ONE with Him...

Greetings, Everyone! Happy Wednesday!

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. I'll announce July's winner next week. This month's gift card comes 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!

Hey, and guess what? I'm finally on Facebook! Look me up. I'd love to connect with you! 

Now on to my topic...

I just love the following passage:

Declare (the Lord's) glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among the people. For GREAT is the Lord and MOST WORTHY of praise. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols but THE LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; STRENGTH AND GLORY are in His Sanctuary. -- Psalm 96:3-6

God is great - and greatly to be praised! He made the heavens and the earth and there's no greater power than His! 

Another one of my favorite verses is this one:

You give me your shield of victory; Your right hand sustains me. You stoop down to make me great. -- Psalm 18:35

He gives us victory. He sustains and protects us. And He actually stoops down, lifts us up, and lets us partner with Him in mind-boggling ways. When we say YES to Jesus, we become one with Him. He draws us into the depths of who He is; He opens us the riches of His storehouses; and He give us day and night access to His presence and promises. 

Have you pondered lately what it means to be linked in fellowship with such an amazing, wonderful God?

Let me share one more passage if I may:

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms – all because we are ONE WITH CHRIST JESUS. -- Ephesians 2:6

Think about it. We are SEATED with Christ! We are ONE WITH HIM! We are dead to sin and alive to God! And the power that raised Christ from the dead is moving and flowing and available to us today! 

Why is this important?

Because the enemy consistently tries to single us out and make us feel separated from Christ. But the Bible says that nothing can separate us from His love. 

The enemy regularly hurls insults and threats our way, making us feel alone, vulnerable, and like the weaklings we are (apart from Christ). But our strength is in Christ alone!

When the enemy tries to single us out and pick us apart, we must stay in rank with the multitude of Believers and with the Heavenly host and shout this war cry: Greater is He that is IN ME than he that is in the world! When you come against ME, you come against the ARMIES OF THE LIVING GOD! 

We must not let the devil single us out and pick us apart. Stay in rank and stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of us. 

And when we are tempted to put ourselves above others and think more highly of ourselves than we ought...we must stay in rank and humbly declare: A thousand others could take my place and do what I do if I choose pride. I'm one of many followers of Christ and I WILL WALK HUMBLY WITH MY GOD!

And when we forget how cherished and important we are to God, we must remember that we stand before Him alone. He knows us by name and He created us for His good pleasure. Even in our choices and life investments, we will stand alone before Him. People can say what they want about how we passionately pursue Christ, because on judgment day, we will stand before Him alone with those choices (therefore, choose to run after Him earnestly and without apology). 

Though we are one of many in the army of God, we are ONE to Him. He thinks about us night and day; He knows our name; and He loves us in very specific and profound ways. Think about how important you are to God today. Think about what you possess. And when the enemy tries to single you out, stay in rank and stand strong.

O Sovereign God, I'm one of many, but I'm ONE to you. 

Have a great week!

PS ~ If you haven't signed up for my FREE quarterly E-zine, you may want to! A number of my author friends donate some free books, I write a devotional and offer some great book recommendations; I share a few great quotes, ministry updates, and a prayer to send you on your way. Sign up by clicking the link below:

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Faith For Today...

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 (and though I'm a bit behind right now, I do eventually reply to every post). :) This month's gift card is from Starbucks. So share a comment, 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 this blog with any regularity, you know I'm a visual person. I often think in pictures, make a point with word pictures, and I understand things best when a picture illustrates the point for me. So, indulge me for a moment as I share a picture that evolved during my prayer time the other day.

God wants to mobilize each one of us in such a way that we are free to live, and move, and have our paid-for freedom, TODAY.

Picture yourself on a big island, sitting on the shore, staring out to sea. Jesus is calling you out to sea, out to a place of faith and adventure and freedom. But you are chained to your past mistakes and hurts. So as you sit there on the shore, bogged down by past sins the enemy repeatedly parades before you, Jesus walks up to you and sits down beside you (sweet thought, isn't it?). 

You turn a deaf ear to the enemy and you look into Jesus' eyes. He sweetly says to you, "You already asked me for forgiveness for those sins, right?" You nod, "Yes, that's right." Jesus continues, "So the enemy has no right to harass you with them today. Are you ready to leave your past behind you, once and for all?" You sit up a little straighter, your heart beats a little faster, and you reply, "Absolutely! I want my past to be a thing of the past!"

Suddenly you feel the ground quake beneath you, all the while, Jesus is smiling at you. A small portion of land breaks free from the island and before you know what's happening, you and Jesus are floating out to sea. You look back at the old island (which represents your past), and you watch as it sinks to the bottom of the sea where it belongs. 

