"Take to Heart"

“He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:31 & 32 NIV).

Why is it that when it really gets bad, we finally listen and do what we are supposed to do?

I recently had an appointment at the dental hygienist and I have to admit that somewhere in the corner of my heart there was some hidden guilt. Why? I very well knew for years that I needed to floss my teeth, but I simply didn’t have what it took to follow through. The hygienist cleaned my teeth as usual, knowing that I hadn’t flossed at all and so I was glad that it was soon over so that I could go back home. But unfortunately the doctor also wanted to see me and take a closer look at the x-rays that had been taken. This time he was not all understanding, but gave me a life-giving rebuke! He said that if I would not floss my teeth daily I would eventually start losing them. I tell you his words were like an arrow that pierced the center of my heart and this time I was forced to take it to heart. I sensed in his words such an earnest concern for me and my teeth.

Today we are living in a day and age where not a lot of people dare to correct God’s way. And when the correction does come, it is rejected by many. My doctor took the initiative and the responsibility to correct me. I took it to heart, I applied it to my life, and my gums have stopped bleeding. So please do not get offended when a person that stands in authority and carries responsibility takes the time to correct you. Take it to heart because this is God’s way to give you life, wisdom and understanding.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

"Dare To Express Your Excitement"

“As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us! The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20: 29-31 NIV). 

My goodness, there was such a noise coming our way that day. A noise that was not at all familiar to me. As I looked toward heaven I recognized a whole bunch of geese that were passing about 150 feet above our house. It was such a great moment for me to experience, because these geese where shouting so loud as they were heading out to another exciting destination. No doubt, they were on a journey together and they seemed to be so happy about it that they didn’t care what we, the inhabitants of the earth thought. At that moment I wished we human beings would have had the same kind of boldness and wouldn’t be so concerned what others thought of us. I thought that this is how God created us; He gave us a voice that we would express our excitement and not hold back. These geese definitely had something that we should be imitating.

So also these two blind men had the same kind of attitude as the geese! They were not concerned what the people might think. They were highly excited about Jesus and bold enough to not hold back anything. This is the kind of affection the LORD so much longs to receive from His children.

So how about you? Think about it for a moment: You are a Child of God, you know the one and only Savior of this world personally, and you are on a totally awesome journey. You are not traveling alone and your destination is glorious. Isn’t that just a fantastic reality? I encourage you today to dare to express your excitement and then wait and see the contagion taking place because you dared to express yourself.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

“A Magnificent Vantage Point”

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3, 1 – 2 NIV).

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6 NIV).

I didn't think that this would be possible, that from one single view point I could overlook Europe's second largest lake. But with God all things are possible, and so our friends took us one day to this specific vantage point in the Swiss Alps. It was located at about 4,500 feet above sea level, and from this point we could oversee the entire lake of Geneva. It was just amazing! We could see the end from the beginning.

We saw the Jet d'Eau – the Water Fountain of Geneva that jets its water up to 459 feet into the air. We recognized towns like Lausanne and Montreux and the Evian les Bains that is located in France. And the icing on the cake was that we got to see Europe's most magnificent mountain, the 16,000 foot tall Mont Blanc. All of this was captured with two eyes, with absolute clarity, from one single vantage point. I'd say that this is magnificent, wouldn't you?!

I was so happy that the LORD gave me the opportunity to experience this magnificent view and I thought about these verses in Colossians and Ephesians and how true they were. This is the position God wants you to take: In Christ you are given this magnificent vantage point and this is when you receive a clear overview of things on earth and in heaven. It’s a place where you gain clarity, authority and sovereignty. Set your heart on Jesus today and take your seat next to Him!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

"Don't Be So Stubborn!"

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 129:9 & 10 NIV).

Have you ever experienced a situation where you knew without a shadow of doubt that you were absolutely right, only to find out that you were absolutely wrong? Well let me tell you a story that will bring a sense of relief and a chuckle to you, and perhaps also confirm deep down inside of you that God is in control of your life, despite our stubbornness.

Well once again we were heading out east to visit my mother in law. My husband was driving that day, and although he knew this route like the back of his hand, he did in fact use a fascinating instrument – his beloved navigation system. It was a long drive that day and so when we finally approached a major city, we were relieved to know that from this point on forward there was only about another 190 Miles to go. Ready to take these last miles on our journey, we were puzzled that all of a sudden our navigation system recommended us to take another route. Over and over again this voice would persistently suggest us to take another exit and turn around. On top of all this we were starting to gain miles instead of losing them. Now my husband was really getting annoyed at the navigation system for misdirecting us. After all, he knew the way to get to our destination better than anybody else. He told me to take a closer look at it and as I observed the map on the screen I noticed that the arrow was pointing to the west instead of the east. Another thing I discovered was that we were approaching the state we had just left behind us. According to the navigation system we were heading back home. Could it be that my husband was in error? Yes! To his great amazement and disappointment, he took the wrong highway.

