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Living in the Light

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

As my good Shepherd, you, Lord Jesus, are teaching me to think like you, rather than being swayed by my feelings.

 

This is your doing, to your glory, in line with your greatness.

I praise you for your faithful, deep work, your gracious goodness in bringing this change as I follow you beside the still waters, spending time gazing upon your marvelous Character.

You truly are Glorious, Great and Gracious!

You lead me in paths of righteousness: warning, guiding, teaching, 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, to obey you, that is following you in the paths of righteousness. Help me to be more consistent in that, thereby giving you honor and glory.

Picture: the joy of living in the light

May be an image of 1 person

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A Quality of Great Value: Humility

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

 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6.

In remembering this verse, the thought came that humility is the most important virtue for a believer. Why? Because it is the doorway through which grace can enter our lives. Grace is God giving us the opposite of what we believe: joy, peace, goodness, love and mercy. Those are things to desire!

However, to pray to be humble is a dangerous prayer! It like asking a  coach to turn you into an olympic runner: lots of pain, self denial, cutting many pleasant things out of your life, and sweating a lot.

Praying to be more humble is asking for demanding training. To be humble means to not trust  in yourself but to deeply trust in God. We can only learn that through trying times. As one of my mentors said, “The shortcut to humility is the road of humiliation!”

So, if we want to be humble, we must embrace the difficult, the uncomfortable, the unwanted situation. We have to learn to win by losing. We have to laugh when we humiliate ourselves, knowing that we are on the way up by going down. More easily said than done.

I do pray for more humility so that more grace can flow into my life–and out to others. And God obliges, reminding me that He knows more than I do (!). Thus He draws me on to submit my intellect, my perception and my thoughts to Him, for He knows better! And therein we will find humility.

Picture: Great example of humility.

May be an image of grass

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Pure Motives

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

“Wisdom from above is first of all pure….” James 3:17

After a tumultuous week, even thought I’d used all my “spiritual tools,”– putting on the armor, offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving, forgiving, letting go–there was still unrest in my soul.
This morning the Holy Spirit brought to mind the description of Heavenly Wisdom in James 3. The first quality is being pure, and I believe that purity starts in our motives.  So I sat down and began to write out my motives for what I desired.
What I was looking for were the ones that were negative (to be rejected), neutral (to be shifted if possible) and positive.
As I wrote, out came four motives, and I looked them over. Although they all looked good on the surface, in two I could see how they were aimed at making myself feel good. The third was neutral, but irredeemable for the bottom line was also selfishness.
But the fourth, now that was a good one, aimed at doing good for others without thought of myself. Now  that’s one I could act on. This helped me let go of the strong desire I had that others follow my plan; I could bend to fit in with them.
This was freeing and helped me to relax in God’s hands. Now I can move ahead trusting him.
Heavenly Wisdom is first of all pure….”  Check your motives, rejecting the negative and neutral, affirming the positive, be free to follow God with all your heart.
Picture: get rid of the “e” and you are ready to “go.”
May be a doodle of 1 person, segway and text
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Through the Darkness

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 18, 2025 Respond

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; your rod and your staff they comfort me…” Psalm 23:4

After making us lie down in green pastures, Jesus leads us, first in paths of righteousness, and sometimes He leads us into the dark valleys. This is unpleasant, but we know He will lead us through, out to the other side.
In this valley we have the opportunity to die to self, to obey His command, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”  To deny self–to give up one’s plans, one’s desired timing—this is to suffer the death of one’s vision—this is painful, but God allows it sometimes and has many reasons for doing do.
Today I experienced this and I know three of His reasons:  to humble me, to give direction, to help  me grow spiritually. It was a good opportunity to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, to honor God and open the way that He may show me the salvation of the Lord.  I haven’t seen that yet, but it will come! As it says later in Psalm 23, “…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me….” I will see them at the right time.
To follow Him wherever He leads is a good, godly and in  the en, grand. Guide us, Lord, in embracing whatever you bring, to rejoice in our weakness, knowing that when we are weak, you are strong.
Picture: through the valley of darkness
May be an image of tree, fog, road and nature
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Green Obedience

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 17, 2025 Respond

Thinking more of bumpy days.

“The Lord is my shepherd…he makes me to lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:1,2

 

Praise you, Lord, for you do not take our advice on where we should be at each stage of life. Instead you make us lie down where you know it is best—you don’t ask us or suggest or advise, you make us stay there.

That green pasture could be a

moment of great success—or of monumental failure;

it could be great comfort—or painful suffering;

it could be in wonderful health—or in severe sickness;

in rich, positive relationships—or in continual conflicts;

in having plenty of money—or in pitiful poverty;

in being wonderfully fulfilled in work—or living in futility and frustration; i

n having warm, supportive relations—or in being cut down, wounded and rejected.

 

You know what is best for the moment, Lord Jesus, so you make us lie down in this green, sustaining, place of growth—

a place where we can feed on your Word, drink from your presence, rest in your love.

If we cooperate in this way, then this pasture becomes one of learning, growing and deepening until we internalize what is necessary.

The pasture we find ourselves in may look brown and desolate to us, but it is exactly what we need at the moment to drive us into your embrace where we will be transformed for the next step up in our life with you. Help us to embrace whatever pasture you give us, Lord, and cooperate with you and your plans by first  offering the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Picture: ears open to the Lord, staying in His green pasture.

No photo description available.

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Rise Above

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 16, 2025 Respond

Wow, today was an even bumpier day than yesterday! Certainly walking with Jesus is often an adventure, if we are willing to accept it. And today was a series of adventures.

