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"Warzone".

“Be self- controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV).

The winter in Iowa was extremely rough. Although I grew up in Switzerland, the weather here in the Midwest caught me by surprise and I had to get used to the extreme weather conditions. One day I thought I could leave my house and walk down the road without a cap on my head. Within 5 minutes my ears were nearly frozen stiff. Also in my home I often had to protect myself by wearing warm clothes, woolen socks, and blankets. For months it seemed I had gone through much adaptation and change. And then one day in March I stepped outside well armed with a warm coat, gloves and a shawl and what happened? At once there was such a pleasant temperature in the air and I didn’t need this protection anymore. I was suspicious at first because I had been so alert all the time. But it was true, I didn’t need this protection anymore, and I tell you, that was such an awesome relief.

It is a fact that as believers we stand in a warzone. We need to wear our spiritual armor all the time and fight each day battle after battle. We resist and overcome our enemy by the blood of the Lamb. We get used to this lifestyle of a warrior very much like I did with the weather conditions. But there is this place in His presence where you can come freely and let go of your weapons and leave your armor behind. This is a realm where you can fellowship with the LORD Jesus Christ in absolute freedom and security. I pray for you, you mighty warrior of the LORD in shining armor. May you be always drawn to come back to that place of rest after a battle and spend time with your wonderful King.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“I Will Bring Back To Life”

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:26 NIV).

I have to tell you quite an amazing story which will make you believe that with God all things are possible.

Back when I was living in Switzerland I bought a pricy Swiss watch which I just treasured. After a few years however, to my great disappointment it stopped working. The jewelers in Switzerland told me that I had to send the watch to the original manufacturer and they quoted a repair cost of $ 400.00. Because of this unexpected expense my husband and I had to decide against the repair.

And so I put my watch in the drawer and there it remained for about 1 1/2 years. I had lost hope that this watch would ever be working again. Then shortly before Christmas of 2009 my husband told me that he had an incredible gift for me. “I would never guess what it would be” he said. “It was too great, too amazing and too wonderful for me to imagine” he added. I stopped trying to figure out what it could be. Then Christmas morning arrived and I opened my present. There was my most beautiful Swiss watch brought back to life! I held it in my hands and had no words on my lips but just cried and cried. My husband knew how I missed my watch and he made a way to bring it back to life. Our local jewelers here in Iowa made it possible and charged my husband in the end only for a new battery and not for the repair.

This story reminded me so much of God’s love and that with Him all things are possible. He will open the heavens for you and He will shower you with all of His goodness. I encourage you today to put your trust in Him and to know in your heart that He means it so well with you.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

“I will strengthen you.”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”(John 15:5).

It was such a nice and warm day and so I decided to take a walk to the nearby park. I had missed my walks a lot and because our winter was so cold, I had to wait for the spring to come. I was so glad to be back and to see the squirrels and the geese again and to enjoy the nature. Whilst I was walking on my routine path I observed the beautiful trees. I stopped at a very remarkable tree and made an interesting observation. Next to this huge and strong tree I saw a shoot that was growing alongside. I noticed that it was not growing independently, no it was somehow drawn to this tree and clung onto it and it was impossible for me to break it loose. I thought if this shoot had grown all on its own I could have pulled it out of the ground easily and I also would have been able to bend its small branches. But this shoot had grown so close to this tree and had become so strong by clinging to it that it actually became one with it.

And then the LORD explained to me that apart from Him we are weak, but when we cling to him, we become extremely strong. We grow close to Him and there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can separate us from Him. He is our refuge, our protector and strong tower. So whatever you are facing in your life know that by clinging onto the LORD you will grow close to Him. You will become one with Him and you will discover that your true strength lies in Him alone.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“God’s Great Eraser”

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 NIV).

I have to share with you a little secret about myself: I don’t like to make mistakes. It’s better now that I am a believer, but on and off I still struggle with forgiveness.

