Follow Him...

Hello, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my goal is to bless you and nourish your soul along the way.

This morning I sat out on my deck on my favorite beat-up old swing and I watched the sun come up through the trees.

With my Bible in my lap and my journal at my side, I prayed about many things.

When I came to the end of my quiet time, I asked the Lord what my blog topic should be.

Instantly a picture came to my mind.

I envisioned a pond with irregular borders reaching this way and that. The edges of the pond were so shallow that it was hard to discern where the water ended and the land began.

In the center of the pond you could see the weeds stretching up from water's floor. You could see large rocks and old logs piled up just under the surface.

As I pondered this picture, another picture came to mind. I saw God take His mighty arms and shore up this little pond. He wrapped His arms around the water's edge and brought in its boundaries, causing the pond to appear smaller and go deeper.

Perhaps this is what God has for you in this next season of life...

With the fall season approaching us, we will be faced with countless committees and commitments asking for our time.

Many, if not most of these requests are for good causes.

Maybe you've heard this quote before but Oswald Chambers once wrote, "The greatest enemy of the best is the good."

Before you walk into this fall season and open up your blank calendar pages to the countless people begging for your attention...get alone with God.

Allow Him to shore you up and bring a greater depth to your life.

Spend some significant time in His presence and dare to ask Him this question, "Lord, what would YOU have me do this season? What would you have me stay away from? What is the BEST way I can serve You with my time?"

Then be quiet and listen.

Ask God for a heightened sensitivity to His voice so that you will hear Him when He says, "No, don't say yes to that. I have something better for you."

Some say yes too often. Others say no too often.

We all have a responsibility to fulfill our God-given call.

We all have the privilege of serving God in profound and beautiful ways.

Carve out some time this week...two, three hours. And give it to God.

Listen to His voice. Follow His lead. Enjoy a fruitful, grace-filled life.

Your three hours with God will be the best investment you've made all summer.

For You make me glad by Your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the work of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lord. How profound are Your thoughts. Psalm 92: 4-5

Have a blessed week.

Make my day and pick up a copy of my new release, Alone in Marriage: Encouragement for the Times When it's all up to You

New Places...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my goal is to nourish your soul and encourage you along the way.

You know, this journey of faith constantly beckons us onward. We are pilgrims, which means we are a group of people traveling to a sacred place. With our feet on the ground and our eyes fixed on Heaven, we walk the walk of faith; believing God is who He says He is, and counting on His Word to be our sustenance.

Certain seasons call us to camp for a while, to rest our weary legs, and to remind ourselves again why this journey is an important one.

Other seasons call us to run; to work, to gain ground, and to not relent until we reach the goal God has given us.

And still other seasons call us to change; to leave one place in order to attain another.

And this is where I am today.

Maybe you are too.

As Beloved children of God, we all have a next place of promise waiting for us. Not just in Heaven, but in the land of the living too.

Jesus asked us to pray, "May Your Kingdom COME to earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN...and may Your will be DONE on earth, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

I've mentioned this many times but my life verse is Psalm 116:9 and it says, "And so I walk in Your presence as I live here on earth."



In God's presence we find power, promise, and provision.



Try interchanging the word "promise" for "presence" in the verse above.

And so I walk in the Lord's promise as I live here on earth.

Part of praying for God's Kingdom to come to earth is to walk out His promises right where we live. Part of praying for His will to be done is to get a vision for His will for our lives, our communities, and our world.

So...to wrestle with God for such things is to know and believe that we all have a next place of promise.

Which leads me to the point I made at the introduction of this email.

I spend a lot of time with God and I strongly sense He is about to take me to a new place. Not geographically per se, but spiritually and ministry wise. My toes are at the edge of my new place of promise and I can already tell there are giants in the land.

The only way I can possess that which God supplies is to leave some of my heavy, old baggage behind.

Always, before stepping up to new places, God in His mercy reminds us of our need for Him. And as poetic as that sounds, it's not such a fun process.

For me to be reminded of my moment-by-moment need for Christ's life and presence in me, is for me to see my tendency toward doubt, fear, small thinking, and irritability. Only when I see my smallness, am I reminded of how MUCH I need His greatness to be at work within me.

I am called by faith to possess new land, but I cannot claim a blade of that grass unless I've allowed Christ to lay claim to the unconquered areas of my soul.

God can only do above and beyond all I ask or think according to the extent He is allowed to work within me (Ephesians).

I want to go. I want to possess. I want to please God by my faith.

But before I go, I must confess my need. I must leave my baggage behind.

Where is God taking you next? Do you have a sense of your next place of promise?

What is holding you back?

Fears? Doubts? Worries? Insecurity? Judgments against others?

