Scripture

Large Burden, Small Child

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Why are we…

 

….scratch that

 

Why am I

so slow to cast my cares

on You, Lord?

 

Why do I take time

to mull them over and over

in my mind?

 

As if I’m a small child

trying to shoulder a large load

hiking next to my strong Dad

 

When He is clearly saying to me,

“Give it to me, Child.  I will carry it.”

 

But No!  I’ve got this!

 

I really need to think about this

a lot

and I need to go over scenario 1

scenario 2

3, 4, 5 and 6….

 

And I struggle

and I  stumble

and I think I know best

 

when wise Father

is right there

 

and I imagine a loving

head shake from Him

with a questioning “Why?”

 

And it is then that I remember

 

Limitless Divine strength

and that this burden is not mine

to carry

 

And I cast it off

as the distressing hardship that it is

 

My Abba leans down

and I lay the burden on Him

 

and how small that burden now seems

on strong shoulders

 

Such a small thing

 

“Why take so long?”

I ask myself

 

And I see something else ahead on the trail

that looks like it needs to be picked up

 

I look at my Father

and wise eyes speak volumes

 

I decide not to pick it up

 

at all

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

– Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

 

Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.

– 1 Peter 5:7 (VOICE)

 

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”

– Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Strong Tower

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

There is only one Name

that wields unimaginable power

 

That is the Name of the LORD

 

And when I need strength

sheltering

protection

comfort

 

It is the Name I call

the Name I flee to

 

This Name

in fact

is a Strong Tower

 

for those who trust God

with their lives

 

Calling on the Name of YHWH

when fleeing darkness

 

causes the darkness

to flee

 

It exasperates evil

 

I stand atop that LORD tower

and look down at the one who would destroy me

 

He cannot reach me

and I am secure

 

May I never seek anything

before You and Your strong Name, God,

 

My LORD

My Tower

 

secure

fortified

and strong

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].

– Proverbs 18:10 (AMP)

 

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.

– Matthew 6:9 (NLT)

 

So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.

And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”

– Philippians 2:10-11 (GW)

 

No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of His name.

– Exodus 10:7 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

His Attention

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Getting someone’s attention

can be difficult at times

 

Just to have them look you in the eye

and to be heard

 

is rare

 

But you have God’s attention

 

He always sees you

and always hears you

 

His love for you is eternal

His attention faithful

 

God is not distracted

when you talk to Him

 

He is not preoccupied

with items more important

 

So if you have God’s attention

why not engage with Him?

 

Or is the problem

that God does not have

your attention?

 

-Susie Stewart

 

My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in His presence, freely asking according to His will, sure that He’s listening. And if we’re confident that He’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

– 1 John 5:13-15 (MSG)

 

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer…

– 1 Peter 3:12 (NIV)

 

The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and He will refresh your life with His love.

– Zephaniah 3:17 (CEV)

 

Those who fear God get God’s attention; they can depend on His strength.

– Psalm 147:11 (MSG)

 

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with Him, make us fit for Him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

– Romans 5:1-3 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Tempted

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You were pushed to your breaking point,

weren’t you?

 

It was just too much to take

and you had to give in

 

to temptation

 

No one could withstand

that much temptation

 

….except they could

 

Except YOU could…

 

God is faithful to you

and He will not let you

 

be tempted

 

beyond what you can bear

 

And if God is the One

Who causes you to bear it

 

then you don’t need to fail

 

His faithfulness

gives you what you need

 

and there is no excuse that stands

against His promise

 

Take your rightful position

and STAND

against temptation

 

– Susie Stewart

 

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

– 1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMP)

 

So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

– James 4:6-8 (MSG)

 

Because Jesus experienced temptation when He suffered, He is able to help others when they are tempted.

– Hebrews 2:18 (GW)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Self-Examination

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

May I be a follower

who examines myself 

more than I examine others

 

May my eyes be on You, God,

with Spirit-led reflection

on how I’m doing

as your follower

 

For I want to hear You, Lord,

when You are calling for change

and growth

and turning

 

I don’t want self-obsessed introspection

designed to tear me down

 

I will avoid my own voice of self-degradation

originating with the father of lies

 

The only voice I want to hear

is Yours,

loving

and for my good

 

I want to examine my own heart

by Your Spirit

so that I take my stand against the devil’s schemes

 

and so that I may repent

of all that is against You

and Your plan for me

 

and turn my face

to the Light

and the Truth

 

Help me, Jesus,

examine myself

in Your way

 

leading me closer to You

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise.

