginner and Ender of History.

I exalt you, King Jesus, for you are
mighty and powerful,
The Most High,
Immeasurably strong,
Majestically great,.
The eternal God.

You are incorruptible,
Undefeatable,
Unconquerable,
Unlimited,
Unending.

You are the Source of all strength,
the Provider of all power,
the Author of all authority,
The Ruler who reigns in all regions of life.

No bird flies without your knowledge,
no man sins without your grief,
no person acts without your seeing,
and no evil is allowed that cannot be woven into your plan of redemption and revival.

And, you choose to share your power with us!
“My power is made perfect in your weakness”
“I will boast all the more in my weakness so that the power of Christ may rest on me.” 2 Cor 12:9,10)

Prayer: “To you be glory and honor today in my life as I live under the hand of your love and protection,
deeply satisfied in you, Lord God, the great Shepherd and King of my life. Amen.”

Picture: ” He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Psalm 147:4

May be an image of outer space

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Weakness, good or bad?

Published by S.M. Wibberley on May 20, 2025 Respond

“The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!”  Psalm 99:1

 

Praise be to you, Lord God, the holy One, our sovereign King. Praise you that I can give thanks in all things, knowing that you reign, allowing/bringing to us what is good. Thank you for last night’s interrupted sleep, the restless legs, the disturbing dreams, waking up often, being dried out and the resulting grogginess this morning. All this reminds me of my weakness, my inability to regulate even how well I sleep.

In reality, there is not much that I can control, just a tiny sphere of “power” where I can make decisions, but not fully determine their outcomes. I can choose to go to bed early, but what comes afterwards is not in my hands.

Actually to be weak, and embrace that fact, is good, it is honorable because it brings honor to God, for He said, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Therefore to be weak is something to rejoice in, to delight in, to praise about (talk about supernatural thinking!). It is a chance to give God glory, to live by faith, to be a channel of power, a spring of grace, a beacon of hope, a demonstration of goodness, a witness of the One true God to all those around us.

We are to follow the example of Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Embracing our weakness, boasting in it is the way for Christ’s power coming into our lives! Counter-intuitive, God’s thinking, not ours. Let us join Him in it.

Picture: The lamb may be weak, but in the powerful arms of the shepherd is surrounded by power.

May be an image of 1 person

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