You look ahead at the open horizon and your heart races with possibility. But then your thoughts wander and it suddenly feels like your little island is losing steam. 

You look over at Jesus as if to ask, "What's happening?" 

He nods behind you and you notice an old pile of garbage attached to your land by a big rusty hook. "What's this?" you ask. Jesus turns towards you and mentions a name or two. You swallow hard because you know you're harboring un-forgiveness and judgement towards these people. 

Jesus gently grabs your chin so you are looking straight into His eyes and He says, "I love you. I have plans for you, but you will never get to those promised places on time if you refuse to forgive and relinquish judgement as I have done for you. It's time to give up your 'right' to see them pay. Time to let them off the hook and trust me to deal with them." 

You crawl over to that old rusty hook and you pull it out of the ground; you unhook yourself from the offense and you watch it sink to the bottom of the sea. Suddenly your load feels lighter and your perspective brighter. 

You look ahead with hope and you embrace today with faith because Jesus is right beside you. 

I don't know what you think of that picture but I love it. It reminds me of the fresh daily-manna God provided for the Israelites. If they tried to carry yesterday's stuff over today, it would go painfully bad. We don't have grace for yesterday. What we do have for yesterday is goodness and mercy - from the Father's heart. We have grace to carry today's burdens with ease. Yesterday's problems are covered by the mercy and the goodness of our living God.

Your goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6 NIV).

Our past is meant to be covered in His mercy in grace (not to be dug up and analyzed again and again). Our future is in the Lord's hands and entrusted to His care. Our present is filled with power, promise, and provision. 

We have today. He is with us every step of the way. 

Picture the old land of your past breaking away and falling into the sea. Purposely unhook the old debts and judgements you have against other people. Cherish the call on your life enough to be free from past sins (both yours and others).

God is doing a new thing! 

Embrace today~

Until next week...

PS ~ If you haven't signed up for my FREE Quarterly E-zine you might want to! I giveaway books from some of my author friends, I write a devotional, share some good book recommendations, great quotes, ministry updates, and offer a prayer to send you on your way. Sign up by clicking the link below:

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Firm Footsteps...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome. I'm back from vacation and back in the game. 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 Startbucks. So leave a post, share a story or insight, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a cup of java for you and a friend.

Now on to my topic...

In my book, "The Uncommon Woman" I wrote about how we all have 'solid ground areas' in our lives where we walk with a measure of holy confidence. God has wired us or refined us in such a way that we can function in certain realms of life without feeling insecure or self-aware. In fact, in these places, we know we have something to offer. 

But we also have 'sinking sand' areas in our lives where we're not so sure of ourselves, or where we resort to insecurity and self-awareness. It's in these places where we trip up with our words at times, or we mistake others' intentions, or we perceive things differently than they actually are.

What are your 'sinking sand' areas? 

Do you struggle when you go home for the holidays? Do you find yourself slipping back into dysfunctional old ways? Or does the ground feel unstable beneath you when you are out with other women? Maybe you become self-aware at church, or at work, or at your child's school. 

What are we to do with our sinking sand areas? Should we avoid them altogether? 

I'd say a resounding NO!

The Bible says that God makes our way perfect. He arms us with strength. He makes our feet like the feet of a deer and enables us to walk on high places. God makes our footsteps firm and He clears the way ahead of us (*See Psalm 18:29-36).

We must trust Him and follow where He leads. But we also must deal with the stuff that rises up in us when we walk in uncomfortable places. Here are some of the ways God makes us 'able' to walk on high places and makes our footsteps firm:

• He heals us from past wounds ~ We must give Him access to those painful memories that repeatedly trip us up. He will replace the lies with truth, the pain with joy, and our repetitive weakness with continual strength.   


• He delivers us from our fears ~ We must be willing to follow Him to the places of our fears. He will only ask us to take a step at a time and He'll be with us every step of the way. As Henri Nowen once wrote, we must 'let our love for God override the fear we feel for ourselves' (my paraphrase). 


• He assures us of His love ~ As we spend time with Him and as we trust Him with our fears, we find Him faithful. The more we let go of worldly assurances to place our trust in God's provision, the more we will know in the depths of our being that we are loved, protected, and provided for. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, "Knowing the Holy One results in understanding." The more we know Him, the more we understand the depths of His love. 


