Your Covering and Protection...

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 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card is from Starbucks. So share an insight or a story, 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 you handling the times? Are you struggling with fear and uncertainty? Are you anxious and unsteady? 

Well, I have good news for you!

With the Lord at your side, you have nothing to fear! 

Picture the protection of the Lord as a big umbrella. Underneath it we are safe from the enemy's plan to destroy us. The umbrella represents the stronghold of God - the place where we abide in His presence, obey His word, and live the way He calls us to. 

The Lord establishes boundaries for our safety and our good. He loves us so very much and knows what the enemy wants to do to us should we venture out from under His established protection. Not that God can't get to us anywhere; He'll come for us if we call on His name; but He'll also allow us to walk away from Him and endure the consequences of our actions. That's how we learn. Any good parent would do the same thing. 

The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowing the Holy One helps us understand Him (Proverbs 9:10).

Fearing the Lord simply means, "I respect and honor the Lord enough to do what He says, because I know He will do what He says." 

At the very edges of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. If we don't have a healthy reverence for the God who created the heavens and the earth; the One who put the stars in their place and who told the oceans where to stop; if we don't tremble at the thought of dishonoring Him, well then, we are fools. 

He is loving and gracious and kind and good, but He's still God. And He means what He says.

The amazing thing though is that He takes this mandate so seriously that when He finds a soul humble enough to honor Him and revere His name, He honors them. He blesses them before a watching world. He entrusts them with the great honor of serving Him in magnificent ways. 

When a man or woman fears the Lord, his or her enemies respond differently; evil doesn't stand a chance, and the world receives a proper picture of what a relationship with the Lord Almighty is supposed to look like. 

The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him; on those who hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 33:18).

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid (Psalm 27:1)?

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear the Lord; and He delivers them (Psalm 34:7).

Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil.

When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him (Proverbs 16:6-7).

The fear of the Lord leads to LIFE; then one rests content, untouched by trouble (Proverbs 19:23).

Do not fear anything except the Holy One. If you fear Him, you need fear nothing else; He will keep you safe (Isaiah 8:13-14)

Instead of fearing others' opinions, may we honor and fear the Lord, He will take cares of those who stand against us.

Instead of fearing the economy and clinging to what few resources we have, let us honor God, sow generously, give to those who less than us, and trust Him to supply our needs.

Instead of fearing the instability of the times, let us daily read Psalm 91 and Psalm 112, and reacquaint ourselves with the promises of God, and live in a manner worthy of His name. 

The Creator of the Heavens and earth knows your name, and mine. He loves us and wants to hide us in the shadow of His wing. He calls us to live close beside Him and to trust Him fully when the storms rage. He is faithful and He is serious about our obedience. 

These are not days for lukewarm faith and casual commitments. May we walk in the fear of the Lord.

God bless your week!

PS ~ And if you haven't signed up for my free quarterly E-zine you might want to! The next issue comes out in mid-July. A number of my author friends give away free books; I write a devotional and offer some great book recommendations and favorite quotes, and then I leave you with a prayer to send you on your way We have lots of fun together! Here's the link to sign up:

Susie's Ezine...

Rebellion and Obedience...

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 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card comes from Starbucks. So leave a comment, share a story or 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...

If you read last week's post you know that I'm going through a number of transitions in life. On top of that I'm working on a new book titled, Growing Grateful Kids: Teaching Them to Appreciate an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Places. This book has me taking many trips down memory lane.

While recalling many of the battles and victories on this journey of faith, I've noticed something very important. Obedience is crucial for us as Believers, and we'll never enjoy the full victory and blessing God intends for us without it.

Every time I heeded the voice of God and obeyed Him even when it cost me, I came out of those times richer spiritually, more aware of His presence, and more sensitive to His voice. When He entrusted me with little and I was faithful, He blessed me with more of Himself (and the opposite is true as well).

