He is With You...

 

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. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. For the months of March AND April I will give away away a gift card and a couple of copies of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" so leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

A Quick Note:

I am thrilled to announce the release of my next book: Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places." Let me tell you, I am excited about the message in this book. If you have children at home (or grandchildren you want to influence spiritually), order a copy today. I do believe this book will equip you to parent from a spiritual perspective (but it's loaded with lots of practical application). You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be inspired and encouraged (that was my goal, anyway). :) 

Now, on to my topic...

A couple of weeks ago I was really battling a chest cold and trying to press through my back to back engagements lined up this spring. My body felt like it had been through the ringer. I had a little TMJ flare up (actually, a BIG flare up), a little vertigo, and to top it off, a nice, obnoxious cough. I was wiped out. 

With my spicy hug around my neck, my cup of chai warming my hands, and my head resting back on the couch, I shared an update with one of my mentors over the phone. In response, she made a simple observation but her words brought back a vivid memory from my childhood. 

I shared my memory with her: When I was about three years old, my brother and I were playing hide and seek with our other siblings. He was about four and a half at the time. We decided to hide inside a small but heavy cedar chest. Something happened and we were suddenly locked inside and stuck there for a long time. I guess my dad used some kind of crow bar to break us out of there; when he found us, we were red cheeked and listless.

Just recalling the story caused the muscles in my jaw to seize up and my chest to tighten up. My mentor suggested we pray through the memory of this experience and ask God to show me where He was during that time. Long story short, as I prayed and tried to imagine my brother and I in that cedar chest, I saw myself spooned up close to him, holding on, feeling terrified and out of breath. Just as quickly the Lord showed me a picture of Him spooning up behind us both and blowing His breath into our faces so we could breathe. 

Now that may sound a little out-of-the-box to some of you, but that beautiful picture filled me with God's peace replaced the anxiety and fear that were so strongly attached to that memory. 

This past weekend I talked to my brother about our childhood experience. Oddly enough, we've never talked about this particular memory. I barely got out the words when he finished my sentence. 

I said, "Do you remember that time we were stuck..." and he chimed in, "in the cedar chest? Yes. I remember it perfectly. I think about it all of the time." 

"What happened?" I asked. I was amazed at what he said:

Grandma was babysitting us. We were playing hide and seek. You and I decided to hide in the cedar chest. Before we pulled the top down on us, I stuck a ruler in between the top and the chest so we could see through the slit. Somehow you and I bumped the ruler and it slipped out. We were stuck inside. Grandma never checked on us. Mom and dad came home and asked where we were. They looked all over upstairs before they figured out we were inside the chest. Dad broke it open with a crow bar. We were in there for about an hour. We were listless when they got us out.

How is it possible that we survived for an hour? Or that we didn't sustain any brain damage? 

I hesitated to share this story in such a public forum but I really think there is something for all of us here. And this is the point I am making today: God is always with us. He is intimately engaged with us on this journey. Nothing can separate us from His love. Terrible things are going to happen sometimes. The enemy gets his shots in there every once in a while. But God is always with us. He'll go to the deepest pit or the smallest cedar chest to save us, sustain us, and take care of us. The enemy cannot take us out until God is ready to take us home.

No one can snatch us out of His hand!

It's easy to question God when we experience traumatic events. But instead of getting offended with God and assigning a wrong motive to Him (which consequently blinds us from seeing any of His goodness), may we humbly and trustingly ask, "Jesus, where were you in all of this? I know You are good. I know You are near. Show me where You were. Show me how You intervened in this painful experience. Heal my memory. Remove the lies I've believed and replace them with the truth. I know that You are good and I will trust You with all of my tomorrows. Amen."

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39). 

Safe in His Presence...

 

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. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. For the months of March AND April I will give away away a gift card and a couple of copies of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids" so leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a fun treat this month!