• He leads us with great wisdom ~ Jesus knows us intimately and leads us with profound wisdom. He leads us at a pace that we can keep and He's patient with our missteps. He uses every trial to make us more like Him. He gives us ample opportunity to please Him with our faith, and He offers fresh mercy when we default to fear. He knows how transient we can be and He's made provision for our weakness. He's not surprised by our frailty because His strength is perfect for us. What love! What wisdom!

Instead of avoiding realms of life that make us feel insecure and self-aware, may we run to the Father, embrace His healing and restoring work, and then walk forward unafraid. We are designed to go from strength to strength, from glory to glory. God is always after in increase in our lives. 

Be blessed and stand strong!

PS ~ If you haven't signed up for my FREE Quarterly E-zine, you might want to! Four times a year (today is one of those days) I email out an E-zine filled with good things (book giveaways, devotional thoughts, great quotes, book recommendations, ministry updates, and a prayer to send you on your way). Here's the link:

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Be blessed! Until next week~

Times and Places...

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. Would you believe it's already time to announce the winner for June? The winner of a $10.00 gift card from Starbucks goes to...

Drum roll please...

Stephanie Carlson! Congratulations! Please note that you have to email me your mailing address some time before I award next month's winner. Contact me at: info@susielarson.com 

*One more important note. I will be on vacation next week and will be away from the internet and out of email range. I'll look forward to connecting with you on the 15th of July. 

Now on to my topic...

Many years ago, I learned a valuable lesson: God is not subject to my timetables. I may have good reason for expecting Him to come through for me on specific occasions, but His actions will not be dictated by my timelines. 

As a young mom, I never realized how much I had hoped in God for my circumstances (instead of through them). 

After six months on bed rest due to a high risk pregnancy and in spite of some scary neurological symptoms during that pregnancy, I had hoped God wouldn't allow me to go from dealing with bed rest to dealing with a disease. But He did.

Amidst babies in the hospital and my own health battles, I had hoped that God wouldn't allow us to suffer financially, but He did. 

After going through several years of crisis, and then finally having the opportunity to go on a vacation to a resort with my extended family, I had hoped God would bless us with great weather and healthy kids for a week, but He didn't. 

At the end of the day, I wanted to stomp and scream and wonder what was the point of faith (and I definitely had my moments), but deep in my soul, I knew God was there with me, teaching me to hope in Him - and not in my circumstances. 

A verse that I love comes from first Timothy (6:6) and it reads:

Godliness with contentment is great gain.

To me, godliness speaks of forward movement; an earnest pursuit of the Father; a strong hope that He will come through for us; and a faith that believes in God's promises amidst the absence of evidence. 

And then there's contentment. My Thesaurus describes contentment with these words: fulfillment, peace, happiness, ease, comfort, well-being, satisfaction, serenity.  

To me, that's a measure of maturity; embracing a forward moving faith, along with a peaceful, satisfied heart that embraces God amidst your current circumstances.

When our hoped-for plans come to a screeching halt and God disappoints, how do we find peace, fulfillment, ease, well-being, and satisfaction amidst it all?

We step back and remember that God is God. And He is good. And He is always up to something. 

We wrap our arms around the Vine, we pursue godliness, and we embrace contentment; a contentment that declares, "I will find God in this somehow! My hope is in the Lord, and not in the idea that things should always go my way. Plans may fail, the rain will fall, and circumstances will sometimes fall short of my expectations, but this is where my faith counts. When I put everything on the table and give God room to work, I will find Him in the most unexpected places, and I will grow in the process!" 

Godliness with contentment is great gain. 

Though our plans may fall short of our expectations, we must not miss the opportunity to gain ground in our walk of faith. We hope in the Lord, not in that next raise, the next potential job, vacation, family time, etc. We make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps (See Proverbs 16:9). And in due time, we will enjoy a surprisingly sunny day, or a peaceful morning, or a sweet vacation, or a quick breakthrough. And those times are especially sweet when we learn to put our hope in the Lord. It's like icing on the cake. :)

In closing, read this wonderful quote by John Tauler written in the 1300's:

"Be assured of this, you do not know God in truth, and have no true peace, if you are depending upon times and places. Remember that whatever God gives you to do, from moment to moment, that is the very best thing you could possibly be doing, and you little know where and when the Lord will meet you. He who does not seek to find God everywhere, and in everything, finds Him nowhere and in nothing." 

Have a blessed couple of weeks.

PS ~ If you haven't signed up for my free quarterly E-zine, you might want to. Some of my author friends give away free copies of their books, I write a devotional, share some great book recommendations, great quotes, and a prayer to send you on your way. My next issue releases on the 15th of July. Click the link below to sign up:

Sign up for Susie's Ezine...

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...