Author: Susan Smith Bennett

Susan lives in Florida, USA, and is the mother of three grown children, two stepchildren, and five grandchildren. She and her husband Charles attend St. Andrew's in Sanford, FL. Susan is a recent graduate of the Master's Program for Marital and Family Counseling from Stetson University. She is also a Nationally Certified Biblical Counselor through ACBC and counsels at The Jonathan Project in her community. Susan has served the Lord for more than 40 years as a Christian in various ministries and positions such as Bible Study Fellowship and Young Life. She currently serves as Women's Ministries Coordinator at St. Andrews Chapel. Her passions are the people of God and the Word of God.
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Psalm 23: A Deeper Dependence

Dear sister,

I have been thinking much about dependence upon the Lord lately. It could be due to some difficult circumstances which have come about in the life of my family as of late. I find it both curious and comforting in times like these how the Word of God speaks louder and clearer to me. 

While consuming Psalm 23 this week my heart swelled with adoration for the majesty of God’s sovereignty in my life.  For the beauty of His perfect care and purposeful will, whether it be times of refreshment or times of refinement. His tender loving kindnesses are always there and He leads me into and out of all of them for His name sake, not my own. Meditating on all of this informs my heart and gives me strength to endure whatever comes my way.

However, in asking myself the “so what” question I found great conviction overtake my heart. While praising God for all of this is good and right and of utmost importance, so is how or what I do with these Truths. That is when I noticed the other side of the coin, so -to -speak, with regards to Psalm 23. 

Now that God has made me His own, like the sheep of our Good Shepherd, I no longer belong to myself. I belong to Him. I now am dependent upon Him. Just as He will never leave me or forsake me, I can do nothing apart from Him. This truth compels me to look deeper with the Spirit’s help and ask myself “Am I trusting (depending) upon the Lord, or have I somehow gotten really good at disguising my independence?” 

Does my day begin with immediate attention to the list I authored in my head the night before or does it begin with, “This is the day the LORD has made, I will be glad in it.”(Psalm 118:24) or “Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name.” (Psalm 103:1) or “Search me O God, know my heart, try my anxious thoughts and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in Your everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:23-24) 

These are not just nice sentiments, they are to be the reality of every believer. The emphasis is upon the LORD and my subjection to Him as the giver of the day and all that it entails.  There is a purposeful leaning in to His sovereignty thus, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Ps. 23:4b) as well as “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”(Ps. 23:6) While the world screams INDEPENDENCE the Spirit of God kindly whispers FOLLOW ME and even more so LEAN ON ME!

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

I pray for you today dear sister that you will know to whom you belong, a Good and kind Shepherd whom you can depend to lead and guide you by His voice.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10: 27)

May you grow in deeper dependence followed by greater Peace as you trust in Him.

Your sister,

Susan

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Warning: No Mercy Hoarding Allowed

Dearest sisters,

I must tell you that although my letter is brief it comes with a fervent prayer that it will stir in you the sincerest desire to be thankful and generous with God’s mercy.  When I think of how our great God loves new beginnings there is no scripture more telling of this Truth than:

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Everyday God pours His mercy out to His beloved children because, each and every day we awaken from our slumber and open our eyes to this world, He knows we desperately need it.  We desperately need Him. Without Him we could easily be swallowed up by the world, the enemy and our own sinful flesh, the three battlefronts of our souls.

Because His love is sure and steadfast His mercy is endless. It does not take being in Christ very long before we realize how incredible this Truth is. If we have ever tried to forgive another person without this anchor you know, and I know our bitterness and resentment eventually resurface. Soon, the love and forgiveness we gave becomes something we wish we could take back. We become very choosy with whom we will give our mercy and forgiveness to. We decide who is worthy of it and who it is not! Wow! Wait just a minute that sounds familiar!  The servant who was graciously given mercy by his master and forgiveness for a debt he could never repay now chokes the person who owes him a day’s wages, comparatively speaking! Matthew 18:21-35.

“God so loved the world, that He gave us His Son…” (John 3:16). The language of this well- known verse exemplifies what the Lord says to us in Lamentations.  God loves so He gives. If you ever wonder why it is difficult to give mercy to another person, or that you want it back it could be that you don’t understand love at all. Love always gives and is constantly looking outward not inward. Check it out in I Corinthians 13:4-8.

The mercy which comes from the heart of God is never to be stored up and rationed out. That is what I call greedy. There are many excuses for hoarding the mercy God gives to us, but I think fear is most likely the number one excuse we are reserved in our giving. We are fearful of being hurt by the one we are making ourselves vulnerable to. We fear being rejected, we fear that if we give mercy to another there won’t be enough left for us. We fear being without at a later time, thinking God’s door will someday close. We fear that whatever we give out will not be given back to us. We fear looking stupid in the eyes of the world. We fear losing control of our little storehouses when in fact they do not even belong to us in the first place. You and I have been bought by the blood of Christ therefore we belong to God, He owns us! That includes our little storehouses.