The key to navigating these is found  in Colosians 3:1&2
“Since, then, you have been RAISED with Christ, 
set your hearts on things ABOVE, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things ABOVE, not on earthly things.
 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
 
So when confronted with a big “bump” I need to check where I am holding onto things on earth instead of things above. For instance, the challenge of  working with those who are very cautious, while I am a risk taker, eager to move ahead, seeing the way clearly. 
 
But as I struggled with this, the Lord brought to mind the description of heavenly wisdom in James 3:17, which is, “…peace loving, sweetly reasonable, approachable and submissive [to a better idea]….”  
 
So the Spirit said to me, “Are you being sweetly reasonable, are you open to other’s ideas or stuck on your own?” Well, the answer was clear. I was not acting according to heavenly wisdom and had to repent.
 
And then the Spirit brought to mind  a phrase I learned from Colossians 3:  “Let Go, Hold on, Rise Above!” 
“Let go” of what I want to do,”hold no” to the fact that God has a plan, a better one than mine, and I can” rise above” my disappointment and anger, I can bless those who are slower, knowing God is going to use them for good sin this situation.
 
Yes, life with Jesus is an adventure, if we embrace it, giving thanks for every challenge, irritation and disappointment.
 
Picture: with God’s help we can rise above whatever comes
May be an image of 1 person, climbing and horizon
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Bumps for good

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 15, 2025 Respond

Today was a “bumpy” day. That is, there was pressure in a busy schedule, there were disappointments, there were failures, and there were unresolved problems. In addition, however, there were just as many opportunities to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, to honor God and join Him in what He is doing–although I don’t know what that is just yet.

In Ephesians 3:16-17 Paul wrote, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” It is our faith that overcomes the world (and our disappointments).

Paul continues, that, in the midst of difficulties, “you may know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Then he invites us to look away to the only perfect One, who is our help at every bump.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20.

So at the end of a bumpy day, I can rejoice in His goodness, He faithfulness and His wisdom. He has a plan and I can rest in that fact!
Picture: even a bumpy road leads somewhere!

May be an image of nature

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Struggle for Significance

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 14, 2025 Respond

“My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” Psalm 62:7

 

It is amazing what a pair of glasses can do. After arriving here in the Middle East where the sun is so bright, new sunglasses were in order, and I found a pair that were, in my opinion, well, cool. This was confirmed when someone asked me if my sons had picked them out for me! I felt good in them, handsome, with it.

Now there’s a subtle difference between feeling good in something and drawing your worth/importance/status from them. Unfortunately I crossed that line and actually began to use those sunglasses as a barrier between myself and others, acting distant and, well, cool. No one knew this but God and me, but that was enough.

The Spirit quickly convicted me of my “standing in the way of sinners” (Ps.1:1,2), so I could repent and look to the Lord instead for my status. That desire for worth/importance is a strong one in all of us, and my old nature is good at pulling me in the direction of wanting worth from the wrong source. My attitude had to change. I still wear the glasses, but they are now only a source of good things for me: shade for my eyes, and a reminder of my dependence on God.

This whole experience was an effective encouragement to think according to the Word, which means thinking out of the “world’s box.” We need to recognize and reject ungodly advice, especially when it comes from our own heart.

Picture: earthly sources of significance will all be lost in the end.

May be an image of eyeglasses, ocean, water and beach

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More Fruit

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 13, 2025 Respond

Further Meditation Insights from Psalm 106:

“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?” (Ps.106:2). Your powerful acts are as prolific as your multifaceted Character is marvelous. Your praise is ever expanding, ever growing, ever widening, ever deepening, filling the universe because you are absolutely worthy of worship.

No matter how much we praise, you deserve more, for you are infinitely good and great: there is always more to learn about you, giving us more reason to exalt you. Your light, which reveals so much about you, also blindingly hides other aspects of your being, which you will reveal to us only in eternity. There we will experience the unending display of your marvelous, majestic, mighty Character.

Truly you are worthy of endless praise, ever-flowing glory, ever expanding exaltation, full trust and complete obedience. You are great, gracious, gorgeous, glorious and good, worthy of the worship of every creature, every feature, every measure of creation—and that’s not enough, for you deserve more!

 

Prayer: “May you be glorified through praise and obedience in my life today before the unseen hosts, before the unseeing peoples, before your saints, before the Throne of Grace, for you are worthy, O Lord our God, our Savior, our Sanctifier, Supplier and Shepherd, the King of Glory, Lord of Hosts and Ruler of All. Amen

Picture: some of  the  mighty works of the Lord.

May be an image of grass

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Fruit of Meditation

Published by S.M. Wibberley on July 11, 2025 Respond

Some insights from meditation, leading to worship.

“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good….”

Psalm 106:1

You, Lord Jesus, are

powerfully,

deeply,

broadly,

thoroughly,

completely good.

There is nothing in you that even remotely resembles rebellion,

or rejection of what is right,

or any relaxing of your righteousness.

You are purely,

positively,

perfectly,

powerfully good:

You reject sin,

you abhor sin,

you cannot sin,

and we praise you for it!

You love righteousness,

you love purity,

you love light!

In you there is no darkness,

no evil,

no shadow,

no turning from good,

no twisting of truth,

no scheming,

no inconsistency,

no contradiction,

no sneakiness,

no double-mindedness,

no self-centeredness,

no egoism,

no wrong motive,

no mistake.

You are absolutely, unerringly, unchangingly Wonderful. You are to be praised, exalted and honored. May that be so in my life today.

Picture: Jesus, light and the giver of light.

May be an image of 1 person

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