by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
On a cold winter night in 1981, I had a life changing experience with the Lord. I remember the year, because our country was going through a crisis at the time. A revolution in Iran had occurred, overthrowing the Shah, and putting the radical Islamic rulers (the same ones who threaten the world today) into power, and in the process, seizing the American Embassy. By the time of my encounter, all of the workers had been held hostage for more than a year, and there seemed to be no solution to getting them released.
That night, as I drifted off to sleep, a voice woke me suddenly. I knew that God was speaking to me, but the message seemed strange. “What if you could send a coded message to the hostages in Iran which would contain a perfect plan of escape?” I sat up in bed, pondering this unusual message. Of course, I thought that was a good idea, but the question seemed so strange. I knew it was God speaking, but I didn’t understand why he was saying that.
Then He clarified the statement. “That’s what I have done with My Word.” Suddenly what he was saying became crystal clear.
People all around the world are being held hostage by their circumstances. They may be victims of abuse, neglect, or poverty. They may have hurts, fears, and frustrations which run very deep. Anger, resentment, and bitterness may seem to rule their lives.
Yet they don’t have to stay that way, because we have been given a plan of escape. God’s Word is that plan of escape. It will point us in the direction of release from all of the negative influences which try to hold us, and it will give us the power to overcome those influences.
Some see the Bible as merely a history book; others see it as a rule book. Yet the Bible is so much more than either of those things. If we will begin to read it and ask Him to show us His plans and purposes, we will begin to see a God of unconditional love who is reaching out to us. We will begin to understand His power toward us and we will want to latch onto it.
Here’s the thing. We have to read it for it to make a difference, and we have to meditate on what we have read. It is a coded message which only God’s Holy Spirit can reveal in its entirety. As we read, pray, and listen, our eyes are opened to see realities we have never seen before.
Joshua 1:8 says it well. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
There’s wisdom in God’s word and there is power. When you allow yourself to feed upon His word, something happens on the inside of you. You find your faith and confidence increasing. You also see your world view changing – coming closer to the way God sees things.
The best part is that you receive the liberating message which sets you free from the negative elements of the world around you. You are no longer a hostage to these evil forces, but you are set free – into the liberty of God’s plan.
Forever Upward!
P.S. Check out my daily Bible readings available on Amazon. As you allow the context of God’s Word to come into focus, your life will be changed. https://www.amazon.com/Soar-Bible-Through-First-Quarter/dp/150521503X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426682950&sr=1-3&keywords=suellen+estes
by Suellen | Successful Living
Psalm 139:16
Thine eyes have seen mine unformed substance, And in Thy book they were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was one of them.
I love that verse! Especially the words “unformed substance.” Think about it. On the inside of each of us there are gifts and talents, even desires, which we haven’t discovered yet.
Why is it “unformed?” It’s only potential; it hasn’t been realized.
Then what about the “days that were ordained?” God has plans for us – great days for us. It’s almost too awesome to comprehend.
I’m sure that when we get to heaven, we are going to be surprised to see what “could have been.” What was God’s plan? What great things had He planned for us to do? Which gifts had we never discovered?
Every time I read that verse I get motivated to “get with His program.” I want to dream God’s dreams and tap into His plans. Only then can I live the life He has ordained.
So how do I do that? I spend time in God’s Word, reading and getting insight into how to live this life. I also spend time in prayer, asking my Creator to direct my steps, reveal to me His desires, and empower me to carry out the walk.
Finding His best is always a process. It cannot and will not happen over night. The successful results are the product of a life lived with Him and for Him. Day by day and step by step.
Life is like a path, and as we walk down that path, walking closely with our God, we will come upon treasure troves which bring us to a new level of understanding and purpose. We will often say, “Oh, that’s why that happened those many years ago. I need that experience now.” And we continue to walk.
My prayer for you today is that you will see yourself as God sees you. You are unique – no one just like you. He knows your disappointments and frustrations, but He also has the answers for everything, if we just trust Him completely. He always wants us to shake off the sorrows, to get up, and to live our lives to the fullest, making every day count.
I pray also that you grow in your love for God and become closer to Him than ever before. May you continually discover your “unformed substance” and tap into your “ordained days.”
by Suellen | The Church Awakening
How do you define a Christian? We all have our preconceived ideas. Of course they have to believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. That goes every time. But what about the rest?
In our society we have images which pop into our heads. We might imagine a man in a suit and tie and a woman in her heels. (Or if you run in the circles I do, you imagine a man not in a suit and tie, and a woman in pants or jeans). In either case, we think of dedicated church goers, with Bibles in hand, leading in prayer, having solid families. Usually they are leaders in the community.
But is that all? Is everyone that way? What about Mark?
Mark is a man who is now in his seventies and had never been in a church until about four years ago, when he came and prayed to receive Jesus. His wife passed away much earlier, and he was very lonely. He lives in a small mobile home at the edge of the town with his grandson, whom he raised. (Now the young man is in his mid twenties, but he doesn’t work and counts on his grandfather for support).
Mark is a quiet man, but every now and then he’ll tell a story which gives us a glimpse of his life.There is a reason that he never learned to read. When he was in the second grade, his father took him out of school so that he could help with the farm chores. (They were sharecroppers). He worked hard, long hours on the farm. But that’s not all that he did.
