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.