Leave them behind and cross over to the new land.

God has more for you.

Follow His lead.

Have a blessed week and don't forget to pick up a copy of my new release, Alone in Marriage: Encouragement for the Times When it's all up to You

Until next week...

Don't Settle...

Hi Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to my visitors, I say welcome!

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

My life verse is Psalm 116:9 - And so I walk in the Lord's presence as I live here on earth.

In the Psalms, King David also wrote, "Where can I go from your presence..."

God is always in our midst, we just miss Him when we don't acknowlege Him.

Imagine walking into a crowded room, knowing that your closest and dearest friend is somewhere in the crowd. No one compares to this friend because she knows you, she understands you, she has seen all of your warts and imperfections, and she has been more loyal than anyone else in your life. She rescued you from messes you've made for yourself. She borrowed you money when you were down and out. And she constantly challenges you to learn and grow and become all you were meant to be. What a friend.

You walk into the crowded room, but instead of seeking out your friend, you simply surrender to the pressure of the masses and allow yourself to be moved this way and that, being carried along by the events of the day. Finally when you leave the room, you are exhausted, you've accomplished nothing, and your ears ring from the countless conversations that swirled all around you.

Had you only pressed through the crowds to get to your friend, your time in the room would have meant something. Your encounter with your friend would have made all the difference in the world.

Jesus provides for you. Jesus has rescued you. No one can talk Jesus out of loving you! Jesus is that friend who makes sense of everything, every day.

Read on...

We have pressure from all sides, but we must not miss out on the best of what God has for us. And when we acknowlege God's presence as we live here on earth, His quiet whisper upstages the clamor and commotion all around us.

Why are we so willing to be carried along by the pressures of the day when Jesus promised to lead us by still waters?

Why are we so willing to race through the day in a blur when Jesus promised us a heart absent of anxiety, full of peace?

Why do we settle for a dreamless existence when Jesus said we would do even greater things than He?

Blessed are those who seek hard after God, for they shall be satisfied with His presence and the things He has promised...

My heart is saddened by the countless people I have met who have settled in their wilderness and stopped hoping for something better.

Some of you have lost your fight and need a fresh dose of courage. Don't settle. Ask for courage and keep asking until you get it.

Some of you are staring at a giant, feeling certain you will be defeated. All you need is that one smooth stone, that one word of truth that will take him out. Then you will be positioned to step into your destiny. Don't let the giants in your land keep you from all God has promised you.

Others of you are just plain tired and need some rest, but feel unsure that God will provide. Know this, He will. But sometimes He asks us to run when we would rather rest, and rest when we think we should run. Trust Him, He is good.

Some of you have been drinking from cracked cisterns. In other words, you are medicating on junk rather than marinating in His presence. You might be eating too much, drinking too much, playing too many computer games, or reading too many racy novels.

These things take your time and drain your strength. You are too important to wasting your time or your energy on such things.

Ask God to stir up a divine hunger within you. Jesus will satisfy you in a way that will nourish and strengthen you.

C.S. Lewis wrote, "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

In what areas of life do you settle? Refuse to sit down and settle! Stand up and take hold of all God has promised you. Don't give up. Get up, and march on until you possess your next place of promise.

Godly living provides blessing in this life and the life to come.

May the Lord Himself stir up a hunger within us!

Have a wonderful week and remember to pick up a copy of my new release...

Alone in Marriage: Encouragment for the Times When it's all up to You

Awakening the Pleasure of God...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is to bless and encourage you along your way.

This morning I was talking with a friend and we were both recalling the ways God has affected us, even changed us. My friend made an observation that affirmed me greatly. She said, "Susie, God has clearly done a work in you. You are accomplishing far more now than you ever have; and you're doing it with less effort and more peace."

Her words stopped me in my tracks. I looked back over my shoulder and recounted the times and seasons when striving was my middle name and straining was the way I played the game!

At some point along the way, I realized the error of my ways. I began praying by faith, "Lord, I thank you that there's no striving in me because I know that you are God!" The more I prayed this prayer, the more peaceful and rested I felt.

One day when my task list was greater than my ability to accomplish it, I was especially tempted to worry. But I did something else instead. I said, "Lord, it looks like I will need a loaves and fishes day today. No matter what, I refuse to worry."

At that very moment I was filled with peace and I knew I had awakened the Lord's pleasure. I felt His smile over me all day long, and believe it or not, I accomplished everything on my list and still had room in my day to clean my house and go biking on the trails! You know, it's really not so much about what we accomplish but rather the heart with which we accomplish the things God gives us to do. He is good and He is for us. And when we look to Him, He strengthens us out of HIS riches, where there is no lack.

