Believing the Best...

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 leave a post, share an insight or story, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and friend! 

I had a powerful show yesterday with bestselling author (and godly woman) Joanna Weaver. If you need a fresh reminder that you don't have to earn God's love, be sure to listen in. You'll be blessed indeed. Here's the link: Live the Promise with Susie Larson (and Joanna Weaver)...

Now, on to my topic...

We all go through seasons in life when we feel especially vulnerable and our insecurities feel close to the surface. During such times it's easy to misread people and situations. 

A trusted friend suddenly seems disloyal and distant. A co-worker pulls back and seems to be spending time with someone who doesn't like you. You walk into church and nobody seems interested in talking to you. Your pastor walks right by without noticing you. You no longer feel like you have your boss's favor.

When one or more of these scenarios happen in a short amount of time, it's easy to connect the dots, draw certain conclusions, and then react accordingly. Just recently I talked with someone who had a number of 'dots' out there. He had some legitimate reason for concern, but deep in his soul, he sensed that God was telling him to believe the best about others, not to jump to conclusions, and to continue on with doing the right thing.

His response was exactly right and at the end of the day, the little mishaps fizzled to nothing. Imagine if he would have taken the bait, gotten big and reactionary with his friends and co-workers, and stepped out of the authority and assurance that he had in Christ Jesus. 

We may have some real 'dots' out there, just begging to be connected, but that doesn't mean that the picture actually exists or is an accurate one. We need the mind of Christ not to draw wrong conclusions.

From now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view (2 Corinthians 5:16).

I cringe when I think of how many times I assumed people had bad motives when they didn't, or I assumed they we're mad when they weren't. Thankfully, many of those times, I kept my feelings to myself and brought them before God and found my footing once again. Interestingly enough though, I learned that in many of those situations, those people we're enduring their own struggles and would have greatly benefited from an extra dose of grace and love (which comes out of fullness; reactions, on the other hand, come out of emptiness).

We all tend to misread people and situations when something in them resembles a past painful experience for us. We must take responsibility for our actions and reactions, and we must pursue deep inner healing so that our past no longer has the power to diminish our current perspective and relationships. Remember too, the enemy overplays his hand when it comes to our unhealed areas. He prowls around, just looking for an opportunity to magnify a problem or skew a perspective. His goal is to get our eyes off of God and onto our fears and hang ups. He wants our past to keep speaking to us. He wants our wounds to perpetuate themselves. And he wants us stuck in the prison of an earthbound perspective.

You've probably heard me say this before, or read it in one of my books, but it bears repeating. If the devil can get us to live in reaction to our circumstances rather than in response to God, well, then, he has succeeded at stealing our joy and robbing us of the abundant life to which our souls are heir. 

Determine to believe the best in others this week. Even if their motives are off, you stay in the shelter of the Most High God and declare, My salvation and honor depend on God alone. HE is my mighty rock and refuge (Psalm 62:7). Determine too, to believe the best about God. He has your best interest at heart every single day. Even if your circumstances scream something different, refuse to draw a conclusion that disregards God's promises to you.

For the Believer, the only conclusion that matters is the one God has come to regarding us. We are worth everything to Him. We are loved, called, equipped, and chosen. We have everything we need and then some.

Have a blessed week~

Tell the Story!

Greetings, Dear Friends, and Very Merry Christmas to You!

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 or insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

As most of you know, I have a radio show,Live the Promise with Susie Larson The program now airs 6 days a week! Join us every weekday from 2:30-3:00 CST, and on Saturdays from noon to one, KTIS AM 900, on the Faith Radio Network, or listen online at: www.faith900.com We've had some amazing guests and some powerful dialogue. Hope you can join us!

Also, I want you to have the inside scoop. Be sure to check my Facebook page for a heads up on my weekly giveaways (that way you'll know when to call for a book you may want). I'll also post daily questions and may read your comments on the air.  

Now on to my topic...

I love Christmas time! God so loved us that He sent His only Son to earth to deliver us from our sin, from the enemy's plan to destroy us, and from our own destructive tendency to go our own way. Just this morning I read again in Psalm 139 that Jesus is so taken with you and me, that He notices when we sit down in a chair, and when we stand up again. Imagine that. You are always on His mind. He is ever and always paying attention to you! We can't even keep watch over our kids every second of the day, but the Lord God Almighty has every hair on our head accounted for. Love, love, love Him! 

So this Christmas season (I'm borrowing this from my Christmas message), I ask you to do 3 things as a remembrance of WHO God is and WHAT He has done (and is doing) in your life:

Tell A Story...

