Silence Your Unbelief!

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday (I'm a day late this week), 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 leave a comment, share a story or insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

Now on to my topic...

In the book of Numbers we read the about how Moses sent out spies to scope out the land to see if it was time to take their next place of promise. Interestingly enough, Moses received two different reports from his men.

The first report went as follows (my paraphrase here): "Yes, the land looks abundantly wonderful, HOWEVER, there are obstacles to overcome; the people are strong and the walls are stronger. There is no way we'll ever be able to possess that land!"

The second report came from Joshua and Caleb (my paraphrase again): "Let's go at once and take this land! For we are well able to overcome and possess that which God has promised us! The land is great and our God is greater still!" 

The first group of spies rebutted these mighty faith-filled words with their doomed perspective of failure. This bad report was enough to initiate a spirit of unbelief amongst the troops. So much so, that the Israelites fell into murmuring, complaining, and even insubordination. The power of the spoken word is mind-boggling, no?

And what was the consequence of treasuring their fears more than the promises of the Living God? They were denied access to the Promised Land. Every one of them, save Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. Unbelief robs us of our destiny in Christ. 

Jump ahead forty years. Joshua is an older, seasoned, and even braver warrior. He is leading the next generation of Israelites and preparing them to take the land their parents had forfeited by their own unbelief. It's interesting that this time God commanded the Israelites to march around the city of Jericho once a day, for six days - saying nothing. They were NOT to open their mouths! 

My study notes in my Bible have this to say about that precursor to victory: 

"The memory that Israel's 40-year punishment in the wilderness was a result of people's murmuring in unbelief was doubtless in Joshua's mind. At that time, the spies had returned with a report motivated by what man sees without Holy Spirit-given vision. Their unbelief...had sealed their fate in the wilderness." (NKJV - Spirit Filled Life Bible). But not this time!

Could it be that God called the next generation of Israelites to go forward without speech because of their parents' sin of constant and continuous grumbling? Fortunately, this story ends with a victorious shout! On the seventh day the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times and gave a mighty shout. And the walls came tumbling down!

Are you marching into new territory? Are you glaring at your obstacles and recounting the harshness of your steps daily? It's time to silence your unbelief! Time to quit complaining! 

Let your gaze be fixed on Christ! Let your focus be zeroed in on the land God has promised you, not on the giants in the land. When you are in step with the Living Lord, anything is possible. The Israelites didn't even have to lift a sword to take down a massive fortification. And we serve the same God today.

Walk forward unafraid. In fact, walk forward with humble yet bold courage. Silence your unbelief and give words to your faith in Almighty God, who daily establishes His purposes for you!

~Until next week. 

Speak Life!

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 leave a comment, share a story, and bless us all with your wisdom and insight!

Now on to my topic...

You've heard it said before, "Show me a man's checkbook register, and I'll show you what he cares about." Don't worry, we're not sharing check registers today, but I want to make a parallel statement: Show me what a person says, and I'll tell you what they believe.

More and more I'm learning the importance of and the power behind our words. Words are envelopes that carry powerful messages. Our words affect our circumstances, surroundings, and perspectives. Maybe you've heard me say this before but it bears repeating: Our words are seeds that bear fruit. Every time we open our mouth, little seeds drop to the ground and eventually produce fruit - sometimes rotten fruit, sometimes nourishing fruit. 

The reason our words are important is because we are important. We are messengers; conduits of God's grace. We have an important job to do during our time on earth. If we believe any less than that or if we think we are more than that in ourselves, our words will reflect those beliefs. 

Read this important verse: From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things, as surely as the work of his hands rewards him (Proverbs 12:14).

Think about it. If you have a full time job, you expect your paycheck at the end of the week. Likewise, we can expect that the words of our mouth will produce a result: they'll either bless or curse those in our sphere of influence. 

What's the answer? Spend time with God. Nestle in close and trade our unbelief for belief. Trade our anxiety for peace. Trade our doubt for faith. Get to a place where we are once again assured of God's promise to stand with us and provide for us in every season of life. 

From there, we get up, and we SPEAK!

Speak to the Mountains - Tell your obstacles to move into the sea! Does the enemy of your soul continually throw road blocks in your path? Speak to those obstacles and tell them to move! Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt...you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done (Matthew 21:21)

Speak to the Storms - Tell the storms to be still! Are you surrounded by chaos and confusion? God is the God of order! Speak to your storm and command order to return!  In Matthew 8, the disciples were in the boat with Jesus (who was taking a nap). The storm came and they called on the Lord (sounds like a good idea, no?), but Jesus wondered why their faith was so small. Jesus calmed the storm, but it would have pleased His heart for the disciples to do what He did. 

Speak to your Soul - Tell your soul to be at peace and remember the goodness of the Lord. Psalm 116:7 calls us to speak to that inner man when we are troubled inside: Be at peace (or at rest) once more O, my soul, for the Lord, has been good to you." God has been good and He'll be good again. He's a good God. Recently I interviewed Women of Faith speaker, Pasty Clairmont. She said the best thing, "I finally learned that our emotions have no brains. God created us with a will stronger than our emotions." Use your will to stand up to your emotions, to obey and trust in the Name of the Lord. Reflect on the many ways He has come through for you. Right here. Right now. Take a moment and say thank you for His faithfulness in your life.

