Posted on February 4, 2012, 3:49 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
I’d like to share with you the benediction I wrote to go with my sermon on Matthew 6:25-34, “Be God’s Wildflower — Be Worry Free.” A benediction is a blessing from God that is pronounced by one person over another.
This benediction is inspired by Jesus’ words: “Why do you worry about how you look? See how the wildflowers grow. They do not strive or strain to impress. They bloom where they are planted because God has clothed them in his splendor. If that is how God clothes the grass will he not much more clothe you?” (Matthew [...]
Continue reading Bloom Where You are Planted (a Benediction)
Posted on January 21, 2012, 2:58 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
Jesus' hand of mercy is open to you now!
A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
I often talk with pastors and other servants of the Lord who judge themselves harshly. I tell them, “Don’t feel bad. Feel sad.”
God never wants you to linger with bad feelings about yourself — even if you sin. This may be a new thought for you. It may sound like I’m contradicting the teaching of the Bible. If so then you to take to heart the Apostle Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 7:8-13 where he contrasts “worldly sorrow” and “godly sorrow.” The Apostle Paul was the greatest of all psychologists, second [...]
Continue reading Don’t Feel Bad
Posted on December 8, 2011, 9:47 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
This Christmas season maybe you need to appreciate that God bestows his favor on you personally? Maybe you’ve been feeling discouraged or insignificant and need to lift up your head to Christ? I did. So God led me to meditate on the shepherd’s place in the Christmas story as it’s recorded in the Bible (Luke 2:8-20).
In Jesus’ day shepherds were poor and disregarded. In public they hung their heads or stood off to the side. Isolated from the rest of society, they lived out in the fields caring for sheep day and night, rain or shine, heat or cold. They had to be constantly on [...]
Continue reading Lift Up Your Head!
Posted on June 15, 2011, 10:14 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Sometimes I’m just overwhelmed with appreciation for God’s grace — aren’t you? Praying a Psalm often warms my heart with a fresh realization that because of God’s love I have every reason to be happy right now, no matter what difficulties I’m facing that day.
My little Psalms prayer, “How Could it Be?” will bring a smile to your soul:
How Could it Be?
Who is like You?
Lord Jesus Christ…
You sit enthroned on high!
~
How could it be?
Lord Jesus Christ…
You stoop down to make [...]
Continue reading How Could it Be?
Posted on February 26, 2011, 2:17 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
Jesus embraces you!
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
The Lord Jesus says to you: “You are my friend… I have chosen you” (John 15:14, 16).
Do you know this to be true? Does God’s love for you make you rejoice? Does it make hold your head high and serve him with confidence?
As I pray the Psalms I am continually reminded that the Lord has chosen me to be his own, that he treasures me and delights to live in me. It’s true for you too! (Psalm 135:4).
When Jesus speaks he speaks for the Trinity. Think of it, Father, Son, and Spirit treasuring you as precious. “Chosen,” [...]
Continue reading Chosen!
Posted on November 17, 2010, 4:54 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
Temple of Artemis in Ancient Ephesus
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
In 1989 Right after I earned my Ph.D. in psychology I lost most of my psychotherapy clients. For one reason or another they discontinued and new referrals were not coming in to replace them. I had spent eight years and over $100,000 o on my education toward serving the Lord Jesus as a psychologist and I had only two or three clients to see each week. Most of my income at that time came from my other job as a security guard – I was the “Dr. of Security!”
I prayed and prayed for God [...]
Continue reading Blessed to be “In Christ”
Posted on August 21, 2010, 5:07 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
When someone criticizes you are you defensive? Or do you get angry? Many people I talk to have a hard time responding to criticism because they take it inside and feel bad or they protect themselves by shutting down emotionally, which leaves them isolated and depressed.
I can relate. For much of my life I felt inadequate whenever someone criticized me. So I put pressure on myself to succeed and to try to get people to think well of me. That created a lot of anxiety!
I have learned another way. It’s expressed in a favorite little prayer of mine [...]
Continue reading Use Your Christ Shield
Posted on August 13, 2010, 10:07 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2010
When someone criticizes you are you defensive? Or do you get angry? Many people I talk to have a hard time responding to criticism because they take it inside and feel bad or they shut down emotionally to protect themselves from feeling bad.
I can relate. For much of my life I felt bad whenever someone criticized me. So I put pressure on myself to succeed and to try to get people to think well of me. That created a lot of anxiety!
I have learned another way. It’s expressed in a favorite little prayer of mine from Psalm 3:3:
[...]
Continue reading Use Your Christ-Shield
Posted on June 8, 2010, 10:41 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 1992
I spent seven years in my own psychotherapy, getting help with anxiety and depression, learning how to express my feelings better and receive the soul care that I needed. I needed help to get free of my false self and come alive as my true self.
My therapist was “Christ’s Ambassador” to me (2 Corinthians 5:20) and God found me at the bottom of the old well and set me free to be me!
In 1992 I wrote about my personal struggle of going through therapy in my prayer poem: “Becoming ‘I’.” My experience was very much like David’s in Psalm 40:1-5:
“I waited patiently for the [...]
Continue reading Becoming “I”
Posted on April 13, 2010, 8:12 pm, by Bill Gaultiere.
By Bill Gaultiere © 2008
Do you ever feel insignificant? Compare yourself to others and come up short? Try hard to look or do better so you can stand out? I do. But then…
I pick up the inspired prayers of the Psalmist; I follow the rhythms of the ancient prayer masters. In solitude with my Lord I pray the Psalms and walk in their paths.
Day after day, over and over, I pray the same Psalms and walk the same paths, each time seeking to reach a little deeper and go a little farther.
And the One I love speaks to my soul and helps me to hold my head high. [...]
Continue reading God’s Wildflower
A Soul Shepherding Moment