God has been faithful to you and me too many times to count this past year. Pause for a moment and recall some of the ways that He has been good to you; the ways has come through for you. Now tell someone about God's active involvement in your life. The Bible calls us to do just that; to pass on to others the stories of our God's never-ending love and faithfulness. And when you do share your story, share it with passion and purpose so that those listening will know in their hearts that you serve the One True God - the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is intimately involved in YOUR life. Amazing, no?

See Your Story...

God is moving in and all around you. Stop in your tracks and remember again that He is always good, always working, and intervening on your behalf. Embrace faith, accept His grace, and refuse worry. Reject the temptation to compare your story with someone else's, especially if you're walking through a chapter you don't particularly like at the moment. In the end, you'll LOVE your story. So trust Him now and earnestly look for God's fingerprints on your life. They're there. See your story with His love in mind (see Ps. 26:3). God is up to something good.

Embrace HIS Story...

The Christmas story is not just a quaint, cute story, it's CHRIST'S KINGDOM COME TO EARTH! It's not old news, it's NOW news, GOOD news, the best news of all! Embrace the idea that we now have access to His presence, claim to His promises, and the assurance of eternity with God! Hallelujah! Embrace His story because it involves you! You are a part of the bigger story and you've been placed on this earth for such a time as this. Walk in a manner worthy of your calling. Embrace the Good News because you are a part of God's message to a lost and dying world.

Have a blessed and very merry Christmas, my friend. I pray today's post encourages and blesses you!

~Until next week

Embrace Small Beginnings...

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 or insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

As most of you know, I have a radio show,Live the Promise with Susie Larson The program now airs 6 days a week! Join us every weekday from 2:30-3:00 CST, and on Saturdays from noon to one, KTIS AM 900, on the Faith Radio Network, or listen online at: www.faith900.com We've had some amazing guests and some powerful dialogue. Hope you can join us!

Also, I want you to have the inside scoop. Be sure to check my Facebook page for a heads up on my weekly giveaways (that way you'll know when to call for a book you may want). I'll also post daily questions and may read your comments on the air.  

Now on to my topic...

I've been thinking today - especially in light of all of the commercials for the next-best-thing - about  our insatiable desire for more - More - MORE. In fact, we rush through stages and process because we're anxious to get to the next - BEST place. 

Now hear me correctly, I say it all of the time, I do believe God has a next place of promise for all of us. But there's something to be said about embracing the small places, the small beginnings, when you're only able to bring a small offering. Those are sweet and sacred places. The Bible says that godliness with contentment is great gain.

I've known a number of people who bit off more than they could chew by stepping into a too-big-for-them business venture that was beyond their ability to carry.  And, in no time, the walls came crumbling down. I've known young people who didn't want to wait for the American dream of a house, two cars, a dog, and a cat, so they put it all on credit and lived the illusion for a short time, until the walls came crashing down.

The Bible calls us not to despise our small beginnings but rather to embrace them. God is a God of process and wisdom and pays a great amount of attention to detail. If we don't have the bigger thing, or if we're not walking in our full-sized dream just yet, it's because it wouldn't be good for us at this moment. God is always good, always looking out for us, and always ready to bless us at just the right time. 

God designed the wonder of life in a seed, and when that seed is planted in the ground, life springs forth. We don't always want to wait for the process, we want the full grown plant. But the process is what makes us ready; it's what matures us and makes us better able to carry and sustain the desire of our heart. It's not just about getting what we want, it's about our ability to steward, carry, and sustain that gift with grace, honor, and humility.

Are you waiting for something bigger, something better, something different?

Embrace your small place and trust God. Give Him an offering of thanksgiving even if it costs you. This is true: how we handle these small beginnings determines how we fare when the blessing comes.

Hope you're having a blessed and beautiful holiday season!

~Until next week...

Tell A Better Story...

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 or insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

As most of you know, I have a radio show,Live the Promise with Susie Larson The program now airs 6 days a week! Join us every weekday from 2:30-3:00 CST, and on Saturdays from noon to one, KTIS AM 900, on the Faith Radio Network, or listen online at: www.faith900.com We've had some amazing guests and some powerful dialogue. Hope you can join us!

Also, I want you to have the inside scoop. Be sure to check my Facebook page for a heads up on my weekly giveaways (that way you'll know when to call for a book you may want). I'll also post daily questions and may read your comments on the air.  

Now on to my topic...

This week I had national recording artist, Sara Groves in studio as my guest on Live the Promise. We had a great conversation (you can access a podcast of the interview by using the link above). After the show, she and I got talking and ended up recording a short piece for Moody Radio. The gist of the short interview was this: we are all story-tellers in our own right. We tell a story to our children, our spouses, our friends, and even to ourselves.