Never underestimate the power of your words. They are a weapon in your hand. We'll be called to account for how we used this gift. Did we encourage those around us, or did we pick them apart? Did we talk about circumstances and people with cynicism or with hope? 

Dear Father in Heaven, Have mercy on us and forgive us for every ill-spoken word! Renew our minds, our hearts, and our perspective. May we leave every person and situation better than we found them. Fill us with a greater sense of Your presence that we might impart life and refreshment wherever we go. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

Have a blessed week!

Not Seeing Results?

Happy Wednesday, 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 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

One more thing...Four times a year I send out a (FREE) E-zine with lots of great stuff in it! I write an extended devotional, we give away a good stack of books from various authors, and share several ministry updates. My next issue releases this Saturday, October 15th. You can sign up at my website: www.susielarson.com 

Now on to my topic...

Do you ever get weary in doing good? Ever wonder when you'll see the fruit of your labor? Or maybe you wonder if all of your effort made any difference at all.

I've had a number of conversations recently with people who are weary in the waiting and I've wrestled with these thoughts in my own life. I knew that if I didn't open my hands and look up, I'd find myself tangled up in my thoughts and tripped up by a wrong perspective. After putting it all on the table and giving God room to speak to me, He led me back to a faith that stands even when my eyes cannot see. 

Scripture calls us to pray and keep praying, to believe and keep believing, to speak life, and keep speaking life, but eventually we want to see the results of our efforts, right? There's a little something in all of us that after we've exerted a certain amount of effort, we start to believe that God owes us something. Maybe we don't dare say that out loud, but if we're honest, there's a little card in our back pocket that we pull out when we've had enough. We hold it up to God and in so many words say, "But what about all I've done? What about all I've tried to do? Would it hurt You to come through for me? Can you give me something?" 

Even Job got there eventually. He was an amazing, righteous, godly man. But when he was pushed far enough, he pulled out the card. He listed his acts of righteousness. Who can blame him? He was a righteous man. But then the Lord spoke and Job covered his mouth. He declared, "Surely I spoke of things too wonderful for me."

Here's the thing. We are made righteous by God alone. Every good thing comes from Him. Apart from Him, we don't have a leg to stand on. And even as we grow in Him, we must find our secure footing on Him alone. How easy it is to shift our weight to our efforts, our recent righteousness, or our consistent faithfulness, but we must not. We live faithfully, because He is faithful in us.

In due time we will reap a harvest of righteousness, a breakthrough to our prayers, and blessings for our obedience, if we do not give up. His promises are true and so those principles are true. But those breakthroughs are determined by God's wisdom and timing. If we shift our weight onto our efforts and begin to expect something before its time, or feel entitled to something that God hasn't given us yet, we'll step onto a rug that the enemy can pull out from under us.

We are bondservants of the Most High God. He is overwhelmingly good to us. Still, we serve Him on His terms, His timing, and according to His highest and best will for us.

I've learned not to 'do the math' so to speak when I find myself in a weary place. When I consider all I've invested in a certain person or situation, and see no fruit from my faithfulness, I can so easily despair; and when I let myself go there, I get weak. At such times it's especially important to step back, to put a flag in the ground, and to declare the faithfulness of Almighty God no matter how barren the field might appear. 

The results belong to God. Diving timing belongs to God. Breakthroughs, increase, and seasons belong to God. Mine is to obey, His is to do everything else. 

If you're not seeing results, it's because you're not ready for them. Obedience in this place is first to submit to God. Then, resist the enemy's taunts to engage in despair, discouragement, self-pity, or entitlement. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (See James 4:7).

God gave us everything when He gave us His Son. He owes us nothing. He deserves our highest praise and our absolute trust. The faithful soul will put a flag in the ground and declare, "Though I can't see Him, I know He's with me. Though the barns are empty, I will praise Him. I know He'll one day fill them. Though my loved one's heart seems far away, I trust God will one day draw her near. I'm not moving from this place of faith. God will bring the breakthrough when He'll get the most glory and when I'm most ready for it."

Psalm 126:5-6 says this ~ Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.

Galatians 6:9 says this ~ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

May we press on, in His Name!

~Until next week...

Certainty in Uncertain Times...

Hey Friends, Susie Larson here! 

And to those visiting, I say welcome! 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 leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend!

Now on to my topic...

How are things going in your life? Does your life feel planned out, provided for, steady-Eddie, no problems you can think of right now? I didn't think so.

You'd have to be a rich person living in a mountain cabin with no access to media or people, and no sense of God's burden for the world to be out of touch with the uncertainty of the times. I've been here before, this place where all appears up in the air, undecided, not-sure-which-way-the-wind-will blow. And each time, God used fleeting circumstances to strengthen my frame, my roots, and my sense of purpose despite the ever-changing world all around me.

