When someone blows up at me, is my first reaction to defend myself or am I willing to step back and evaluate WHAT is right? How did I come across to that person (even if I didn't mean it)? If there is a possibility I left an impression other than what pleases God, will I take the high road and make an apology? If I wait for others to apologize to me, simply because I know I'm right, my relationships will suffer. Pride hurts relationships; humility builds them.
Do I console myself that I was "more right" than the other person? How does that communicate my care for them? Is that how Jesus would respond?
"When he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." I Peter 2:23
There is only one RIGHTEOUS JUDGE: God. I can't judge a situation perfectly and neither can the other person. If I commit myself to HIS safekeeping, I will let Him be the judge of my situation. When I know the Righteous Judge is on my case, I don't need to defend myself. I can trust in any situation, He will set it all straight.
"He shall bring forth thy righteousness as a light and thy judgement as the noonday." Psalm 37:6
Because of this, I can "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him" and "fret not {myself} in any wise to do evil." Psalm 37:7
I can "cease from anger and forsake wrath." Psalm 37:8
Family life and church life will be much less complicated if I will simply let God be the Judge.
How many times have you said that about your Christian walk?
"I'm doing my best."
I believe that this is many times my problem! It's "I" and "me"; not "He" and "Him."
Galatians 2:20 says, "...not I, but Christ liveth in me... and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..."
It's not even my faith! It's Hisfaith!
"That I may KNOW HIM, and the power..." Philippians 3:10
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit {at salvation}, are ye now {in sanctification/spiritual growth} made perfect by the flesh? Galatians 3:3
When we got saved, it was all HIM, so why do we think now we can mature spiritually in our own strength and "trying harder"?
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Hebrews 4:1
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his {God's} rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his. Hebrews 4:9-10
One thinks, well, we have to try or else nothing is accomplished. Yes, it's true that I still have a choice to yield to the Spirit inside me when He tells me to pick up my Bible and read it. Yes, it's true that I still have things to accomplish in my day. In order to get them done, I do need to focus my mind and actually put one foot in front of the other--actually fill that cleaning pail up with soapy water.
It's not that "doing" goes away and we just lay around "enjoying God's presence" all the time! It's just that the "doing" is not ours to accomplish; our responsibility is just to yield and rest in His power, strength, faith, and love. I take my orders from Him, but--here's the key: He bears all the responsibility and burden!
My husband handles our finances, and I am happy that he does! Numbers are definitely not my forte! There is such a comfort and rest for me in this, because I trust my husband to bear the responsibility of the finances. He gives me a budget, and I follow it. Then I don't worry about the money. I have great freedom in this!
This is the way it is when I am in Christ. He bears all the burden and responsibility, and He takes care of me. All I have to do is listen to His voice telling me the very next step to take. His Holy Spirit lives inside me, and in Him, I have all the power I need to respond to that irritation in a godly way, to love that annoying person, to have patience with that toddler, to clean up for the millionth time after someone else!
Do I "get it"?
Today, as I peck away at my "to-do" list at home, I want to focus on "being"... "feeling at home in the presence of Jesus... laying way back in His love."
When I rest confident in His love and acceptance, I am so humbled by it, that I can extend grace to the next person.
I feel honoured to serve.
I feel compassion for the unseen hurts that cause another's insecurities, and I can show love to them in the face of their immature actions.
This is not an opportunity to put myself on a pedestal... when my attitude is right (remembering and being humbled that I am in Christ and His Spirit lives in me, I have no desire or reason to be proud!
Instead, I hide myself in the Secret Place of the Most High, and allow HIS life to flow through me. What a privilege!
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." (Hebrews 4:9)
Most of us are familiar with the old hymn "The Haven of Rest" by Henry L. Gilmour (music by George D. Moore). Yet sometimes we sing these old songs ho-hum with little thought to the powerful words, theology, and doctrine that characterize them.
Consider these words slowly and prayerfully. Was this not each of us prior to salvation?
1. My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea, So burdened with sin and distressed, Till I heard a sweet voice, saying, “Make Me your choice”; And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!
Refrain I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,” I’ll sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
Yes, in Jesus, I am safe evermore! I never have to question my eternal destiny or whose child I am! No matter what storms come my way, I'm safe!