Since that time, I've discovered some tangibile ways to walk in peace, provision, and power, and to thus awaken the sweet pleasure of the Lord...

Believing...

Jesus knows that you have circumstances screaming at you, taunting you to be afraid, to worry, and to look down. So when you turn your back on those things and choose to trust God instead, you awaken His pleasure. He knows this is not easy and it means everything to Him when you believe Him over what your eyes see. Believe Him today and picture Him smiling over you.

Obeying...

As you go through your day, you'll be faced with countless opportunities to go your own way or obey. When you're tempted to be rude, but you're kind instead, that's obedience. When you pray first and speak second. That's obedience. When you love the unlovely and give when it's within your ability to do so, that's obedience. When you walk away from an opportunity because Jesus is clearly saying, "Not yet", that's obedience and it will surely be rewarded. We awaken God's pleasure when we trust Him enough to obey Him.

Forgiving...

As the love of the multitudes grows cold, we will have many opportunities to forgive. By choosing not to forgive, we put ourselves in prison. But when we cherish our one-ness with God over our desire to see "them pay" we awaken the pleasure of God. Forgiveness is costly, yes. It cost Jesus everything to forgive us. Our lives will be anointed and blessed as we follow His lead.

Loving...

He loved us first and we awaken His pleasure when we recieve that love without shame. We need to tip our head back, stretch out our arms and say, "Thank you for loving me, Lord! I don't deserve it but I receive it!" We cannot give what we don't possess. We can't communicate what we don't have a handle on ourselves. That's why it is important to remind ourselves of His love for us...many times a day. Our willingness to receive His love, awakens His pleasure. And when we are so saturated with His love that we drip, we will be a source of refreshment for many.

As my mentor always says, "When we let God have His way in us, doing the things He asks us to will no longer be an 'ought to' or a 'should do'...they'll be a 'get to.'"

Make the conscious choice to walk in His presence today.

You know, I posted last week about Bubs the stray dog we've apparently adopted. Well, we still have him and I have fallen in love with this dog.

What's funny is that even though he's old and has arthritis, he still does this little leap thing when he gets excited. And do you know what gets him excited? Doing a good thing. Every time he obeys he starts leaping and looking up at me for my smile and assurance.

Not that we're looking for God's approval but it's good to be aware of His smile.

He sings over you. He dances over you. And when you take the leap of faith to believe that your choices matter, He puts His hand over His heart and He smiles.

Amazing love.

Until next week...

Our Shelter...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

A special welcome to my visitors! I post every Wednesday and my purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Well, I did it again. I missed my post yesterday, but I have an excuse! Yesterday was the 4th of July as you know, and it didn't even occur to me to post. For some reason the blogosphere wasn't even on my radar.

Today is a new day and what I have to share with you feels especially important.

For the past week or so, the Lord has drawn me to Psalm 91 on a daily basis. Every morning I've been reading the whole chapter aloud. And every morning, I take one verse from that chapter and I ponder its meaning. I want my own ears to hear the promises and the contingencies that go along with those promises. I want a close up look at each verse in this wonderful passage of Scripture.

In this day of unrest and amidst the continual threats from the terrorists I've been feeling compelled to taste and smell and know Psalm 91 inside and out.

I ask you to know the same thing.

Take time to understand how to position yourself before the Lord so that if and when the threats and plagues come near you, they will not touch you. Know how to stand without fear. Know what it means to stand strong because of faith.

Let's look at the first part of the first verse in this chapter.

It's packed with meaning...

The first part of verse one says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High..."

To go to a shelter means to place yourself under the care of the one who runs the shelter and thus to trust that you'll be protected. It means that you're willing to abide by the house rules and stay within the boundaries set for you.

To dwell in the shelter of the Most High is to place ourselves fully under His care; to abide by His rules, and to trust Him to protect us.

To dwell under His shelter is to stay within the boundaries He has set for us.

To abide actually means "to be held."

To live there means to entrust ourselves to His covering and care. Every. Single. Day.

It's significant that this verse is the building block upon which the the whole chapter rests. The chapter as a whole will fortify your soul because it is strong with the supernatural promise of protection.

When we abide by the "rules" of the house, we are also blessed by the benefits of belonging to Him.

You are safe in His care.

You don't want to have to scramble to find the rock when the ground shakes beneath you.

With verse one of this passage, God invites us with this plea, "Let me love you; let me care for and protect you. I will provide for you. I will cover you when trouble looms overhead. Live with Me and by Me each and every day and you will have all that you neeed. I came that you may have life. And not just life...life more abundantly."



Live there. Breathe there. Be there.

I'm on vacation next week, but will return with a post on July 18th...

Until then, my friends.

Peace to you~