By Bill Gaultiere © 2010

We all feel left out at times. We may feel unwanted and alone. Maybe there’s conflict in our family or our friends are busy. What to do?

At times like this it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself. Or to complain. Or to distract yourself by getting busy. I’ve done these things. But it’s so much better for my soul when I pick up my Psalms prayerbook.

One time when I did this my spirits were revived by the Psalmist giving thanks for his spiritual father who helped him to know that he was chosen and treasured by the Lord.

It warms my [...]

Continue reading I Belong in the Trinity’s Family (and So Do You!)

By Bill Gaultiere © 2010

From time to time we all go through trials in which we lose heart and feel overwhelmed with discouragement, worry, or exhaustion. The painful times are “Dark Nights of the Soul” when our prayers seem to go unanswered and God’s comfort cannot be found.

All Christ-followers go through Dark Nights when God seems distant and prayer and other spiritual activities do not yield the experience of God’s blessings as they have in times past. But few people today have been trained in how to deal with these spiritual trials. Inspired by Psalm 77, I wrote [...]

Continue reading In the Dark Night Remember God

By Bill Gaultiere © 2010

I know what it’s like to feel lonely.

The worst thing is to be in a group of people and feel alone… Other people are enjoying conversation, smiling, laughing, but it appears that no one wants to talk to you and you start to feel more and more self-conscious.  It seems like people are looking at you standing there all alone. You feel awkward, anxious, embarrassed, bad about yourself.

Maybe you have felt this way too.

The Psalmist did. He described himself as a lonely bird sitting atop the roof of house and waiting for the Lord (Psalm 102:7).

Time and again the Psalmist shows us how to pray [...]

Continue reading When You’re Lonely

You long to be pursued in love. So do I.

“How are you… really? What do you need? What are you hoping for? How can I pray for you?” When someone expresses genuine personal interest in you it is healing. When you open up to grace it is life-giving.

But somewhere along the line we all have felt rejected… devalued… unknown… lost…

And we have learned to deny our hurts… not have emotional needs… distract ourselves from our inner pain… isolate…

We must come to the point where we cry out to God with the Psalmist: “May my cry come before you, O Lord… May your hand be ready to [...]

Continue reading Good Shepherd is Looking for You!