We do not deserve God’s mercy, yet in an act of love He freely gives it to us.  It was not meant to be held on to but to be given out to others each day.  And at the end of the day our storehouse should be empty. Sister when I close my eyes at night I want my heart to have been emptied out, wrung out of all the goodness and mercy God has bestowed on me that day. Because, come the dawn of the next day (if He wills it to be) He will provide me (you) with it once again! New mercies each and every day. A new day a new beginning!

Who needs your mercy today? Will you choose to open the storehouse of your heart today and share what God has graciously poured into it? I pray that all who read this will do so gladly.

With love and mercy,

Susan

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A Heat Which Leads to Refreshment

Dear sister,

In the Christian faith the symbol for the Holy Spirit, which is imparted to the believer as a guarantee of their inheritance, is a flame. This is so because the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection was when God poured out His Spirit on the believers in Jerusalem (Acts 2). As the Scriptures tell us; “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit …”.

 Jesus had promised the disciples who followed him that when He returned to His Father in heaven that a helper (paraclete), would come. (John 17) This helper, who would lead them into God’s Truth, is the third person of the Trinity.  He would sanctify God’s people while on earth, so that when, in God’s appointed time, they were received into heaven they would be just like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:12). The sanctifying process by way of God’s Spirit is meant to make us holy in two ways. First, holy as in the sense of setting us apart from the rest of the world. Second, holy as in the sense of purifying us.

Basically, God’s plan in saving us is to change us, and God being God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, has decided that this process is the best means to that end.  Very much like the flame of a fire, our sanctification can involve a lot of heat.  I like to call it a Holy Heat.  As with most heat though, depending on the situation, it can make us extremely uncomfortable.  As I write to you, the country I live in is recovering from a deadly heat wave which swept across much of the central to northeastern United States. Temperature wise, things seemed upside down. The upper region of the country was hotter than the lower region. Of course, it is summer right? Some of this is to be expected at this time of year no matter where you live in the States. I live in Florida which is famously known for its unbearable heat. It’s furnace like intensity can literally wear you out, especially if there is not an air- conditioned space to retreat to. There is no mystery to Florida’s heat.  Those of us who live here know to brace ourselves come mid- April and to hang on until mid -November.

However, there is  mystery involved with Holy Heat. I call it that because it is often unexplainable and also many times we cannot see where the heat is coming from until we are completely in it. It is as though we have walked into a furnace that had no caution signs alerting us to it when we entered in.  Other times we enter into a furnace (situation) knowingly, yet we expect to feel no heat at all.  It seems strange doesn’t it, but we humans are really good at rationalizing. In fact, we have been perfecting it since the Garden of Eden. Nonetheless, God in His infinite wisdom knows everything.  He knows the motives of our hearts, He knows the facts surrounding the time and place we will walk into our personal furnace. He knows what will happen in the furnace and what we will be when we walk out of that furnace.  He knows all the same things for those who are in our lives and how it will affect them.  There are times in our sanctification where we might cry out to God in the midst of a personal furnace, “Why Lord? This heat is too much to bear! I can’t do this!”

The beautiful Truth which permeates all of this is that God is Holy, and His holiness and goodness are intricately intertwined (Romans 8:28-29). It may be difficult to see at the time, but God’s goodness is always, always, yes, always involved with our personal furnaces. His goodness and mercy direct the temperature so that it does not consume us, but it preserves us while melting away the dross (garbage) from our souls. Yet, God does not stop there! Holy Heat is meant to refine us and then revive us. Meaning, the end result is refreshment for our souls. Looking back at some of my personal furnaces I am able to see that it was the only way to refine my soul! And that my dear sister is like a refreshing splash of cool water on my red- hot face.

What does your personal furnace look like? When did you notice the temperature rising? Are you looking for God in the midst of the flames or are you just looking for a way out? What dross is God’s Holy Heat melting away? The temptation is to look away or run away from the source of heat. Sweet sister in Christ, don’t do it! Fix your eyes on Him who is the perfecter of your faith. Like the flaming tongues to the first converts of the Christian church were, look at the flame with its Holy Heat as a gift from above with a purpose. When you are delivered from your furnace pause, and be thankful to God who cares for you and directs His goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6). Be refreshed by this truth!

Refined by His Holy Heat and Refreshed by His Good Pleasure,

Susan

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The Lord’s Unfailing Compassions

Dear sister,

Being a care giver is a very strenuous mission. It taxes one physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I should know because I have been the mother of a special needs child for 27 years now.  Obviously because she is my child the love I have for her is not only indelible but it is a powerful source of motivation to care for her. However, I have learned that even my love for her fails at times.   If it is only because of my love for her that I care for her and act on her behalf then she will at times be wanting. I am only human and it is impossible for me to show her love and care one hundred percent of the time.

From a very early age I began teaching my daughter the truth that human love can only go so far.  I started the habit of finishing our day with prayers, sometimes a song, and a Bible story.  Then an exchange of snuggles, kisses, laughter and I love yous.  On my way out the door, with the lights out and her heart full I would ask her “Who loves you the best?”  The first few times she would say “Mommy and Daddy” to which I would say “Yes, mommy and daddy do love you but Jesus loves you even more!” And I would explain how that was.