A Quick Note:

I am thrilled to announce the release of my next book: Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places." Let me tell you, I am excited about the message in this book. If you have children at home (or grandchildren you want to influence spiritually), order a copy today. I do believe this book will equip you to parent from a spiritual perspective (but it's loaded with lots of practical application). You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be inspired and encouraged (that was my goal, anyway). :) 

Now, on to my topic...

If you've heard me speak before, you've no doubt heard me joke about what it's like being married to a giant. Okay, I know he's not that huge, but his 6'3" frame looms large over my 5' 2" frame. I'm as big as his leg. We laugh a lot about it now but when we first got married we had a lot of adjusting to do. When Kevin moved to put his arm around me, he'd often accidentally clock me in the face with his elbow. Instantly my nose turned red and my eyes filled with pools of water. Awkward moment = one, Romantic interlude = zero.

Here is another scenario that happened a number of times: I'd be in bed with a nice cup of tea and a good book. My husband would sweetly and innocently pull back the covers. Well, uh, sweetly and innocently to him that is. To me, he'd create a minor earthquake by whipping the sheets back with such force that my cup of tea would go flying in one direction and my book, the other. With that sweet deer-in-the-headlights look he'd simply say, "Oops. Sorry." 

My husband buys things in proportion to his size. He drives a big truck, loves his big lawn mower and owns a sizable snow blower. He uses a mixing bowl for cereal and he takes up most of the space on our bed. But let me say this, in all of the ways that matter to me, my husband is a gentle, strong, and protective giant of a man. He is gentle with my fears and lovingly protects my hopes and dreams. He is kind and loving and true.

He simply moves in proportion to his size. 

One day I pondered the whole concept of moving in proportion to your size - in light of our majestic God. He is unfathomably mighty and immeasurably powerful. There is no match to His greatness. He moves and the earth shakes. Read how the earth responds to His power: 

Fire goes before Him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth the heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory (Psalm 97: 3-6). 

Sheer power goes before Him and surrounds Him on every side. With that in mind, isn't it amazing that we can even get near the Living God? If we get too close to the sun, we will burn up. However, we can draw very near to the Creator of the sun without being consumed by this formidable power!

Because of Christ's finished work on the Cross, we can do more than simply draw near, we can come boldly into the Lord's presence, and, be assured of His glad welcome! We can enjoy an intimate, engaged, and loving dialogue with the Creator of Heaven and earth. 

Why are we allowed such an incredible privilege? Because of Jesus Christ's finished work on the Cross!

Read this verse (it overwhelmed me this week):

But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love - WE-ARE-NOT-CONSUMED - His compassions they never fail; His mercies are new every morning; and His faithfulness is great (Lamentation 3:21-22).

We are safe in God's presence because of His incredible love for us. We can wrap ourselves up in His love because He has boundless compassion for our weakness and our humanity. We can live with NO condemnation because His mercies are fresh and new every single morning. We are free.

As you ponder the days leading up to Easter, fully embrace the idea that your hopes and your dreams are safe with God. Your mistakes and missteps don't shake Him in the least. He's already made provision for your weaknesses. Just draw near and cherish the idea that you can draw near.

Have a blessed and beautiful Easter celebration. 

Until next week~

When God Moves...

 

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. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. In the month of March I will give away a gift card and a couple of copies of my new book, "Growing Grateful Kids."  So share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend (or maybe you'll win a copy of my new book)!

A Quick Note:

I am thrilled to announce the release of my next book: Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places." Let me tell you, I am excited about the message in this book. If you have children at home (or grandchildren you want to influence spiritually), order a copy today. I do believe this book will equip you to parent from a spiritual perspective (but it's loaded with lots of practical application). You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be inspired and encouraged (that was my goal, anyway). :) 

Now on to my topic...

Recently I read through the book of Acts and noticed something kind of profound, something that's still happening today. 

In chapter 14 we read about Paul and Barnabas in Iconium, preaching at the Jewish synagogue. Paul and Barnabas spoke with power and influence and the Lord our God was with them. Clearly, they loved God more than their personal safety. There was nothing self-serving about their ministry. Christ in them, was their hope of glory.

And as a result, Christ could trust them with His glory. 

