Susie Larson

Wednesday

Nov032010

Silence Your Unbelief!

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 4:15AM

Greetings, Dear Friends!

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.

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Wednesday

Oct272010

It's in His Hands to Make Great...

Posted on

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 7:12AM

Greetings, Dear Friends!

It's time to announce the winner for October. Drumroll please...

Esther Villafranco, congratulations! You won a $10.00 giftcard to Starbucks! (Please email me your mailing address at by going through my website at: www.susielarson.com; you must claim your gift card before I announce next month's winner.)

Thanks to everyone for your posts!

Now on to my topic...(this one is a little longer than usual, but I think it's an important word for some):

Lately I've been in awe of God's divine intervention and attention to detail. In years past, there have been a number of specific desires in my heart that I longed to see come to pass; things that only God and my husband knew about, and, well maybe a few close friends. But as with anything worth having, readiness and preparedness take time. God can do anything in an instant, but we are the ones - with our free will and all - that need time to be ready, strengthened and prepared.

We need time for our faith to grow. When we plant seeds, we can't repeatedly dig them up and pull them out of the ground to see if they are growing. We have to leave them in the ground. Those planted seeds (that we can no longer see) need to be watered by our faith. During the process we must learn to be content with seeing nothing while knowing that God holds everything in His hands, and that He moves on every act prompted by our faith, as the Scripture says.

The truth is, things just take time. Even 'suddenly-moments' take a while to spring forth. But one thing I learned about waiting on God is that He is always good. He always has our highest and best interests at heart. And when we trust Him enough to give Him room to work, He does His best work on our behalf. Truly, His loving attention to detail will woo any heart that loves Him!

Right now, today, I am walking in some of the most detail-specific answers to prayers of faith, prayed back then - years ago - when such things seemed non-existent and impossible. As I am sure is the case with you, the journey to this particular place of promise had its battles of refinement and pain. While I was stationed to the sidelines for a season, I watched as others ran full boar into their divine calling. And I felt jealous; which was why I was on the sidelines. God was intent on extracting from my soul the very things the enemy intended on using against me. God, in His infinite love, knew why I needed time. He is an ever-protective Father, no?

The amazing thing is, at their core, these desires of my heart were not selfish prayers, they were Kingdom motivated. And yet, our flesh is all too quick to lay hold of that which only belongs to God. He shares His glory with no one, and that's the way it is. The very fact that we get to be used by Him is mind-boggling, wouldn't you say? It's a glorious thing to lay hold of God's promises and to participate in the Divine Nature of Christ. Nothing on earth compares.

Our hope is not in people; not in our bosses, or even in the next elected politician. Our hope is in the Living God who daily establishes His purposes for us! The Bible says that it's in His hands to make great, in fact, He stoops down to do so (see Psalm 18:35). He sets some on high for a season, while He sets another aside for a season; but, He makes all things beautiful in His time.

A.W. Tozer penned these wonderful words:

"What God in His sovereignty may yet do on a world-scale I do not claim to know. But what He will do for the plain man or woman who seeks His face I believe I do know and can tell others. Let any man turn to God in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped for in his leaner and weaker days."

Trust Him with your dreams and your heart's desires. Refuse to manipulate your circumstances or to posture yourself with certain people. Your hope is in God. He is the one who will lift you up and establish you at the most divine time and in the most divine way.

Blessings to you this day!

~Until Next Week~

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Tuesday

Oct192010

Wait On God, Then Go Forward in Faith!

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010 at 3:37PM

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Now on to my topic...

Has God put a promise in your heart? Is He leading you some place new and out of your realm of comfort and control? I pray you'll follow Him there. But first, wait on Him. Get your marching orders from Him. Seek wise counsel and confirmation from His Word. Wait to hear the word of the Lord, and then, go on and take the new land.

But here's something important you and I must remember: Every time God offers to give us something, the enemy threatens to take it from us. When God plants seeds in the soil of our hearts, it's the enemy's desire to snatch them up again. When God leads us to lay hold of a promised land, it's the enemy's desire to bully us and oppose us so we'll turn around, thinking we heard God all wrong.

So what's a person to do?

We remember the Word of the Lord!

God loves us and knows how to communicate with us in a way we'll understand. So if during the waiting season, you know you've heard from God because He spoke something deep into your heart and confirmed it in His Word, then hang on to it with bulldog faith. Because right on the heels of the Lord will be that enemy to throw shadows of doubt over your day. He's hoping to find an opening of unbelief by asking you what he asked Eve, "Did God really say...Are you sure of that?"

I asked God how I was supposed to win this predictable yet daunting battle with the enemy, every time I stepped out to do something new and His answer blessed me so. He said, "Remember in the darkness what I told you in the light. Hang on to my Word with all your might. Submit your plans to me. Resist the enemy's taunts; don't take his bait; eventually he will have to flee from you."

I pray this encourages you as well.

It's always wise to wait first on God. Wait on Him. Give Him time and room to speak into your life. His plans for you are far greater that your plans for your own life. Wait on Him, you'll hear Him eventually. Then, you'll have all you need to face down your giants of fear and march through enemy territory, that you might take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of you.

Remember the words He has spoken to you!

Have a blessed, bold, and faith-filled week.

~Until Next Week.

PS - Today on Live the Promise, my topic is 'Waiting on God' - it's going to be great! Listen in if you can.

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Wednesday

Oct132010

How Thanking God Strengthens Us...

Posted on

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 3:49AM

Greetings, Dear Friends!

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!

Now on to my topic...

In the last several days I've been in somewhat of a funk. I'm pretty sure it's because I'm tired, a tad behind on laundry, way behind on emails, and missing my cycle class. I like my groove, my routine, and the focus and purposefulness that comes with it.

This is not a time of a crisis for me, but it might be for you. But one thing I know: whether we are in a time of abundance, a time of redundancy, or a time of barrenness, there is reason to thank the Living Lord, who daily intercedes and acts on our behalf. And truth be told, thanking Him, does more for us than we even know.

I notice something about myself. When my mood dulls, I only have to retrace my steps and follow my train of thought. At some point, I stepped off the path of gratitude and onto the path of ME. How things are affecting ME, how things feel to ME, how I need more time for ME. Lord, forgive me.

But when I pause and remember Who it is I serve, and love, and derive life from, then all falls back into alignment no matter what season I may be walking through at the time.

For me, these three phases of thanks put me right again. Maybe they'll do the same for you:

Thank Him for what He has done:

When we pause long enough to look back, over our shoulder, to remember the ways God has come through for us, we will be reminded once again, that we serve a faithful God. Pause today, and pick out a few of your favorite memories of God's faithfulness. Think of them; make yourself smile at the thought of simple answers to pasts prayers. He is good, and He is for you.

Thank Him for what He is doing:

Look around you for evidences of His handiwork, because they are everywhere. You may not see your desired outcome in its fulfillment, but if you look carefully, you'll see movement, change, and proof that God is up to something in your midst. Thank Him; breathe fresh life into your prayers. Don't abandon the seeds of faith you planted sometime ago. Thank Him for the ways He is actively working today.

Thank Him for what He will do:

Since we cannot please God without faith, it's time to exercise some faith! Have you claimed any promises as of late? Scripture says that all of God's promises are YES, and AMEN! Are you believing God to apprehend your children? Or to revive your marriage? Or to restore your country? Thank Him today, by faith, for His very active role in the lives of those you love.

Thank the Lord for who He is and for what He will do, because the truth is, He has done, He is doing, and He will do great things!

Come and see what God has done; His awesome deeds toward the children of man (Psalm 66:5).

~Until Next Week

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