It is a good thing to know that the LORD is persistent with us. He truly never leaves us, nor does He forsake us. Perhaps you might think you know it all and you know in what direction you are heading, but trust me, He truly like no one else knows the way. Remember, His ways and His thoughts are much higher than ours. So don’t be so stubborn. Follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit at all times and you will walk on solid ground with no detours. After all, He is The Way.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“The Divine Flow of Power”

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18 - 20 NIV).

The LORD blessed us with an RV (recreational vehicle) that was donated to our ministry about a year ago. Every so often my husband and I can go on a trip together. We are now able to enjoy God’s creation and get to rest even more in His presence and draw closer to Jesus. The RV offers also water and electricity and makes life quite comfortable considering the small space of living it provides. Normally we have to fill up the water tank ourselves, and as we use the water a pump is activated that will transport the water wherever it needs to go. The water flow is not as strong as at home, but it is sufficient and we are thankful to have a water supply.

Recently we made a fantastic new experience as we attached our RV to a water hook up for the first time. What you do is you take your own water hose, hook it to the water supply on one end, and then on the other end you connect it to the RV. So when I turned on the tap for the first time the water burst out with such a strong flow. There was pressure there for sure because of the constant water supply and our water pump was no longer needed. Now we no longer need to be worried if we have enough fresh water in our tank or if we need to dump the used water because now we have an automatic in and out flow. Now we are carefree and are enjoying our time in the RV all the more.

You too need to have a constant inward and outward flow. This will happen when you are aware at all times of the reality of the presence of the LORD and allow Him to fill you with His love and His words of truth. That’s when the godly inflow begins to take place. Now you are filled with joy and faith that will lead you to an overflow and an outflow of praise, tongues, prayer and thankfulness.

I pray for you today that a desire to be filled and overflowing with the Holy Ghost at all times would be birthed in you. Be hooked up to this kind of living water and flow out in His power!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

"I Give You Insight"

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NIV).

I recently made an interesting observation as I noticed that one of the positive side effects of snow falling to the ground is that you get to see the steps of a human being or an animal that was walking around your house.

As I stepped out one morning to shut the garage lights off, I saw that an animal had approached our house. I saw which course it had taken and I had to chuckle a little. With the snow lying on the ground there was no hiding anymore, I could see now very clearly what kind of steps it had taken. It was the same with the mail man. I didn’t have to go outside in the cold weather to check the mail box anymore. From inside the house I just had to look for the footsteps on our porch to see if he had come yet or not. Thanks to the snow I was able to receive these insights.

What is far greater than these prints in the snow is of course that God offers you the Spirit of Truth that guides you into all truth. As you open yourself up to Jesus know that whatever it is that you need to know, trust that He will reveal it to you. He will give you insight and He will also expand your insight. What an amazing God we serve, that He would choose you and me to confound the wise of this world with His insight. And that’s the truth.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“The Master Architect”

“But as it is written, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.’ But God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2: 9 & 10).

We are having the upper part of our garage being finished off so that we can eventually provide a place for travelers and missionaries from near and afar. I have learned such a lot of principles only by watching this garage being built by different craftsmen. From laying the foundation and putting the framework into place, to installing the insulation, the plumbing and electricity and all the appliances, everything has been just so rewarding for me.

Recently I got to witness the laying of the plumbing lines. I walked up to the room and standing there all alone I had a chance to observe at all the plumbing work that had been done. Although I know nothing about plumbing, I observed the red and blue lines and followed them throughout the whole garage and figured that these were the hot and cold water lines. I saw where they reached the sink and the shower and the toilet, and I also discovered the place for the drain. I got to see and witness everything before it would eventually become invisible and hidden behind the walls. I realized that God had allowed me to see into all the things and how everything works together perfectly behind the scenes.

That day as I stood all alone in that unfinished room above the garage, God reminded me of these precious promises that He gave to those that love Him. Isn’t He just a wonderful God that He would reveal these things to us and give us such great insight without our having to work hard to understand all things? The LORD is right now pouring out His insight to the ones that love Him. They will tell the world that He is the Master Architect and the One that holds everything together. Will you be one of them?

Have a wonderfully blessed day!



Suzanne Tanner