In essence, our 'stories' are simply our perspectives on our lives, our circumstances, and the circumstances of those around us. Sara shared how many people looked at her tour bus and said, "Oh, I could NEVER travel like you do. I could never live on this bus!" She knew they were trying to empathize with her and to tell her what a good thing she was doing, but their words rarely felt encouraging. Life on the bus is a part of Sara's call, and she actually loves it. Even so, over time, those consistent words from others ate away at her own perspective. That is, until she recognized and redirected her thoughts and embraced her call once again.

She and I also talked about our own ability to talk ourselves right into a funk, by the way we speak about our laundry (or my email inbox), our weight or our finances. What do our kids hear us saying more often than not? If someone were to interview our friends and ask them about our consistent flow of words, what stories would they share? Ones of God's faithfulness and of our blessedness? Or those of our wretchedness and God's seeming distance from our circumstances? 

Even when the apostle Paul was in prison recovering from a terrible beating, his response to his circumstances left others encouraged. What a challenge this is for us! Are others inspired by your response to affliction, or your response to God's delays, or by your reaction to the simple sameness of life? 

This is not to say that we deny our pain or pretend it doesn't exist, but there is a way to talk about our circumstances in a way that inspires faith, and hope, and love.

The Bible says that the words of our mouths reward us as surely as the work of our hands (See Proverbs 12:14). 

Think about that passage for a moment. If you have a job, you can count on your paycheck. And just as surely, you can count on the fact that your words are having an impact on your life, your health, your perspective, and the perspectives of those around you.

There's something wrong and something right with every part of this journey. May we look for and find the most redemptive parts, and speak often of those. May we give God the broken pieces of our lives and trust that He'll bring wholeness and healing at just the right time.

We are story tellers. May we tell our story from an eternal, faith-filled perspective.

~Until next week.

Our Disproportionate God...

 

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 or insight, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend! 

As most of you know, I have a radio show,Live the Promise with Susie Larson The program now airs 6 days a week! Join us every weekday from 2:30-3:00 CST, and on Saturdays from noon to one, KTIS AM 900, on the Faith Radio Network, or listen online at: www.faith900.com

Wow, we've had some powerful guests on this show this week! Check out recent interviews with Jeff Manion, author of 'The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions' or yesterday's incredible interview with Eric and Leslie Ludy; we talked all about what it means to live a power-FULL Christian life.  

Also, I want you to have the inside scoop. Be sure to check my Facebook page for a heads up on my weekly giveaways (that way you'll know when to call for a book you may want). I'll also post daily questions and may read your comments on the air. Let's do this together! 

Now on to my topic...

Recently I had a conversation with a friend about her journey through the wilderness. It's been a slow and sometimes agonizing passage for her. The thing is, if she didn't love and fear God, she could take a few steps to the right and land herself on the fast highway that leads to her desires. But truth be told, that would be her way, not God's way. And above all, she wants God's highest and best will for her.

As she shared about the weariness in her steps, I leaned in, grabbed her arm, and said, "Listen to me, friend. Your sacrifice of praise and your sacrificial obedience have not gone unnoticed by God. There is NO sacrifice you could make to Him that will not met with a totally disproportionate response of His great love, and grace and provision! Any gift you give, any offering you make, and initiative you take to obey Him when it costs you, will be responded to in ways you cannot imagine. He is a disproportionate God! Understand your wealth in Him. Though you feel the pain of this sacrifice now, get a vision for the response He is preparing for you!"

I felt especially inspired to share that with you today as well. 

Some of you are making huge sacrifices for His Name's sake. Some of you could so easily grab for yourself a counterfeit version of something He has promised you, but ultimately, you want to wait for God's best for you. Do it, my friend. Wait for God's best and see if He won't absolutely blow your mind with His goodness, His grace, and His attention to detail. 

If at all possible, get your eyes off of what it's costing you right now, and lift your eyes to the Heavens, your unlimited supply. If you're lacking in strength or perspective, get alone with God. Spend extended time camping in His presence. Open your hands to receive more of what He so lovingly wants to give. Remind yourself of His Word and His promise to you. Strengthen yourself in Him by reminding yourself who you are TO HIM! 

There is no gift you can give, no prayer you can pray, no act of obedience that you can initiate that will not be met by overwhelming love, provision, goodness, grace, and power. You may not see its evidence right away, but it is there, affecting change, making a difference, and moving mountains. One day your eyes will see it. So know it now. Stand on the faithfulness of God now. Today. Believe Him for big things. Entrust your cares, your sacrifices, and your gifts to Him.

There is no better, no safer place than with Jesus. And, you'll not receive a better return on your investment of trust, time, and talents. God is in the business of exponential, over and above, beyond our wildest dreams, kinds of answers. Your everything is safe with Him.

Open your arms wide. Look up. Trust Him. He is good and He is crazy in love with you!

~Until next week.