But now what? Daily cares of life start to crowd my joyous heart. My flesh is still bound by bad habits, wrong reactions, binding emotions! So what do I do? Take a look at verse 2:
2. I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
(He's TENDER with me!) In faith taking hold of the Word,
(His Word is my only help, and I accept it by faith!) My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
(Woo hoo! I'm FREE! My soul--mind, will, emotions--is ANCHORED!) The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.
(I'm at REST and in PEACE, because I've made Him my LORD. I've yielded to His embrace. I'm not fighting against His loving, tender control anymore.)
This is so powerful! It is THE KEY to the Christian life! Yielding my rights to His control. HE calls the shots; I am RESTING in HIS capable hands, which only act in my life out of PURE LOVE for me!
Now, what does this do to me? How do I now respond to His tender embrace? With anger? With striving? With trying harder? NO! By RESTING, I now feel free to SING the song of my SOUL, which is the OLD STORY, ever new!
3. The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole, Has been the old story so blest, Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have A home in the “Haven of Rest.”
I want everyone to know this "old story so blest"!
"I am nobody, telling everybody, that Somebody died to save anybody!" (unknown)
4. How precious the thought that we all may recline, Like John, the belovèd so blest, On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm, Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”
Wow! We ALL have access to this grace wherein we stand (I Peter 5:12)! It's already available to us who are saved. It's there for the taking. Why, oh why do we struggle along through life, having no power, angry and bitter, or striving to do right on our own, when our REST awaits?
4. O come to the Savior, He patiently waits To save by His power divine; Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,” And say, “My Belovèd is mine.”
Refrain I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,” I’ll sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Hebrews 4:1)
If you have never heard this rendition of "The Haven of Rest," sit back and be blessed!
Great is the mercy, great is the love; Great are my many sins, but for the blood! I'd still be drowning in death's bitter flood, Hopelessly perishing, but for the blood! ~ sung by the Hoppers
Reared in a preacher's home, I was saved at the tender age of 10. From the womb I have been taught to love Jesus. I'm so thankful for the things from which God spared me by giving me that Godly heritage. I'm thankful for a Godly mother who taught me the Bible, enabling me to quote more than 200 Scriptures by the time I was two years old. I'm thankful for a Godly father who would slip into my bedroom at night and kneel next to my bed and pray for me.
It would be easy for me to think I was all right, that I didn't need the blood of Jesus as much as the alcoholic or drug addict on the street. Shamefully, there have been many times in my life when I had those thoughts. However the Bible makes it clear that the status and condition of my heart and life when I was born was "sinner." I still needed Jesus' blood to cover me, just as much as a murderer. I'm grateful God saved me before I had the opportunity to commit what the world would consider heinous sins, or even what the church would consider "bad," but I realize more and more that pride and hatred in my heart is on the same level as murder, and it makes me that much more thankful for Jesus' blood!
There's another Gospel song that says, "The ground is level at the foot of the cross; no man stands higher than I." And I could add that no man stands lower than I! To think so is prideful. I'm no better than anyone else.
The neat thing about accepting this fact is that I can recognize so much more vividly that the "old man IS crucifed with Him" and that I am "freed from sin" (Romans 6:6-7)! I am dead and my life is "hid with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). It's not I who lives but Christ lives in me (Gal. 2:20). When I recognize that I can't live the Christian life, and that I don't have to, I can choose to yield to His "power that worketh in me" (Eph. 3:20).
This is my victory! His blood made it all a reality in my life!
Here's the most beautiful baby in the world! Kyla Nichole Guenther was God's gift to us this past year though our daughter Chrystal. When you look at her picture, please pray that she will come to know Jesus at an early age.
Recently, I was able to go with my husband to the Antioch Baptist Jubilee in Bristol, Virginia. There were many messages that encouraged me, but one stands out. It was a message given by Evangelist Tom Hayes. It was entitled, "The Lord, Our Righteousness." Jehovah Tsidkenu is the name for God in Hebrew which is translated, "The Lord is my righteousness." What God suddenly revealed to me is a simple truth that He has been reinforcing to me over and over again the past 10+ years. I accepted HIS righteousness as mine in order to get saved, yet in my pride and flesh, I try to live for Him in my OWN righteousness! How silly when He IS STILL my righteousness! Philippians 3:9 "...not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith..."