Today the LORD showed me a powerful truth: I was recording some of my devotionals at the local radio studio. My Christian friend, helper and sound technician at the studio does the mixing and the optimization of the recording. He has all the great tools, software and hardware to make me look really good.

So today as also in recent recordings I made some mistakes while I was speaking into the microphone. I either spoke the wrong words, paused too long, or my tongue just didn’t properly form the word I wanted to say. But do you know what? I can make as many mistakes as I like! Ken will always be able to fix them! He is so patient with me and all he wants to do is to make me sound really good all the time! He just goes back in the recording, erases or corrects a word, or just wipes out a pause that was too long.

Very much like Ken wipes out all of my recording mistakes, you have a godly eraser! It’s Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God that shed His blood and took away the sins of the world. Today He wants to reassure you that He will always forgive you for any past, present and future sin. Bring to Him your failures and experience the freedom and relief that comes from knowing that your transgressions have been truly erased by Him. This is the starting point where you can rise up once again and be restored to everlasting joy.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

I Will Restore You!

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD,' because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no-one cares” (Jeremiah 30:17 NIV).

I made an interesting observation recently. When I moved into my husband’s house I noticed that the plants looked a little dull. It seemed as if they had no life within them. The leaves were dry and without any glow. And since I was now in charge of the household I thought I would water our plants on a regular basis. So I made up my mind to water them every Friday with a cup of water. And after a few weeks I could already see a significant change in their appearance. New leaves started to come forth and I saw a new strength in the plants. It was such an encouraging thing to see that by giving the plants water on a continual basis they would grow, become strong and healthy.

Do you know that the LORD deeply cares for your well-being? As I was taking care of the leaves and watering the plants I felt so strongly that the LORD desires to restore, to heal and to bring forth such a beauty in His children. So why not allow him to be your restorer and your healer? He has hope for your life and whatever was lost He will find! Know in your heart that in His care you are absolutely safe.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

“I Am Your Helper”

“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1 NIV).

I am going to tell you a story that I am sure you can relate to: Being a helper to my husband I find myself often doing the following: My husband would say to me “Honey, I am looking for my sunglasses. Have you seen them? Can you help me find them?”

We had the exact same situation yesterday. My husband had misplaced his sunglasses and just couldn’t find them. I have to be honest with you, I don’t like looking for things, I don’t find any pleasure in it, and besides that, I just find it a waste of time. Anyway, to save time I prayed in my heart and said to the Lord “Lord please show me where the sunglasses are – please!” I got a very quick impression of a guitar case. I followed that impression right away, went to the car, opened up the guitar case and to my great great joy I saw the sunglasses. I said to my husband “Isn’t the LORD just so good? Now this is a miracle right there, isn’t it!”

Isn’t He just a great God that helps us in times of need! Perhaps you are also somebody that often is looking for their sunglasses or house keys like my husband. Perhaps you need some help with writing a letter or finding a job. Whatever it is, rest assured that the LORD wants to be your helper. Although He is the great I AM, the Maker of heaven and earth, there is no situation or aspect that is too unimportant or too insignificant to Him. All that He wants is to be involved in your life. So, do you want to see more miracles in your life? Then give him your hand and allow Him to help you. You will be amazed to see “how much God” is in your life!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

I Am In Control.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”
(1 Peter 5, 6-7 NIV).

It had been such a rough day to say the least. And this not being enough already, we came home only to see that my husbands laptop, that came back from the repair center that day had lost all it’s data. After hours of talking to the computer specialist over the phone and somehow getting nowhere, my husband was so exhausted. He eventually said to me “I don’t know what to do anymore.” With the little hope he still had, he made one last phone call and spoke to another IT specialist. It was arranged that the specialist took control over his laptop all the way from India. She was sitting in that office in India whilst we were in our home in the U.S. We watched her moving the cursor on our screen and working on our problems. It was such a fascinating thing to watch her and with her calm and friendly voice say to us “Do not worry. I am taking control now.” Not only did she have an extraordinary expertise, she had such a gentle character and her words simply allowed us to rely on her and sit back and watch her taking control of everything.

