Jesus, My Champion!

Lord Jesus, thank You for always championing my cause! I can trust that You will always bring forth my righteousness as the light (Ps. 37:1-11) when I am right and correct my wrongs, as I yield to Your Spirit in my life. I do not have to fear those who are mad at me because You are keeping the records. I do not have to be defensive. When I trust that You are my Champion and Defender, the irritation or anger or sadness caused by others becomes as nothing (Isa. 41:10-14). The things of this world grow strangely dim when I turn my eyes to You, Jesus! Cause me (motivate me) to hear (listen to) Your lovingkindness in the morning (early in a situation), because I'm choosing to trust in You, and to know the way I should BE/live today, because I'm lifting up my soul (mind, will, and emotions) in cupped hands to You for Your control (Ps. 143:8).

Psalm 37: 

1Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

3Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

7Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

9For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.

10For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

11But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Isaiah 41:

10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

11Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

12Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

13For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 143:8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Be Still

If I pause to listen, I will hear it. If I pause to notice, I will see it.

Sunlight on grass and leaves

Birds singing

Morning breeze

Varieties of beautiful plants, flowers, and trees

Thank You, God, for Your gifts!

My cat Espresso and her five cute kittens’ small voiced mews

Robin on green grass

Light dancing on the wood pile

Eyes to see

My warm, cosy robe against crisp morning air

Pretty tray with my breakfast and coffee on it

Bright colours

Thank You, God, for my health today.

Thank You for Your infinite, beyond-my-understanding love!

Perennials in my yard from previous owner

Thank You, God, for my wonderful, understanding, forgiving, gracious husband.

Thank You for this quiet time outside!

Breeze in the trees rustling

Turtle dove’s mourn

Mango, sweet and sour, tasty, bright orange

Fire pit for family times

Thank You, God, for headache-free days, for discoveries of food that makes me feel well.

Robin’s alert—cat!

Grass so green—pristine—reminds of Ireland!

Hostas getting big

Coffee with hazelnut
Sun on a barn shed

Lines and character in an old hunk of wood

Do you see? Do you hear? 

Do you thank?

Trying Hard

"I'm trying."

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 His faith!

"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!

The Sanctuary

"...And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them."
~ Exodus 25:8

"Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate Deity!"
~ "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"

Do you have a special "sanctuary" in your home for God? I'm not talking about a shrine, idol, image, or crucifix. I'm talking about a special place where you and God meet every day? Where do you and God talk?

We know that we are to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), but the Bible also speaks many times of meeting God in a "secret place."

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

"...I answered thee in the secret place of thunder..." (Psalm 81:7)

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." (Psalm 27:5)

"Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." (Psalm 31:20)

God wants to meet with you and have a personal relationship with you. Do you have a special place for Him? If not, think about where you can create one in your home. It could be a special chair or even a separate room set aside just for your "tea with God." This past summer many of my quiet times with God were spent at the picnic table in the backyard, with a view of the horses' paddock. I greatly enjoyed meeting God there and watching the sun come up over the pines! It seems that when you have a special meeting place, you're more likely to keep your appointments! At least, that's the way it works for me.

Photos of my secret place and some ideas of things to have in your secret place will follow in my next post.