When I think of my own kids and the times they chose to respectfully obey me even when it crossed their will, their actions both blessed and honored me. So much so that I blessed and honored them when the time was right. How much greater is God's work on our behalf!

In the book of Samuel, King Saul was given a clear directive from the Lord. And yet he only partially obeyed. Then he made excuses (ever do that?). Read Samuel's response from 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NLT):

But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you from being king."

God calls for our obedience every single day. He speaks, nudges, urges, and prompts us to be living, breathing representatives of the Most High God. We have to be daily in tune with Him if we hope to fully obey Him.

I remember one day reading an essay written by A.W. Tozer where he explored the difference between the giants of the Christian faith, and those who only blended in. He stated that since God is no respecter of persons, the difference had to be in the people themselves. What he found was quite interesting. Looking back at the Wesleys, Finney, the Booths, and the other greats from our past, he observed that the differences were as stark as the day is long. Some were educated, others weren't; some were rich, others were poor. But what they did have in common is this: these spiritual giants listened for the voice of the Lord and when He spoke, they did something about it. And God entrusted them with more.

Obedience is paramount to living out the gigantic calling on our lives. Not just obeying the commandments; of course do those. But obey in the personal, every day ways. The ways that others may not notice and only you and God know about. Obey when it suits you and when it doesn't. Obey when it costs you and trust Him through it all. 

Let's look at the second part of the verse above:

Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols.

That's a tough verse to swallow and one most people like to brush aside. Just as obedience to the Lord opens the door for Him to work more powerfully in our lives, rebellion opens the door for the devil to work more powerfully in our lives. 

We may think it's cute to be mad at God and to tout an adolescent attitude towards Him when things don't go our way. But these are serious times requiring a serious look at our faith walk. The very fact that rebellion and stubbornness towards God opens us up to untold evil, should put the fear of God in us. Jesus is out for our best. The devil is out to deliver his worst. 

Father in Heaven, 

Raise up a new standard within me! Help me to be more sensitive to Your voice and more apt to obey. Give me the faith and humility to follow You even when it doesn't suit me. Ultimately I know You are writing a beautiful story with my life and You know the best way for me. I love You and trust You. Help me to love and trust You more. Amen. 

Have a blessed and wonderful week!

PS ~ If you haven't signed up for my quarterly E-zine, you may want to! The next issue comes out mid-July. My author friends give away a number of their books. I write a devotional and offer some great book recommendations and wonderful quotes. And I send you on your way with a prayer of blessing. Click on the link below to sign up:

Sign up for Susie's Free Quarterly E-zine!

Conviction versus Condemnation...

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 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card comes from Starbucks. So leave a comment, share an insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a treat for you and a friend!

Now on to my topic...

The other morning I woke up with a little knot in my stomach. I rolled over in bed, stared out the window and prayed, "What's this about, Lord?" Nothing came to me so I sat up in bed, walked over the window and waited for the sun to peek through the trees. I think sunrises and early mornings are one of God's best ideas. Even so, my heart was unsettled and I needed to figure out why.

I grabbed my cup of chai tea, my Bible, my journal, and a few other quiet time necessities and I headed outside to my deck swing. My happy place. I propped up my I-Phone, hit play on my devotional song play list, hugged my warm cup of chai tea, and inhaled the fresh morning air. 

As I listened to the words of a particular song, my thoughts roamed back to the day before. I had run into an old friend-acquaintance. We talked back and forth and caught up on our lives. I was about to share something about my life when the Holy Spirit whispered, "Not safe. Don't share that." I held my peace and listened to my friend's updates. But somewhere later on in the conversation, I went ahead and shared a part of my heart that God specifically had told me not to! She probably didn't notice, but I was instantly convicted that I blatantly disobeyed a very clear directive from the Lord. 

We wrapped up our conversation and I prayed the whole way home. Now this may sound a little thing to some of you, and big-fat-act-of disobedience to others, but either way, I know better. I asked forgiveness. I strongly sensed God's love and forgiveness. And more than anything, I knew He was just trying to protect me. 