This is what the LORD has for you too! Are you having some problems that you cannot fix by yourself? Do you need God to intervene on your behalf? I encourage you to give all of your concerns to the LORD. Then watch Him take over and solve them for you. After all, He is still the great I AM and He deeply cares for you. He wants your life to be carefree. So will you allow Him to be your hero?

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“I Am The Transformer”

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV).

I have never seen such an intense transformation taking place in the fall season like it does here in Iowa, Northern America. This is just such an amazing play of colors and I really stand in awe as I marvel at God the great Creator. These colors are so intense and shine so brightly that I sometimes think I need to put on my sunglasses!

What amazes me the most is that when the leaves lose their color they don't just get brown, die and fall to the ground. No, before they die they actually transform from the ordinary green into an excellent bright red, radiant orange or intense yellow. This season has become my absolute favorite one.

The LORD spoke to me about these leaves and said that He wants His children to display this same kind of glory that is excellent, radiant and intense. It comes from the inside out and this glory is God in you! Believe that this word is true and you will see an extraordinary transformation of your own personality taking place. This is when people cannot any longer deny that there is a God that is alive.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

Be Prepared!

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction”
(2 Timothy 4:2).

I recently had an appointment with the local radio station in my hometown. I had seen the building from the outside and so I made my own conclusions about it. I thought I could dress very casual. After all the outside of the building looked a bit insignificant. The windows of the building were dark and so I couldn’t see how the inside looked like.

How I was mistaken! As I opened the front door and entered into their offices I was hit by a big surprise: A whole new realm opened itself up to me and it was like coming from the darkness into the light. Their offices were extremely elegant and exquisite. I was welcomed with much respect by two men in suits and ties and I was also introduced to the founder and his elegant wife.

As I was sitting in a most sophisticated meeting room, I thought about my appearance. Here I was sitting in my jogging suit with no make-up on my face. On top of that my hair looked awful. You can imagine how embarrassing this was for me and I thought “Lord, please get me out of here right away.” But I had to endure my foolishness highly underestimating the situation.

So think about this: As a born again believer you are Christ’s ambassador and so readiness at all times is a good place to be in. After all, you never know where the LORD will lead you today, right?! He might just want you to stand before Kings and Queens and represent the King of Kings! Do not think you are insignificant because He thinks you are worthy to represent Him. So be ready and expect great things to happen before your eyes.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

He Knows Your Needs.

“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him (Matthew 6:8 NIV)”.

What do you think of that: One morning you discover a brand new pair of tennis shoes on your property placed by some anonymous somebody. You don’t know who it is, but you sense right away that this is something from God. Well, this happened to us and I was touched by this kind provision from above. First I thought they were for me but as I tried them on I realized they were too big for my feet. So my husband and I put these shoes aside in our foyer. They were waiting there for a while until a young man moved into our house. We are helping him “get back on his feet” again. One of the things we noticed right away was that he urgently needed a new pair of shoes. The ones he was wearing were torn up and also not fit for the cold season that was approaching. And you know what? These new shoes fit him perfectly! They were waiting all these weeks just for him, a person that needed a new pair of shoes. It’s like an angel of the Lord just stopped by one day and dropped these shoes off in advance for him.

Isn’t this just a beautiful story of how the Father in Heaven knows what we need before we even ask Him? Well in advance He knew that this young man was going to stay with us and that he would need a new pair of shoes. He used a person unknown to us to provide and put them in our yard.

Today your heavenly Father wants to reassure you that He knows what you need. He knows all your emotional, physical, material and spiritual needs and He wants to be the one that meets them all. The only requirement He needs from you is that you put your entire trust in Him. So do not put your trust away which has such a great reward. Wait upon the LORD and the manifestation of His provision for you. I tell you the truth, your trust in Him and your walk of faith will never be the same. Remember, you serve an awesome God!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

Give What You Have.

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow- when you now have it with you" (Proverbs 3:27-28 NIV).