The same way I accept His righteousness for salvation is the same way I must accept His righteousness to live through me every day of my life! What a simple but profound truth! I have no righteousness of my own! I only have any good through HIM! As I YIELD myself to Him and allow Him to live through me, I have HIS righteousness flowing out through me! I do not have to conjure up any goodness! Its already there through the Holy Spirit, freely given to me at salvation!
Here is a list of all the names of Jehovah. This was a blessing to me as well. Just think of all the things that God is to YOU personally through these names!
Jehovah's Name
Exalting the Name of Jesus Christ
Jehovah - The Lord - Exodus 6:2-3
Jehovah-Adon Kal Ha'arets- Lord of Earth - Josh 3:13
Jehovah-Bara - Lord Creator - Isaiah 40:28
Jehovah-Chatsahi - Lord my Strength - Psalm 27:1
Jehovah-Chereb - Lord the Sword - Deut. 33:29
Jehovah-Eli - Lord my God - Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Elyon - Lord Most High - Psalm 38:2
Jehovah-Gador Milchamah - Mighty in Battle - Ps 24:8
Jehovah-Ganan - Lord Our Defense - Ps 89:18
Jehovah-Go'el - Lord My Redeemer - Is. 49:26, 60:16
Jehovah-Hamelech - Lord King - Psalm 98:6
Jehovah-Hashopet - Lord My Judge - Judges 6:27
Jehovah-Helech 'Olam - Lord King Forever Ps10:16
Jehovah-Hoshe'ah - Lord Saves - Psalm 20:9
Jehovah-Jireh - Provider - Gen. 22:14, I John 4:9, Philip 4:19
Jehovah-Kabodhi - Lord my Glory - Psalm 3:3
Jehovah-Kanna - Lord Jealous - Ex 34:14
Jehovah-Keren-Yish'i - Horn of Salvation - Ps 18:2
Jehovah-M'Kaddesh - Sanctifier - I Corinthians 1:30
Jehovah-Machsi - Lord my Refuge - Psalm 91:9
Jehovah-Magen - Lord my Shield - Deut. 33:29
Jehovah-Ma'oz - Lord my Fortress - Jer. 16:19
Jehovah-Mephalti - Lord my Deliverer - Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Metshodhathi - Lord my Fortress - Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Misqabbi - Lord my High Tower - Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-M'gaddishcem - Lord my Sanctifier - Ex 31:13
Jehovah-Naheh - Lord who Smites - Ezekiel 7:9
Jehovah-Nissi - Banner - I Chronicles 29:11-13
Jehovah-Rohi - Shepherd - Psalm 23
Jehovah-Rophe - Healer - Isaiah 53:4,5
Jehovah-Sabaoth - Lord of Hosts - I Sam 1:3
Jehovah-Sel'i - Lord my Rock - Psalm 18:2
Jehovah-Shalom - Peace - Isaiah 9:6, Rom 8:31-35
Jehovah-Shammah - Present - Hebrews 13:5
Jehovah-Tsidkenu - Righteousness - I Cor 1:30
Jehovah-Tsori - Lord my Strength - Psalm 19:14
Jehovah-Yasha - Lord my Savior - Isaiah 49:26
Jehovah-'Ez-Lami - Lord my Strength - Ps 28:7
Jehovah-'Immeku - Lord Is With You - Judges 6:12
Jehovah-'Izoa Hakaboth - Lord Strong -Mighty - Ps 24:8
Jehovah-'Ori - Lord my Light - Psalm 27:1
Jehovah-'Uzam - Lord Strength in Trouble - Is 49:26
I'm an American preacher's kid who became a Canadian pastor's wife. I have the greatest parents in the world! By the time I was two, my mom taught me to quote more than 200 Bible verses. (Way to go, Mom!) My dad was always my favourite preacher. After I grew up, I was a book editor and a magazine/web copy editor. But since age 12, I knew my true calling and passion lay in ministry. The year I spent as a missionary in the Netherlands was life changing in many ways. I met my love, Peter, and God graciously granted my lost dream of being a pastor's wife. Peter and I have three beautiful children and the cutest granddaughter and grandson you've ever seen. smile emoticon I love tiffany blue and cherry red (not necessarily together), coffee (trying to be healthier with "fake" barley/chicory coffee these days), jasmine green tea and myriad other teas, ethnic foods, dark chocolate (especially with nuts!), European style, vintage décor, music (vocal, piano, harp). and books!