So there I sat, hugging my chai tea, completely wowed by the sunrise when I realized that the fist in my gut was condemnation. The enemy had accused me all night long for being a disobedient putz. I woke up feeling pretty bogged down by it all. That's his MO - he seduces you, then accuses you for being such a dope for falling into his trap.

Condemnation throws us down, weighs us down, and intends to keep us down...as long as we are willing to entertain its wretched presence. 

But then there's God. 

His morning mercies are a priceless gift to us. He forgives us and restores and renews us in a moment's time. He uses us on Monday knowing we're going to blow it on Tuesday. His Holy Spirit comforts and corrects us. He directs us and helps us distinguish truth from the lie. He brings conviction when we stray and correction when we need it. 

Like the morning sunrise, the conviction of the Holy Spirit compels us to look up to Jesus; to stand up on His promises; and to rise up from the ash-heap of our self sins and be done with lesser things! 

Romans 8:1 is a blessed promise for us:

There is now therefore, NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! 

Read this wonderful passage from the Message paraphrase:

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air..(Romans 8:1-2)

May the Lord give us great discernment to quickly distinguish between conviction and condemnation. One protects the freedom we enjoy in Christ, and the other throws us into prison. And it's FOR FREEDOM that Christ has set us free!

Have a great week.

Hey, and if you haven't already signed up for my quarterly E-zine, you might want to! Every few months I email out an E-magazine filled with great things (free book giveaways from some of my author friends; a devotional insight; great book recommendations, great quotes, and a prayer to send you on your way). Click on the link below to sign up...

Sign up for Susie's E-zine...

Do You Know Who You Are?

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 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. This month's card comes from Starbucks. 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 a friend!

Now on to my topic...

The other day while reading 1 Samuel, chapter 15, I was intrigued and unsettled about King Saul's decline. He started out as a strapping, handsome, capable, unassuming young man with a respect for the things of God. But he evolved into a prideful, insecure, hasty, territorial leader who valued his opinion above God's direction, and this led to his demise. 

In one particular instance, God had commanded Saul to destroy a town because of its utter wickedness. Saul only partially obeyed. And when confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul was full of excuses, and even threw his own people under the bus by telling Samuel it was their fault. 

Let's read Samuel's response to Saul (from 1 Samuel 15:17-19):

 And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD has anointed you king of Israel. And the LORD sent you on a mission and told you, 'Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.' Why haven't you obeyed the LORD? Why did you rush for the plunder and do exactly what the LORD said not to do?"

Saul had a wrong view of himself and of his importance. And so often, we commit the same sin. When we underestimate the call on our lives, we begin to value our opinion more than God's. We then elevate our emotions, our territory, our wants, and our desires way above our mission and our eternal significance on this earth. 

And what was Saul's response?

He initially denied his disobedience (ever do that?), made excuses (how about this one?), and blamed his fellow comrades (yup, I'm guilty). 

But when Samuel refused to let Saul get away with his side-stepping, Saul finally came clean. Let's read his response because it exposes his wrong thinking:

Then Saul finally admitted, "Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded...

When a person loses sight of their value and their call, here are some of the side effects:

• Low level of obedience


• Pride and insecurity 


• Fear of other's opinions 


• Loss of eternal perspective 


• Loss of the fear of the Lord   

We must understand how VALUABLE we are to God and that we are DIVINELY CALLED to listen to His voice, to obey Him moment by moment, to change the world for His Name's sake, and to bear fruit that lasts long after we are gone. 

We are treasured in God's sight. We are equipped with all we could ever need to do great things. We are covered by His promises and guided by His precious Holy Spirit. We know His voice and we follow Him.

