How Heaven Sees You...
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 8:19AM 
Greetings, 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. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share your thoughts or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend.
We've had some powerful shows this week already. If you need a spiritual lift or a reminder of God's great love for you, check out Monday's show with Greg Paul, "Close Enough to Hear God Breathe" or Tuesday's show with Mike Guzzardo, "All In." I promise, you'll be blessed. Here's the link to those podcasts: Live the Promise with Susie Larson
One more quick note: My FREE Quarterly Ezine releases this weekend. We have a good stack of books to give away from various authors, an extended devotional, and some ministry updates. You can sign up on my website.
Now on to my topic...
I'm embarrased to admit this but lately I've been struggling with my aging body. I hate gravity. I don't want my skin to get loose. Even so, nature will take its course. Though I don't want to be, I'm distracted lately by the changes taking place in my body. Not all of the time, but some of the time. Dear Lord, forgive me. Because when I look up, I see God everywhere.
Though normally I struggle incessantly with insomnia (and I've been relentlessly asking God not only to restore my sleep, but to teach me while I sleep, as the Scripture says, "even at night, my heart instructs me"), last night I mostly slept, and during those sleeping hours, I had a short but stunning dream.
Many of you know that I lost my dad in January. Well last night in my dream, while standing around, talking with some friends, I saw my dad in the distance, facing away from me, looking up at the sky. I couldn't believe it. I ran to him, grabbed his arm and simply said, "Dad? You're here? Why are you here? Do you have something to tell me?" He turned to face me, he grabbed both of my arms with his gentle hands and said, "From heaven's view you're gorgeous; absolutely beautiful. And you're rich beyond measure."
That was the end of my dream. The funny thing is, my dad still possessed his aged body, wore his old clothes, and his favorite fishing hat. But he had gained back all the weight he'd lost when he was sick. I wonder if I saw him that way--and not in a redeemed state--because of my own earthbound, skewed perspective. I don't know. But his message gripped me.
Just the other day this passage of scripture jumped out at me:
By ONE sacrifice He has MADE PERFECT FOREVER, those who are BEING MADE HOLY (Hebrews 10:14).
Wow. Let that in for a second. Jesus' sacrfice made you perfect in God's sight. There's no spot or stain on you or me! And while we stand holy and righteous before the Living God, we are being made holy along the way. According to my NIV study notes, the Greek translation for 'being made holy' speaks of a continuous action. As we walk intimately with Jesus, He works in us and through us, and transforms us one moment at a time.
Furthermore, as we journey through life with Jesus, we accumulate a spiritual wealth worth far more than anything we can possess on earth. The problem is, when we fix our eyes (and place our value) on earthly things that get old and break down, we miss the wonder of that which not only lives forever but increases in power. Read this powerful verse:
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God (2 Corinthians 9:11 NLT).
If we live--by faith--out of our spiritual wealth, and become abundantly generous with our lives (because we lack no good thing), others will rise up and thank the living God for His presence and activity on the earth. That was God's plan all along.
Just as we're "being made holy" as we go, we are also "being made rich" (forgive the passive tense, but it's the best way to convey this truth). As we steward well our spiritual wealth, God entrusts more of His treasures to us.
We have a perfect standing before the Lord because of Jesus. We have access to His throne room, and not just His throne room, but to His inner courts, where prayers are answered, dreams are conceived, and breakthroughs are achieved.
Oh, may we look up and see ourselves from Heaven's point of view! You are perfect in God's sight. He loves who you are! He made you beautifully, and He's making you holy. You have access to the riches of heaven and you possess them by faith as you faithfully walk with God day after day, year after year. Imagine what it means to possess vast spiritual wealth that's constantly accruing.
It's time to look up, to reach up, and to lay hold of Heaven's perspective of your life for every aspect of your life, your aging skin, your spotty track record, your bad hair, and your beautiful, deep convictions. All of who you are matters to God. And it's time for me to do the same.
God bless you, dear one. You're treasured and blessed beyond measure.
~Until next week.
Reader Comments (12)
We're hosting a fundraiser (spaghetti feed & silent auction) the end of April for my niece, Lisa Thompson, who had over 75% of her colon removed in Oct and is in the midst of chemo now. Her incredible husband, Dan, is a self-employed cabinetmaker - and thus, their health insurance is $10,000 deductible in each calendar year. We're in 2 calendar years now. Thus the need for the fundraiser.
What has been hard has been to receive the generosity of so many, unknown to anyone in our family. It's almost overwhelming - but we realize this is God's way of making us holy, making us rich, making us able to receive His perfect generosity: life everlasting. Our lives have been changed forever through the prayers He has answered, the dreams He put in us, and the breakthroughs that just keep on coming. Awesom, God!
Thanks so much for this post. I fight daily with the Devil; listening to his lies about how I am not good enough. This has encouraged me so much just to know that God does not see me the same way I see myself. And I love the prayers you put out. I see some that pertains to my life right then and at the very moment I need them and repeat to My Holy Father also. If God is for me, who can be against me. Thanks.
