Who or What?

Big difference.

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.

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!

But for the Blood

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!

"My" Psalm 136

This "psalm" is most encouraging when read aloud to God...

O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good:
For His mercy endureth forever.
O give thanks unto the God of gods:
For His mercy endureth forever.
O give thanks to the Lord of lords:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him alone Who doeth great wonders:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that by wisdom made the heavens:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that made great lights:
For His mercy endureth forever.
The sun to rule by day:
For His mercy endureth forever.
The moon and stars to rule by night:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him that won victory over the world:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And brought me out from among them:
For His mercy endureth forever.
With a strong hand and with a stretched out arm:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To God Who will never give me more than I can handle:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And gives me His power to go through anything:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him which conquered the biggest problem in my path:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him Who leads me through the wilderness places of life:
For His mercy endureth forever.
To Him Who smites and kills giants of sin in my life:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And slays the most common irratants in my way:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And gives grace to face whatever is in my way:
For His mercy endureth forever.
Who gives me grace to give a soft answer:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And helps me take back ground from the enemy:
For His mercy endureth forever.
He give me peace in the midst of the storm:
For His mercy endureth forever.
He remembered me in my low, sinful state:
For His mercy endureth forever.
And redeemed me from the enemy:
For His mercy endureth forever.
Who provides food for my table:
For His mercy endureth forever.
O give thanks to the God of Heaven:
For His mercy endureth forever!