When we see ourselves as God sees us, we will:

• Walk in a holy confidence (a knowledge that we are something special to God)


• Walk in a holy dependence (a knowledge that apart from God we can do no good thing) 


• Embrace a Kingdom passion (a heart to build God's Kingdom and not our own) 


• Embrace a Calvary love (a heart that grows in its capacity to love others)

May you remember once again how important you are - because you were designed and called by God. May you hold loosely your emotions, your opinions, your territory, and your imagined rights, that you may cling tightly to God's promises and His place in your life. True humility is simply having a right view of ourselves in light of eternity. We are small; we are nothing without Him, but everything to Him.

Have a blessed week!

Oh, and if you haven't signed up for my quarterly E-zine yet, you might want to! Every few months I email out an E-magazine that offers some great book giveaways from my fellow author friends, a devotional, book recommendations, great quotes, and a prayer to send you on your way. Sign up by clicking the link below:

Sign up for Susie's E-zine...

Just Like That...

Greetings, Everyone!

Susie Larson here!

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. So leave a post, share a story or insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe, you'll win a little treat! 

It's time to announce April's winner. Drum roll please...

Helen Martin, you are the proud winner of a $10.00 gift card from Target! You have to claim your gift card (before I award next month's winner) by emailing me at: info@susielarson.com

And remember, no using your gift card on nasal spray or toilet bowl cleaner. You have to buy something fun just for YOU! Congrats!

Now on to my topic...

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I've been walking through some kind of spiritual battle. Oppression, weariness, and wretched, age-old Lyme symptoms pressed me on all sides. And yet, every time I brought this battle before the Lord, He simply told me to stay focused, keep walking, keep my eyes fixed straight ahead, and put one foot in front of the other. So that's what I did. 

 A pastor/counselor friend of mine once told me about a prayer he often prays during his counseling sessions. After listening to a person's story of struggles and trials, he whispers a prayer, "Lord, show me what's going on in this person's life. Is it a sin or a test?" I love that.

Since I keep a close watch on my life, my heart, my attitudes, and my choices, I knew this particular battle wasn't about sin. I knew the enemy was pressing hard and I knew that in due time, I'd get on the other side of this trial. 

Last weekend I had a speaking event in Maine. On Friday morning I enjoyed a great time of prayer in my hotel room. Just-like-that, all at once, the oppression lifted and joy came flooding back in. I don't understand it, I can't explain it, I just know that I loved it! In a moment, I was my-happy-self again. 

Here's a verse that really spoke to me:

Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on His God (Isaiah 50:10).

Sometimes our angst stems from disobedience or procrastination. The fact is, we are going to be miserable until we do the very thing we know God wants us to do. Are you side-stepping something God wants you to do? Are you procrastinating on a difficult task? I have something to say to you: Do your thing! :) It's more difficult and takes more energy to avoid the task than it does to stop in your tracks and do what you know you should do. The great thing about this scenario is this: there is forgiveness for all of God's children. His mercy rains over us when we bring our putzy ways before Him. We wraps His arms around us, loves on us, and fills us with His grace. Just like that. 

Isn't it great to belong to God?

If your heaviness is from oppression or spiritual resistance, hang on and hang in there. God is developing perseverance, patience, and gritty character in you. Keep your eyes on Him; keep your feet moving on the path He has for you, and don't make any big decisions during this time. No quitting your church, your job, your marriage, or your friendships. Stay the course, resist the devil, submit to God, and in due time, you're breakthrough will come (along with great blessing and clarity about what God has next for you).

I love this quote from my study Bible:

"Patience is not a passive resignation to adverse circumstances, but a positive steadfastness that bravely endures." (p.1751).

Are you in need of a breakthrough? 

Stay close to the heartbeat of God and your breakthrough will come. Just like that.

Have a blessed week!

Oh, and if you haven't signed up for my quarterly E-zine yet, you might want to! A number of my author friends give away their great books. I write a devotional thought, offer some great book recommendations, and leave you with a prayer to send you on your way. Here's the link in case you're interested:

Subscribe to Susie's E-zine...