We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.

– 2 Corinthians 13:5-9 (MSG)

 

If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.

– James 1:23-25 (CEV)

 

Don’t take this opportunity to think you are better than those who slip because you aren’t; then you become the fool and deceive even yourself. Examine your own works so that if you are proud, it will be because of your own accomplishments and not someone else’s.  Each person has his or her own burden to bear and story to write.

– Galatians 6:3-5 (VOICE)

 

Now let’s search out our thoughts and ways and return to the Eternal.

– Lamentations 3:40 (VOICE)

 

As your spiritual teacher I give this piece of advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all. For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members of one another. Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man who wields authority think of his responsibility; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows act cheerfully.

– Romans 12:3-8 (PHILLIPS)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Resolution

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

I have but one resolution

for the new year

 

and that is

to commit my way to the Lord

 

 

All else falls

below that

 

And when I commit,

I trust

 

I trust my God

Who will guide my steps

 

I trust my God

Who will guard me in His love

 

I trust my God

Who will show me the way

 

As long as I am committed to Him

 

Twenty Seventeen

I give to You, God

 

I look to You for each step

as I worship You

in Your glory

 

You are my Joy

both now

and forever

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Entrust your ways to the Lord.
Trust Him, and He will act on your behalf.
He will make your righteousness shine like a light,
your just cause like the noonday sun.

– Psalm 37:5,6 (GW)

 

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.

– Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

 

Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires!

– Psalm 37:4 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Victoria Stewart

 

 

Complacent

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I know when I’m complacent

I know it’s a choice

 

And I can see why God detests

lukewarm

 

Because when I’m in that place

it’s a miserable place

 

And You, Lord, don’t wake me up

to have me meander, head low, to You

 

You call me to run back!

 

With fervency

and joy

and thankfulness

 

Mercy awaits

the temporarily complacent

 

Mercy beckons

 

Loving with abandon

crushes complacency

 

– Susie Stewart

 

What the world doesn’t need is Christians who tolerate the complacency of their own lives.

– Francis Chan

 

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.”

But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

– Luke 15:20-24 (NLT)

 

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

– Romans 2:4 (NLT)

 

Those I love I also correct and discipline. Therefore, be shamelessly committed to Me, and turn back.

– Revelation 3:19 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Light in Light

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

In Light

we see Light

 

In darkness

all is dark

 

So, Jesus, open the eyes of the blind!

Awaken them to Light!

 

For the dark

is a scary place to be

 

It’s hopeless…

 

But those who dwell in Light

recognize Your Light

 

and want it

for those in absence of it

 

Those who dwell in blackness

can’t see it

 

Loose them, Lord!

Unbind them!

 

Let us be Your Light

to our fellow-created

 

May Your Light

Pierce the darkness

 

that threatens to overtake

those You love

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

– Psalm 36:9 (NIV)

 

How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet You spread as You fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You’re a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light.

– Psalm 36:7-9 (MSG)

 

In Your house, they eat and are full at Your table.
They drink from the river of Your overflowing kindness.
You have the fountain of life that quenches our thirst.
Your light has opened our eyes and awakened our souls.

– Psalm 36:8,9 (VOICE)

 

But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.

– Luke 15:32 (GNT)

 

Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say,

“Wake up from your sleep
and rise from death.
Then Christ will shine on you.”

– Ephesians 5:14 CEV)

 

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins.

– Colossians 2:13 (NLT)

 

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! Then He picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.

– Ephesians 2:1-6 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

In the Highest

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Jesus,

You who always were

in the highest

 

and always were

the Highest

 

humbled Yourself

lowly

for me

 

And I am in awe

of the sacrifice

 

of majesty

and Sonship

and royalty

 

Because the highest place

and the highest position

and the highest praise

 

are what You deserve

 

A wooden animal trough

made by a carpenter’s hands

is where you came to be

 

And I will forever thank You

and I will forever bless You

and I will forever praise You

 

for You are the Highest

bent low

for me

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And in a flash there appeared with the angel a vast host of the armies of Heaven, praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest Heaven! Peace upon earth among men of goodwill!”

