Your Turn...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 5:14AM 
Greetings, Dear Friends!
Susie Larson here...
And to those visiting, I say welcome!
I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.
If you take the time to post on my blog in March, you may win a $10.00 gift card to either Caribou or Target (your choice). So drop me a note and say hi!
Now on to my topic.
Though I'm an early riser, I wake up extra early on Wednesday mornings because I'm scheduled to stand on the wall and prayer watch on behalf of my church family.
I sat in my usual oversized chair surrounded by my devotional books and Bible, and I wrapped my hands around my warm cup of java.
It was pitch black outside. I couldn't see past the window.
I couldn't help but ponder the days preceding Christ's death. Talk about a dark night of the soul.
And yet, in His knowing and understanding of what was ahead of Him, He kept moving forward. Each day, He taught, He loved, and He lived.
He pointed His followers to life and to the provision and promises of God. He modeled love. He stayed focused.
Furthermore, when He defeated death on the Cross, the Bible says that He made a public spectacle of the powers that opposed us and stood against us.
Colossians 2:13-15 says,
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Though I could have spent the whole morning meditating on what Christ did for us when He made a public spectacle of the powers that stood against us, my thoughts quickly turned from what He did for us, to what we do for Him.
God is serious about His investment in us and He is intent on a return in this investment.
Matthew 25 illustrates our differing responses to what God has entrusted us.
With regard to the parable of the talents, some give their Master a great return on His investment. Others, motivated by fear, bury their talents, and instead of taking ground, they lose ground because of missed opportunities and unbelief.
What will you do with what's been given to you?
I had to ask myself the same question this morning.
In light of everything God has deposited in me, am I walking in a manner worthy of the calling?
Am I living a life of abiding, of sowing, and of reaping?
Am I cultivating my gifts in a way that makes me a more effective and reliable messenger?
But it doesn't stop there.
Giving God a great return on His investment isn't just about our talents and what we do with them.
On a much bigger scale, the return we offer God has everything to do with the provision made available to us.
The Heavens are bursting with promise, power, and provision!
Jesus died a brutal death and won a smashing victory...for us.
Through His victory on the Cross, He secured storehouses of provision that we may lay hold of what we need to live in a manner worthy of His name.
What are you doing with all that's been offered you?
Because of your faith and faithfulness, are others blessed?
Are circumstances changing because you have reached up and grabbed hold of a promise made for that situation?
Is your life marked with power and expectancy?
If not, why not?
I had to ask myself these same questions.
What better time to ask the hard questions about our effectiveness than Easter week.
May we pause and ponder what Christ did when He won the victory.
And may we live totally different, other-worldly lives as a result.
Ask yourself today, "In light of the Cross, how will I live differently today?"
And then walk on, for His Name's sake.
Have a beautiful and reverent Easter celebration.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power (1 Corinthians 4:20).
~~~
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Here's a look at January's Ezine:
Susie's Ezine - January
God Bless You!
Reader Comments (12)
Thanks for your post and Happy Easter!
Megan
I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend! You are a blessing!
Kathy
Prayerfully yours, Rebecca
I'm with you.
When I consider myself accountable for not only what I do with the gifts buried within me but also with the promises that hover over me, it gives the talent parable a whole new meaning.
I appreciate your sweet, Kingdom heart so very much.
Have a blessed Easter~
Thanks for your post.
I love the idea that we are not only under God's care, we are under His charge. And He never calls us to something He hasn't already equipped us for. When we consider that we have within our grasp, the untold riches of Heaven, we have the responsibility to leave people and places better than we found them.God bless you, sweetie!
Thanks for stopping by. Your posts always bless me.
One of the verses I was meditating on this morning was Hebrews 10:23 ~ "Let us hold firmly to the hope we profess (without wavering) for He who promised, is faithful." When I ponder the idea of holding firmly without wavering, I see it as a call to hang on, have hope, and believe for great things.Bless you, sister. :)
So nice to hear from you!
I pray that God gives you the faith, courage, and love to represent Him in a powerful way.
Have a blessed and hope-filled Easter!
Keep blessing us with your posts and doing your awesome Kingdom work, sister! Love you!
~Andrea
Thanks for sharing your heart. I think you speak for all of us. It's far too easy to slip into auto-pilot-mode. Before we know it, we are going through the motions and missing out on the fresh, powerful, abundant life promised us. What helps me a lot is to engage in personal fasts. I may give up TV at nights for a week, just to have peace and quiet in the home. This helps me to redeem, and not to waste the nights. Sometimes it's relaxing to sit down with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy our favorite show, no? But when it becomes the thing we always do at the expense of moving forward in our faith-walk, then it's time to shake things up a little. But that's just me. :)Love you, friend.
In light of the cross, how wil we live differently?
I love it, love it, love it!!!
I am getting better! only a few sentences!!!
I love the idea of putting a fresh quote on my fridge every once in a while. :)
Never apologize for lengthy posts.
I love 'em.
Bless you~