His grandfather was a moonshiner. He had a still back in the woods, and when the old man had an order, he would have Mark travel by foot to deliver the brew. It was risky, so the young boy learned how to look out for the “law.” On occasion he might have to duck into the edge of the woods, so as not to be seen. This grandfather was a hard man. If the young lad didn’t make it back in time for dinner, he wouldn’t get his food. Food was served twice a day, and anyone not around for the meal would have to wait until the next one.
Mark later got married, had children, and raised a family. Over the years, his farming and moonshining gave way to factory work. He worked at a local plant, running machines, and doing janitorial work. His attendance record was almost perfect. One of his greatest possessions was a jacket which he earned as “Employee Of The Year.”
Mark told me that while his wife was alive they would “fuss a lot.” He feels bad about that. He says that “he didn’t always do what he should have done.”He’s glad that he can pray and that Jesus has forgiven him.
He has been retired a few years, but Mark still does odd jobs. And he walks. He walks several miles a day – sometimes to the store, to a working assignment, and sometimes to church. He loves to work and he loves to walk. It makes him feel better.
Mark doesn’t bring a Bible to church, since he can’t read it. But every Sunday, for the last few years, he has sat on the front row on the far right of the church. And every Sunday, he has listened attentively as sermons were preached or testimonies given. His heart is tender, as he kneels and prays at the altar. He wants to “keep things right with God.”
We need to broaden our perspective. We need to realize that out there – in the masses of people who throng by every day, there are other Marks. They might not look like they would be interested in Jesus. And they might not act like it. Yet within their hearts is a desire to connect with their Maker and to connect with the truth. They want to know what the Bible says, and they want to learn how to pray. They might be outside of the box we expect people to be in, but they are not outside of the box in Jesus’s eyes.
I don’t know about you, but I want to look for more of the Marks. I am asking God to open my eyes and ears to see and hear what he wants to tell me so that I can reach others who are seeking the truth. I’ll try not to judge by what my natural eyes see, but I will try to judge by my spiritual eyes.
Dear Lord, help me to do this. I know how special these little ones are to you. Help me to do this.
by Suellen | Successful Living
A few years ago, I watched an interview with Colonel Ted Martin of the 4th Infantry Division. His soldiers had been waiting for weeks off the coast of Turkey while war raged in Iraq. They were waiting for permission from the Turkish government to enter through their land.
“Are your troops ready?” Geraldo Rivera asked. “Or did they get rusty on the ships?”
“No sir. We used the time to train.”
“Are your tanks ready for the desert?”
“Yes sir. We spent a month in the desert. We traveled five hundred miles in the sand to prepare ourselves for what we would face. We are the best trained, the best equipped, and most disciplined fighting force in the world.”
The last decade or so has really made me proud – and appreciative of the soldiers who trained, disciplined themselves, and performed so valiantly in service of our country.
But there are other men and women who make me proud. They are the warriors who stand for God – for the right thing, no matter what. They have shown that they are warriors by remaining true to:
- Their identity as a Christian – even when it’s not the popular thing to do.
- Their personal integrity. They are determined to stay true to their principles
- Their family.
- Endurance through pain. Nothing will stop these brave people.
- Their friends.
- Their strong faith. They know their God and they know He will continue to be with them.
I am so thankful for these people. They are true warriors for God, and for His purposes.
Are you one of them? May you continue to know God’s greatest blessings!
by Suellen | Successful Living
We woke up early today. Mickey has a men’s breakfast meeting in a nearby town, then church, and finally he will be speaking at an area Thanksgiving service. Whew! Busy day.
As I brewed my cup of coffee, I glanced out of the kitchen window, and was awed by what I saw. It was the same view I had admired often, but this time it was different. This time it seemed to speak to me.
I love sunrises – even more than sunsets. It’s, of course, the beauty of the swath of color, but it’s more than that. It’s announcing something – a new day. A new chance. A new breath. New. New. New. I love the message.
Maybe it’s because I never live up to my own expectations, but I’ve always loved new beginnings. Yesterday is gone, and you get to get up and go again. You don’t know exactly what the day will bring, the people you may meet, the opportunities and challenges you will face, but you are ready to “do it again.”
It’s as if God planned our lives in segments – segments we could handle. He wants us to value each segment and live it wisely. That’s all we get, really. One day at a time. Whether we are doing big things or little, we do them one day at a time. When we master that concept, we master many others.
Today is important. Today is someone’s birthday and another’s funeral. Today people will come to know Jesus. Today people will get engaged or married. Today new babies will come into the earth.
Today is also the day we need to diet, if we are going to. Or exercise, if we are going to. Or read the Bible and pray, if we are going to. Or forgive that person, if we are going to. Or stop drinking, if we are going to. Today is important.
When we “get this” concept, our lives change. It’s so easy to think that tomorrow we will accomplish what we dream about, but today doesn’t matter. But it does. That’s all we have – one day at a time.
As I look at the beauty of the dawn, something else comes to mind. Lamentations says that God’s love is “new every morning.” God’s faithfulness to us is symbolized in the fact that He never misses giving us a new day – not until the time we go to our next life. One more chance – and I’m going to take it.
Oops, I’d better get going. I need to face the day.
Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
On a cold winter night in 1981, I had a life changing experience with the Lord. I remember the year, because our country was going through a crisis at the time. A revolution in Iran had occurred, overthrowing the Shah, and putting the radical Islamic rulers (the same ones who threaten the world today) into power, and in the process, seizing the American Embassy. By the time of my encounter, all of the workers had been held hostage for more than a year, and there seemed to be no solution to getting them released.
