"Paying Attention"

“He said, If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26 NIV).

My husband is a diabetic and so one of the things he really needs to pay attention to are his feet. One day he was walking bare footed outside and without noticing he stood on a tiny glass splinter. Thank goodness later that evening the sole of his foot was painful and so we took a closer look at it.

This splinter was so tiny that I had to take a magnifying glass to help me pluck it out. What a relief my husband experienced when I removed it: the pain disappeared instantly and the little cavity healed very quickly. We said “Oh, that was good it hurt, otherwise you wouldn’t have noticed it”. Indeed, it was a blessing in disguise.

I tell you, there are some things in your life that exist that you are not even aware of. It is by the grace of God that you are given the opportunity to pay attention and to take inventory of the most sensitive compass you own: your own heart.

It’s easy; just ask yourself today if you have a little bitterness that hurts or a little anger that is haunting you. You know, a little frustration here and there. Perhaps you think it’s not worth looking at, but as you yield anything to the LORD He will magnify it for you to see clearly. Then allow Him to pluck out whatever is bothering you because His intentions are for you to be free of pain and for you to walk in perfect emotional and physical healing.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

"Ask and Receive"

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"
(Mark 11:24 NIV).

I carried a concern with me for quite some time. I kept it to myself and didn’t talk to anyone about it, not even to my husband. Then when this need became a real big one I just couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. I had to talk to him about it and ask if he could meet that need.

And do you know what? He made a way! He didn’t turn me down, he didn’t say that I needed to come to him another day. No, he instantly said yes although at that time we didn’t have the means. I received what I had asked for! The nice thing was that later on that day we had a check in the mailbox that covered more than I needed.

This story reflects so much the heart of God and how it “works” in His Kingdom. If you read the above verse carefully, you will discover that when you ask the LORD for something, you need to believe. The LORD says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith is also being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. Although whatever you have asked for might not be visible yet, you need to hear and know in your heart that the LORD said Yes and Amen to your request. Only then you are really walking by faith and receive what is yours.

So next time you have a need, dare to ask the LORD. Know that He will not turn you down. He loves you too much. He wants your joy to be complete and your faith in Him to be unshaken. So go now and receive your blessings from God!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

“Your Glorious Destiny”

“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23 NIV).

In one of my previous devotionals I wrote about an ornamental cherry tree that wasn’t doing all too well. After it had been transplanted into our yard it lost practically all its leaves and looked so frail. We had even considered giving up on it and getting a new one but then the Lord spoke to me.

And now having gone through 8 seasons in 2 years this tree is a winner. It has become very strong and its leaves have grown considerably in number and size and beauty of color. There it stands now in its destiny giving shade to our house and shelter for a birds nest. Glorious, glorious I tell you!

You go through your seasons as well and sometimes it seems that it’s too hard for you and you think “Am I ever going to make it”? Just hang in there, what the Lord has declared over you shall come to pass. You are to be one that through hearing and understanding His word will bear the maximum, a hundredfold of what He sowed into your life to the glory of the Father.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

"I am With You"

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

Although the wintertime is a pretty season, the fact of the matter is that it is often dark and nature seems to be asleep. In our hometown when it gets dark we turn on the lights! During the night time all the bare trees in our park are covered with thousands of pretty lights. The lights also reflect a wonderful picture of the Christmas season: they are used to paint scenes, stars, pine trees, the nativity story and many other well known characters. You can even drive through the park if you like and enjoy the pictures and the warmth of the lights.

I tell you, it’s a whole new world and for a moment or two you forget that this is just an ordinary park. You see, although you know without a shadow of doubt that the lights are there, during daylight the evidence and effect of them are invisible to the human eye.

This scene in the park reminded me very much of the invisible God. Although He is always with us, he is unseen to the human eye. But when we turn to him and fellowship with Him, a whole new world opens up to us. A life that was lost, ordinary and empty becomes a life of abundance, happiness and meaningfulness. Perhaps your life is like that. But this doesn’t have to remain like this forever! Turn to your Savior and He will open your spiritual eyes and you will experience and enjoy the wonderful rich life that is found in the presence of the one true God. His name is Jesus Christ and He is the Light of the World.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

“Staying Close to You”

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42: 2-3 NIV).

He’s quite the follower my dog! When I make a move, he follows me. Each step of the way he is close on my heels and he just wants to be close to me. Often he lies so tightly next to me and there is no gap between us. Sometimes he just wants to sleep on my lap and sometimes he wants to play. Often he just wants to make sure that I am there, and then he walks away doing something on his own.

However, as soon as I move you can be sure that he is right there where I am and resumes following me wherever I go.

This is the kind of need for His presence the Lord desires for you to have. Imagine this: in each step that you take you thirst and you long so much for His presence, guidance and voice. Moving when He moves, resting when He rests and knowing at all times that He is with you will help you grow in confidence and joy for the situations you are facing today.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!