Well said. Thank you Susie.
A few years ago I was standing in front of the mirror fussing with my hair trying to make it just so. As I was doing this the clock was ticking, I was running late and frustration started to set in. On the heels of frustration was an overall disappointment with my appearance.
My attitude was about to spiral downward when the thought ocurred to me, "God doesn't see the stray hairs and lines on my face. He see's what's inside."
I love that we are being made holy. May we always see ourselves through God's eyes.
Thanks for sharing. This is exactly what I needed to hear today. I know that when I judge my body or walk in life by my own or the world's standards I inevitably fall short. I need to remember to put my focus on God's word and who He says I am.
Susie - thanks for posting this. Great to hear that dream about your dad. I needed to hear this message and your perspective. I'm also struggling with accepting my aging body and its limitations, and want to see myself from God's perspective. Especially now, as we raise 3 girls, ranging in age from 7 to 13 - a prime time for attacks from the enemy about their appearances.
Love your show on KTIS. Thanks for all you do to help us live in the promises of God.
I completed chemo for breast cancer seven months ago. I am cancer free but am left with a scarred body. The funny thing is being overweight bothers me more than not having breasts. When I saw the posting for this blog, it really hit home. God is continually speaking to me to be thankful for what I have and for who I am. I have about two inches of hair now, but for awhile I was always complaining that it was not growing fast enough. Good grief. I am who I am and God made me that person. Thank you Lord for making me who I am.
Dear Liz,
I can't tell you how much I want to hug you right now! God bless you for sharing about your journey through cancer. It is amazing how that enemy will use whatever he can to diminish us. May God heal you through and through and establish you in ways you've never dreamed. You are so very precious to Him. I'm honored to know your story. Bless you.
Thank you Susie, from the bottom of my heart. I really needed to hear that message today. I miss my parents -- both gone a few years now. It is impossible to describe the void, and I especially miss my mom. It never gets easier and I actually get jealous of people who still have their parents. To think of them looking down from Heaven is really a sweet picture. God Bless You!
Hello, Susie! I'm really glad I found you on Facebook, and from there I found your blog. :) I started listening to your show, and I love it! My Mom listens to you all the time too. I just wanted to thank you for your radio show, and for being such a blessing in my life and so many other lives.
I feel can relate to you on so many levels, as I have annoying food allergies, and used to struggle all the time with insomnia. You said you're lucky if you get about 4-5 hours of sleep, and I know how completely miserable that is. I used to be lucky if I got 2 hours/night when my husband was overseas. I wanted to share something that really helps me to get to sleep:
I take something called "Melatonin Plus" (it has theanine plus melatonin) by Schiff. It's 3 mg Melatonin with 25 mg. Theanine. I've been able to completely break my sleeping pill habit by taking this instead. Try to take it about a half hour to an hour before you're ready for bed. I'm to the point where I ony need half a pill now. Try it for a week, and let me know if it helps.
God Bless! :)
Katie
I'm on a search for thin places lately. Places where Heaven and Earth meet and the veil between them is thin. My suspicion is that they come when we are at our least self aware. At least not seeking our comfort or pleasure but aware rather of our union with Christ. I'm suspecting as we lean in to touch brokenness with hands that have the skin of Jesus' love stretched tight over grace we will find ourselves in a thin place. I'm learning when I take the time to gaze long and hard at the African mother cradling her emaciated child, when I think of the young woman bruised and running for her life, when I look into the hollow eyes of the listless orphan laying in their dirty crib the beauty of my body and life overwhelms me. The extra pounds I bemoan turn into a thank you for abundance. I certainly have days I can become distracted with the graying hair and stretchmarks but I agree with you, it's all about perspective and Heaven's perspective is a balm!
Butterflies don't know the color of their wings, but human eyes know how beautiful they are. Likewise, you can't grasp just how amazingly beautiful you truly are, but others can see that you are special! I got chills when I read the line your dad said. I believe every word Susie. You look so beautiful from here, and I cannot even imagine how much more beautiful you look from Heaven because check this out...from up there, they can see ALL the thousands upon thousands of people you have impacted with your life!!! I mean, TONS and TONS of people who have never told you how much you have impacted their lives, but God knows...OH MAN! Susie, seriously! Your truest beauty is not judged by what you see in the mirror but by what is reflected back at you in the lives you impact because that is what counts in the Kingdom, ya know? You have done so much for the Kingdom already and you're just getting warmed up! Sag away! Nobody is looking at anything that sags (if anything ever does sag) because the twinkle in your eye, and your love for the Lord, draws them in. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord like you do ROCKS the world so hard that it changes lives!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is smiling on you!!! Continue rocking!
What a sweet blessing to have a dream where you got to see your Dad and then receive such beautiful affirmation, but what an ever better gift to remember that God created us exactly as He chose, in His image, gravity, wrinkles and all (hmm, does God have wrinkles?). Thanks for a great post!