Whenever I walk through such a season, I grab my 'helmet of Salvation' and pull it on just a little tighter. I ask God, "Give me an eternal perspective, here, Lord. What are You doing in my midst and how should I think about it? May the helmet on my head affect my thinking here on earth. The earth is Yours and so there's always more going on than meets the eye. Nothing escapes Your attention. I'm standing with You; help me to think like You." 

The amazing thing is, every time I ask for a higher perspective, I get one. And every time I'm faced with uncertainty, I eventually come upon a deeper peace, an inner strength, and a profound trust that God is who He says He is. I shall not be moved.

Let's look at several passages from Scripture that support this idea:

James 1:1-8 ~ Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance his fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.  

Count it all joy - in every trial - consider it an opportunity to be strengthened and prepared to stand for the days ahead! So let it grow. In due time, even in sparse times, you'll have all that you need. You'll lack nothing because your resources are the unlimited resources of Heaven.

If you need wisdom for your current situation, ask for it. God will not breathe a heavy sigh or roll His eyes because you feel in over your head. He is a generous God and He will gently and lovingly guide you through all of life's trials. In fact, He loves it when we ask for wisdom! It's a wise thing to do!

But we must make sure that our loyalties are not divided, that we are not double-minded, and that we not live with one foot of affection on worldly pursuits and one foot of affection on Kingdom living. If we attempt such a balancing act, we'll be miserable and we must not expect to receive the wisdom God offers for our current need. Why? Because even if He is speaking wisdom to us, it wont get through to us. When our footing is unstable and shaky, the first place our eyes go is downward. When our footsteps are firm, we can look up and listen.

Hebrews 10:23 ~ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess, for God who promised, is faithful.

Romans 8:38 ~I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Death can't. Life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, or worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away.

So you see, we can either run to and fro and grab quick, band-aid solutions to our problems (which are no solutions at all), or we can call on the Name of the Lord, knowing full well, He is the One who can keep us from falling. He is the One who supplies all our needs! (Phil. 4:19). He is the One who loves us dearly. And He is the One who hears us when we call out to Him.

Refuse to give way to a stressed out, uncertain mindset. That's for un-believers. Do you believe God is true to His Word? Then stand on it! Do not waver! Ask for wisdom! Get rid of the garbage in your life that messes you up and slows you down. Get serious about your walk of faith because the times call for it. 

Nothing is more powerful than a woman or man in step with the Living God. When others see peace and certainty reflected in your countenance, they will be drawn to the Jesus in you. And that was His plan all along.

Have a blessed week.

He Loves...

Hey 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 and it's time to announce the winner for July. Drum roll please...

Heidi Jo Darin, congratulations! And thanks for your post. Just email me your mailing address and the card will go out in the mail within the next 7-10 days. My email address is: info@susielarson.com And thanks to everyone who posted. Love to hear from you!

Now on to my topic...

Today on Live the Promise we have one of our favorite guests, Will Davis, Jr. We're talking about his new book, '10 Things Jesus Never Said: And Why You Should Stop Believing Them' - this is going to be a great show. (Just a side note: you can listen online here: Will Davis interview).

Here are some of the chapter titles from Will's book (things Jesus never said):

I'm so disappointed in you. 

This wouldn't be happening if you were a better Christian.

You've gone too far to be saved.

I've given up on you. 

You missed My will for your life.

While it's true that God is opposed to the proud, He gives grace to the humble. He was toughest on the pharisees and the prideful folks who refused to see their need. Yet He was abundantly gracious towards those who knew they could never jump high enough to hit the mark. 

You know, there is just nothing like God's love. Nothing heals, restores, motivates, inspires, or changes things like God's love. Nothing convicts, redirects, and corrects like the precious upward call of God's love. He loves us so much that He gave His Son to die in our place. He loves us so much that He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide, empower, direct, and comfort us. He loves us so much that He made sure we'd have more than enough mercies waiting for us with each new day. He loves us so much that He has gone ahead of us to carefully and lovingly preparing a place - perfect for us. Wow, and that's just a portion of God's gestures of love towards us.

Why then, do we put more stock in what others say about us? Why do we put more weight in how we feel than we do on the very words of God? Proverbs 9:10 says this: Knowing the Holy One results in understanding. The more we know Him, the more we'll love Him, and the more we'll trust Him.

Hear Him today, my friend: I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have always loved you. I never breathe a heavy sigh, or wonder why you're not someone different or better. I love the you I see in front of me. I have great plans for you and it's my job to work them in and through you. I"ll do it. I'll lead you, love you, prepare you, and plan for you. Trust me, trust me, trust me. I am for you, so who can stand against you? And guess what? Nothing can separate you from my love. I'll never let it happen. Freedom begins when you believe that you lack no good thing, you're already loved, already provided for, already called. Just possess it all by faith. It's yours. I love you.

Isn't is just something that He's so taken with us? That He would bother with us at all? Oh, how He loves! Wrap yourself up in the knowledge of it today! Walk in it, speak of it, and live out of that great love. Nothing else compares.

Bless you, my friend. 

~Until next week