– Luke 2:13,14 (PHILLIPS)

 

For the Lord Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He is a great King over all the earth.

– Psalm 47:2 (NLT)

 

Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo!
Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!
God Most High is stunning,
astride land and ocean.
He crushes hostile people,
puts nations at our feet.
He set us at the head of the line,
prize-winning Jacob, his favorite.
Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,
a ram’s horn blast at the summit.
Sing songs to God, sing out!
Sing to our King, sing praise!
He’s Lord over earth,
so sing your best songs to God.
God is Lord of godless nations—
sovereign, He’s King of the mountain.
Princes from all over are gathered,
people of Abraham’s God.
The powers of earth are God’s—
He soars over all.

– Psalm 47:1-9 (MSG)

 

 

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.

– Psalm 57:2 (NLT)

 

Lord Most High, Your voice
thundered from the heavens.

– 2 Samuel 22:14 (CEV)

 

I will thank the Lord because He is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

– Psalm 7:17

 

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around Him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”

– Matthew 21:9 (NLT)

 

Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: Blessed is He who comes, the king in God’s name! All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places!

– Luke 19:37,38 (MSG)

 

 

But God

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

I looked at her text

and it gave me pause

 

“Interesting times here, but God…”

 

But GOD

with three tiny dots

 

And it got me to thinking

 

about how God is always present

and supremely sovereign

 

And no matter what…

 

BUT GOD

 

So I went on a search

through the Scriptures

 

and found His hand

working in our circumstances

in the middle of our humanness

 

in the pain

in the joys

 

in the midst…

 

But God…

was in

and about

and through

and all over

 

He is here

and He is aware

and He is at work

 

in our present circumstances

 

And no matter what,

our sentence can end

with “but God…”

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

– Geness 8:1 (NIV)

 

But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night…

– Genesis 20:3 (NIV)

 

He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

– Genesis 31:5 (NIV)

 

…But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands…

– Genesis 31:42 (NIV)

 

“I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

– Genesis 41:16 (NIV)

 

But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

– Genesis 45:7 (NIV)

 

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

– Genesis 45:8 (NIV)

 

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you…”

– Genesis 48:21

 

 

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

– Genesis 50:20

 

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid…”

– Genesis 50:24

 

 

…But God did not answer him that day.

– 1 Samuel 14:37

 

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

– 1 Samuel 23:14

 

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.

– 1 Kings 5:4

 

…For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

– 2 Chronicles 20:15

 

With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.

– 2 Chronicles 32:8

 

 

But the eye of their God was watching…

– Ezra 5:5

 

“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.

– Ezra 9:8

 

…But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love…

– Nehemiah 9:17

 

But in Your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

– Nehemiah 9:31

 

But God drags away the mighty by His power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life.

– Job 24:22

 

But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

– Psalm 9:18

 

But You, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.

– Psalm 10:14

 

 

But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to Himself.

– Psalm 49:15

 

…but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer.

– Psalm 66:19

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

– Psalm 73:26

 

But God is my King from long ago; He brings salvation on the earth.

– Psalm 74:12

 

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

– Psalm 86:15

 

But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

– Psalm 94:22

 

But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by His righteous acts.

– Isaiah 5:16

 

But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King.

– Jeremiah 10:10

 

But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

– Jeremiah 10:12

 

…but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.

– Daniel 2:28

 

…But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.

– Jonah 2:6

 

 

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

– Matthew 19:26

 

…but God knows your hearts….

– Luke 16:15

 

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

– Acts 2:24

 

You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

– Acts 3:15

 

But God was with him…

– Acts 7:9

 

…but God raised Him from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen.

– Acts 10:40

 

But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.

– Acts 26:22

 

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

– Romans 5:8

 

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

– 1 Corinthians 1:27

 

But God has put the body together…

– 1 Corinthians 12:24

 

But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us…

– 2 Corinthians 7:6

 

…I do not know, but God knows—

– 2 Corinthians 12:3

 

 

Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

– Philippians 2:27

 

 

…but God is the builder of everything.

– Hebrews 3:4

 

…but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness.

– Hebrews 12:10

 

Photo by Susie Stewart