A few months ago we were able to by a navigation system for our car. You cannot imagine the great relief we experienced. No more maps, no more hassle to find a street, no more late arrivals and no more arguments in the car. It is a wonderful instrument and such a great invention. As we were talking with a friend about it he got so excited and asked us if he could borrow it for his next trip. As we had grown close to it and it had become so dear to us, it was at first a little difficult for us to let it go. But of course we gave it to him and you know, the more he borrowed it from us the happier we got because we were able to meet his need and give something away which we had.

You know the Bible tells us that God loves the cheerful giver and that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Wow and how this was true! One day my husband received from our friend a totally unexpected wonderful gift. I mean a truly awesome gift! It was a fine leather jacket with the emblem of his alma mater, The Ohio State University, which he absolutely adores. And to make things perfect the jacket came just in the right size. Think about that. A new leather jacket, in just the right size, with his home state college mascot delivered to our front door step - three states away!

We serve an awesome God, don’t we and his rewards are just amazing. So what do we learn here? What is it that you have? Belongings, time, money? Whatever it is, give what you have, serve your brother and sister with what you have, and surely God will take care of you. I can assure you that He will open His storehouses for you and pour out His abundant blessings on you.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner

“Going To The Next Level”

“Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19 NIV).

I am so blessed that I have a husband that loves to fish and is an expert in so many things he does. He recently bought me a fishing rod and all the utensils you need so that our next fishing outreach would be a success. I learned a lot about casting out the rod, waiting for the fish, knowing where they were, different animate and inanimate baits. I came to the conclusion if you want to be a successful fisherman you need to focus on the fish and you need to give them the best bait you have, otherwise they will not nibble at all.

I learned that wax worms are a very good and tasty bait, especially when they are alive. The only problem I had was that I just couldn’t touch the bait nor the fish when it was caught with my bare hands, it disgusted me too much. My husband was gracious enough to do the job for me for a while. All I now had to do was cast out my rod and wait for the fish to get caught. But you know what, although I was highly excited about fishing, I was dependent on my husband to do the “dirty job” for me and unless I had the courage to overcome, I would remain on this level and never become a skillful fisherman.

Perhaps you have some areas in your life that hinder you to go forward and to do the work of the LORD. You rely on others to do it or you say you are not good enough and let others do the “job”. Today the LORD wants to encourage you to overcome and to go to the next level of your walk with Him. He wants you to be a skillful fisher of man. Dare to be open enough to talk to the LORD about these areas and allow Him to bring you to the next level. The excitement for the adventure will arise again and you will be empowered with boldness from on high.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Suzanne Tanner

A Sigh To Heaven.

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
(Psalm 37:4)

This is an often quoted verse and a well known one to many of us. But what is LORD speaking about when He says that He will give you the desires of your heart? Do these desires include cars, houses, jewelry, money – I mean all the things you cannot afford? Let me share a little story with you to answer this question:

One evening it began to snow heavily and our sidewalk and porch were covered by a heavy layer of snow. Some boys were knocking at our door and asking if they could clear the snow for us. We didn’t have the money to pay them, nor did we have a shovel to do it ourselves. Besides, my husband was feeling very sick and couldn’t do the job anyway. The next day I had a look at our property and in my heart I so wished we could clear the way for other people to walk past our house on safe ground. Looking over to the house across the street I saw that they were working with a snow plough. I thought, “That’s a smart and efficient way to get rid of all that snow fast and without much strain”. I so desired to have a clear side walk for us. And you know what? Next thing I know, our elderly neighbor who had gone through some major surgery, comes walking around our house with his snow plough sweeping away all the excessive snow without us asking!

You see there is a fine difference between demanding and desiring. You need to realize that you cannot make demands on somebody you love. And when you replace your demands for desires you will discover the delight in the LORD that the Bible is talking about. I encourage you today to put your trust in Him and to talk with Him about the things you carry in your heart. And then you will see Him move in truly amazing ways in your life!

Have a wonderfully blessed day!


Suzanne Tanner