Do you ever struggle with trusting God when your life doesn’t go according to plan? Oh, friend, I think a lot of us do! And, in 2020, none of our lives have gone as we’d hoped or expected.

Long before 2020 hit, my dear friend, Susie Larson, understood well how life’s difficulties can open our hearts to fear. Since her sons were young, she’s battled chronic illness. But Susie’s a fighter—and you can be too!

If you don’t already know Susie, she’s a best-selling author, national speaker, and the host of the daily radio program, Susie Larson Live. Susie’s passion is to see women and men everywhere strengthened in their faith and mobilized to live out their high calling in Jesus Christ. She and her husband, Kevin, live near Minneapolis and are parents of three adult sons and one adorable pit bull.

Susie knows how God’s Word can strengthen your heart with the power to endure and prevail, and in this episode of the 4:13 Podcast, she’s here to help you learn how. You’ll discover how to tap into courage by focusing on the faithful promises of God daily.

So, get ready, friend! Your soul is about to go to boot camp!

3 Ways to Start a Daily Bible Reading Habit

1. Look for evidence to help you flourish. When Susie wrote her devotional, Prevail, one of the things she searched God’s Word for were stories we can learn from because the people in them did it right. They trusted God. They surrendered to Him rather than to their circumstances. In Genesis 13, Abraham and his decision to let Lot have the first choice of land is a great example of someone doing it right. Susie says Abraham lived a released and trusting life. He surrendered to God even in abundance, rather than grabbing selfishly for himself.

   Like Susie, you can start looking for these positive examples in Scripture. Take time to dive into God’s Word each day and read stories of those who were faithful to surrender to God in their circumstances—whether it was in scarcity or, like Abraham, in abundance. Susie notes that both scarcity and abundance reveal the condition of our hearts, just in different ways. If we grab for ourselves in difficult times, we’ll do the same even when there’s enough to go around. Stories like this one about Abraham and Lot can remind you that’s it’s always a good idea to refuse selfishness, release your cares, and receive what God has for you.

2. Discover opportunities to help you stand strong. Susie also searched for opportunities to learn from those in Scripture who did it wrong. While Abraham faithfully and obediently surrendered to God, the Israelites surrendered to their circumstances. Psalms 106:24-25 tells us how they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord. Susie says they wouldn’t accept God’s promise to care for them. Instead, they crawled into the smallness of their circumstances, complained, and refused to take risks.

   Several years ago, when Susie faced a health-related relapse, she shares how she felt severe disappointment that God would allow it. The Lord reminded her that it wasn’t enough for her not to surrender to her circumstances as the Israelites did. She needed to go further and surrender to Him in her circumstances. Susie could believe He was for her and not against her (Romans 8:31) and accept that He’s her Advocate and Intercessor (Romans 8:34). You can also spend daily time in God’s Word, discovering opportunities to learn from the mistakes of others. Like Susie, Scripture can help you identify the Truth you need to courageously trust God no matter what you face.

3. Seek Truth to help you contend for your faith. Susie explains that the word prevail means to prove more powerful than your opponent and to be the last one standing. As she studied the entire arch of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, she says she found story after story and verse after verse that helps us contend for our faith. Susie states that overwhelming victory belongs to us—and we see this clearly as we immerse ourselves daily in God’s Word.

   Even as a Jesus follower, you can struggle with embedded lies that are connected to deeps fears. Sometimes you might not even realize that you are until you face more difficulty. Susie says that as she’s experienced this in her own life, she’s learned that the storms we face reveal the lies we believe and the truth we need. In the process, God taught her not to try to outrun fear but instead to face it. As it has for Susie, the Truth of God’s Word can also help you face your fear and contend for your faith daily. It reminds you who you are and Whose you are.

If you don’t already have a daily Bible reading habit, right now is the perfect time to refocus and recalibrate when it comes to your faith and engaging the Bible. Scripture is the way to prevail, no matter what you face!

So remember, no matter what 2021 holds, you can do it! You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength!

Related Resources

Books & Bible Studies by Jennifer Rothschild

• Take Courage: A Study of Haggai
• Me, Myself, & Lies: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself
• Me, Myself, & Lies for Young Women: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself
• Me, Myself, & Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover Bible Study

More from Susie Larson

• Visit Susie’s website
• Prevail: 365 Days of Enduring Strength from God’s Word
• Fully Alive: Learning to Flourish—Mind, Body & Spirit
• Follow Susie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Links Mentioned in This Episode

• Audible
• Can I Find Safety in God When I Feel Afraid? [Episode 104]
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

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