Our Triune God is the only one who can love us mercifully and compassionately through and through, over and over, for all eternity.  I am grateful that God’s attribute of compassion is a shared one. However, having cared for someone 24/7 for these twenty – seven years (whether she has been in my presence or not) has shown me that it truly is only God’s compassions that fail not. My compassions are weak and feeble at best, no matter how much I love the person I am given the opportunity to show compassion towards.

God’s unfailing compassions are based on the attributes which He alone possesses. Some of these attributes are that He is the supreme ruler of all things, He is all knowing, all powerful, and always present.  He cannot be measured and He never ever, ever changes. Therefore, His compassions can never fail, meaning they are always working for the good of the recipient of those compassions, to the praise and glory of His Name.

When I see God’s compassions through this lens my heart melts.  It melts because I know that even though He has graciously shared the attribute of compassion with me so that I might be compassionate towards others, I have failed and I will most likely fail again. I need Him and I need His compassion towards me, a fragile, weak and sometimes rebellious sinner. My heart melts in knowing because of Christ’s righteousness being imputed to me, I am able to receive His compassions and to transfer those compassions to others in need. God showed compassion to those He calls His children by giving us His Son and by dying so that we might live for Him.  So, why would I not? Why would I withhold what God has so graciously and abundantly given to me? God forbid that I would be greedy with that which He so freely lavishes upon me!

I’m not perfect nor do I want to be. However, may you and I dear sister long to be compassionate like our Heavenly Father is and to rejoice when we see that His compassion toward us has not left us wanting. May we rejoice in the fact that He is sufficient in all ways.  Look for it today sweet sister, don’t miss the opportunity to rejoice in His unfailing compassions!

“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion…”  Lamentations 3:21-23

In awe today,

Susan

 

 

 

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The Sweetest Comfort I Know

My dear sister,

Have you ever noticed that in the months of November and December people in general consume a lot of sweets?  Sweet sugary foods are well known for the comfort and sense of pleasure they bring to those who eat them.  Experts say that sugar creates a chemical  reaction which washes over several areas of our brains all at once.  This is why when sweet foods are eaten they often give us the same feelings as those we experience when talking with a close friend and/ or watching our favorite movie.  With all of these “good time” feelings being experienced it makes it hard to stop or at the very least to slow down.  We, similar to the addict of other sensor pleasing substances, are looking for and anticipating that next wave of comfort.

The end of the calendar year is also infamous for people seeking personal happiness to a greater degree.  The world around us shouts: “Rejoice!” or “Joy, joy, joy!” and “Making spirits bright, laughing all the way… ho, ho, ho!”  This is not only annoying on the surface level but it is gut wrenching for those who are dealing with broken relationships, pain of loss and loneliness.

When people are unhappy with life they tend to want “some happiness” so the eyes and then the hands turn toward a quick easy fix… which is usually something sweet.  Ahh, the sweet rush of comfort that floods our minds so that we don’t have to think about missing someone or parenting our unruly child or being a helper and not a hinderer to our husbands etc.  “Hurry”, we say to ourselves; “bring me some Figgie pudding or I shall die!” No, I don’t think it is a coincidence that all of this craving for happiness which leads us to an over consumption of sugar is especially tied to this season of the year.

It is my observation that even my brothers and sisters in Christ are prone to wander into the land of sugar plums, candy canes and sweets galore.  Even when we know and proclaim that “Jesus is the reason for the season”.  Somehow our hearts disengage from our minds and before we know it we too are free falling into a sugar coma on our couch as the Hallmark Christmas Movie Marathon wanes on and on and on in the background. Like everyone else we awake with an even deeper ache in our stomachs (sometimes literally and not just figuratively).

So, what to do? Certainly we can have our cake and eat it too right? The key to true comfort my dear sister is to first recognize that you are hooked on a false sense of comfort. I mean, hello who doesn’t want the real deal? The purest form of true comfort comes from knowing our Heavenly Father who happens to  know all things, especially the things that bring comfort or discomfort to our souls.  He not only knows all things He has created all things, including our hearts which long for comfort and peace at a time when it seems hopeless to us.  He sees the bigger picture, yes, even beyond November and December each year. His perspective is eternal, it stretches from Alpha to Omega. We can trust Him to help us, to comfort us, to deliver us …

The sweetest comfort we can ever know my dear sister is already ours! He is Jesus Christ, the precious Son of God.  He is our true comfort in all times and in all ways. He is our true joy! He is our true strength! Why not feed on what is true and not false? Maybe you have already overindulged in what gives you a false sense of comfort, it is never too late to put that cookie down and to embrace the true and better comfort.

My prayer for all of us as we enter into a new year is that we will finish well (all the way to next November and December) and that we will fix our eyes on the best, the sweetest, prize of all, Jesus!  Unlike those cookies and candies He never grows old or stale. I will leave off with comforting words from the great comforter:

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Your sister in Christ,

Susan