God moved powerfully in and through Paul and Barnabas. And what was the result?

• Humble, reverent earnest-God-seekers, responded to this movement of God in their midst. These sincere seekers were healed, encouraged, and saved. 


• Rigid, pharisaical leaders stiffen up, get territorial and jealous, and viewed things from an earthbound perspective. These prideful unbelieving people stirred up trouble and tried to find fault with their supposed opponents. In fact, they wanted Paul and Barnabas dead. Ouch. 

Read this passage from Acts 14: 1-3

As Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against their brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 

Even now, within the Kingdom of God, we have plenty of people building their own kingdoms. Maybe it's a kingdom of comfort, or association, or reputation. Maybe it's a kingdom of celebrity, or mega-status, or political correctness. 

But the Kingdom of God is always about Christ's saving work in our lives - moving and advancing to reach others with that same saving message.

The fact is, the Kingdom of God is ever moving, always flowing, and He is not interested in our fossilized methods, especially if they serve as obstacles to His presence. He wants us. He wants a living-breathing, freely-flowing relationship with us. He wants to move in us and through us and He reserves the right to disrupt our plans, our methods, and even our ideals in order to accomplish His other-worldly plans upon this earth.

Jesus didn't have a one-method way of doing things either! He healed people in a whole plethora of ways. He is not at all bound by the 'way we've always done it.' 

If Christ wants to move in our church or in our business or in our family in a new and fresh way, may we be the first to get out of the way and let Him have His way!

And what happens when we do such a thing? Fruit happens! Life happens! Power happens!

And how will people respond?

The sincere-earnest-Christ followers and seekers will be drawn to the fresh stream flowing from our lives, churches, and businesses. They will be nourished, healed, saved, and encouraged. Yes, Lord.

And the rigid-unbending pharisee? Well, they'll hate everything about it. They'll stiffen up; they'll find fault; they'll become territorial, and they'll turn into the sin police and watch for the slightest deviation from what they know to be right and true.

Now granted, we never want to deviate from the TRUTH. But in following Christ - who is the truth - we must know that He will lead us in ways we have not known before. He loves to do that and invites us to willingly trust Him, even if it disrupts our affection for appearing civilized and packaged at all times.

When God moves, may we move with Him. May we resist the urge to control our zone and to manage our methods. Let's put it all on the table and give God room to work.

Move powerfully in and through us, Lord!

~ Until next week

A Greater Love...

 

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. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend!

NEW RELEASE!!!

I am very excited to announce the release of my newest book, "Embracing Your Freedom: A Personal Experience in God's Heart for Justice." 

Bless my socks off and pick up a copy today! I believe the message of this book is an important word for women in our day. Follow the Amazon link below to get a look at my book. Please post a review if you've had the chance to read 'Embracing Your Freedom' (thank you so much!):

Embracing Your Freedom on Amazon...

Last month, in light of the Thanksgiving holiday, we explored some uncommon aspects of giving thanks. This month, in light of our Savior's birth, we'll spend the next few weeks exploring different ideas around giving and receiving 'gifts.' 

Now on to my topic...

Can you think of a time recently when you didn't get your way? Maybe somebody promised you something and then they forgot about it. Or maybe you had every right to think a certain someone would come through for you only to be left high and dry. How did you respond to such a disappointment?

Recently I spent some time reflecting on the following passage:

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever" (1 John 2:15-17 NLT). 

I like this version because it describes how the world offers 'only a craving' but not the answer for our souls, not the real and lasting satisfaction for which we were designed.

Read this excerpt from my, "Believer's Bible Commentary":

When a banks is breaking, smart people do not deposit in it. When the foundation is tottering, intelligent builders do not proceed. Concentrating on this world is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. So wise people do not live for a world that is passing away. But he who does the will of God abides forever." (p. 2314).

Just how does a 'love for the world' manifest in us? Well, in many ways, but here's one: Our want for credit and glory and recognition! Even when we are overlooked and have a seemingly legitimate reason to gripe - we must know that it is in those places where we have the opportunity to please God most. Can we serve and give just for Him and Him alone? Do we always have to receive our 'fair pay' and proper credit?

When an insatiable craving for recognition rises up within us, and we grab for ourselves something God would have eventually given us, the love of God through us, diminishes in those competitive moments. During those times when we love and crave what the world loves and craves, God's love ceases to operate within us. But when we humble ourselves, and trust God's timing and goodness, when we die to our imagined rights that we might live for Christ, the power of the Kingdom is released in those hidden and obscure places. 

Consider Joseph in the Old Testament. He was falsely accused, horrifically betrayed, and then overlooked in prison after being used of God to help others. What was his response? In all things, Joseph humbly honored God, knowing that God would establish him in due time.

Will we be faithful in such a test? Faithful with the opportunity to love when an offense would be easier? Will we refuse to pick up a stone, and pick up our cross instead? 

We die daily that we might grow deeper. 

May we love and live and serve and give for an audience of One. He will establish and bless us in due time.

John 15:13 ~ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

God bless you this week!
Until next week~

The Mountain of God...

Greetings, Everyone!

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 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card comes from Starbucks, so share a story or an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

Before I get into my topic, I have a quick question for you. As most of you know, I've been doing this weekly blog for some time now. Recently I've been advised that I should blog more often. What do you think? Would you rather see a shorter devotional thought or insight a few times a week, or keep things the way they are? I really want to hear from you!

Okay, now on to my topic...

Do you have a few weeds in your yard? Aren't the little ones easy to ignore sometimes? Even if we keep a close watch on our lawn, those nasty buggers pop up and diminish the overall health of the lawn. Our hearts are the same way. Unless we keep short accounts with sin and we regularly bring ourselves before the Lord in humility and repentance, weeds WILL spring up in our lives. 

As we go through life, it's easy to develop a bit of an attitude towards this person, or a judgment about that situation, or an un-forgiving heart towards someone who has hurt you. These feelings come in different shapes and sizes and some are easy to ignore. But the enemy watches us, studies us, even. And he knows how to leverage our sins and weaknesses against us. 

The Bible says that the pure in heart see God. Embracing a pure heart before the Lord is our immunity against the attacks and schemes of the devil. We must take seriously our call to regularly pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts, and point out ANYTHING in me that offends You! (Psalm 139). 

And when God answers that prayer, may we humbly bow, repent, and respond to His voice. 

Have you ever tried to gently tell someone how they hurt you only to have them fall into a heap and become a victim of the confrontation? And instead of responding to you in maturity, you have to pick them up off the floor because they can't handle confrontation?

Or, have you tried to address someone who hurt you only to have them stiffen up, tell you that you shouldn't feel that way, and then walk away as if your feelings don't matter? 

Obviously, neither of those responses are healthy or mature. But don't we do the same thing to God sometimes? If He tells us what we don't want to hear, we stiffen up and get busy doing something else. Or if He points out our missteps and holds us accountable, we may fall into a heap of condemnation and completely miss His point. I know I've done that a time or two. :)

What's the healthy response?

Let's read from Hebrews 12:4-6

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

In other words, don't shrug off His discipline like it doesn't matter, but don't despair because of it either. Humbly bow before Him in repentance, and than rise up to meet Him because He loves you. Be teachable. Refuse a hard heart. Reject condemnation. Embrace His love.

What's the payoff? 

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (v.11).

A harvest of righteousness and peace await us on the other side of God's dealings with us!

Read all of Hebrews 12 today if you get the chance. It's a powerful chapter. The call is to throw off every useless weight AND the sin that so easily entangles us and to run the race marked out before us. The call is to embrace the Lord's discipline as He brings it, because He disciplines those He loves, and He is training us to reign. And finally, this chapter reminds us of who it is we're speaking to, living before, and approaching when we come to Him:

You have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,  to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,  to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire" (v. 22-29).

Our God is a consuming fire. May we live with Eternity in mind. 

Sorry this is such a long post but I believe this is a word for many of us today.

Have a great week~

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