Uganda

Entitled

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

We have the great privilege

of coming to God with our requests

 

We ask Him for what we want

and He chooses to answer the way He wants

 

And we get into a dangerous place

when we only see Him as good

 

When He answers the way we think He should

 

The fact is,

we either trust His sovereignty

His wisdom

and His omniscience

 

Or we don’t

 

When we meet God’s “No”

with the stomp of our foot

 

We in essence are showing a lack of trust

and a sense of entitlement

 

Santa Jesus would hand us whatever we ask for

and therein we would develop no faith

 

We would have no need of an all-knowing God,

for whenever we exercised our will of asking

 

Santa Jesus would give us

whatever we want

 

This is not what we should expect

 

May our prayers be ones of great faith

and trust

 

In our great God

who knows best

 

– Susie Stewart

 

He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity He restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him. After God made that decision of what His children should be like, He followed it up by calling people by name. After He called them by name, He set them on a solid basis with Himself. And then, after getting them established, He stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what He had begun.

– Romans 8:27-30 (MSG)

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…

– Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

 

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”

– Mark 5:36 (NLT)

 

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

– Psalm 112:7 NIV)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

Friend

/ Susie Stewart / 5 Comments

 

My responsibility to you as a friend

is not

to always be the one you need

 

It is to point you

to the One

who can come closer to you like no one else

 

My aim

as a friend

is to point you to Jesus

 

I want you

to really know Him

 

My desire

is that you hear His voice

more and more

 

That you receive godly wisdom

knowledge

and discernment

 

I long for you to know

the love

that God lavishes on you

 

And the hope

that goes beyond this life

 

What I want

even more than to be close to you

is for you to be close to God

 

And that you

know

the glory to which He has called you

 

That is what being a true friend

is all about

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.

– Ephesians 1:15-23 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

The Wait

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

When it comes to waiting on God

you can either wait with your hands on your hips

or you can wait with your hands outstretched in worship

 

Which do you think is the wise way

to wait on Almighty God?

 

Rest in His agenda

 

– Susie Stewart

 

At the end of the four hundred and thirty years, to that very day, all the hosts of the Lord [gathered into tribal armies] left the land of Egypt.

– Exodus 12:41 (AMP)

 

I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

– Psalm 27:13, 14 (AMP)

 

But as for me, I trust [confidently] in You and Your greatness, O Lord;
I said, “You are my God.”
My times are in Your hands…

– Psalm 31:14, 15 (AMP)

 

One caution:  When we bring our questions to God, we need to wait for His answer.  We must not throw our questions at Him and then go to a friend and complain, “I can’t understand what God is doing to me.”  Such actions constitute unbelief.  So after you bring God your questions, hold your ground, even if you are still in the dark about why you are waiting or about how long you will wait.

– Linda Dillow

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

You

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.
He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them His way.
All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of His covenant.
For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.
The Lord confides in those who fear Him;
He makes His covenant known to them.

– Psalm 25:8-14 (NIV)

 

You, God,

Instruct sinners listening and not

 

You guide the humble

and teach them Your ways

 

You show love and faithfulness

to those who follow You

 

You Instruct the choices

of those who are faithful

 

And You confide

in those who fear You

 

You make Your beautiful covenant

known to them

 

And who are we

to receive Your favor?

 

Who are we to receive Your

Instruction

Guidance

Teaching

Love

Faithfulness

Confidence

Revelation?

 

We are not worthy, God

 

But You are,

and You choose this for us

 

And it makes us want to choose

Humility

Following

Faithfulness

Fear

 

Before You

All the more

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But me He caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; He pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

– Psalm 18:15-17 (MSG)

 

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.

– Acts 17:27 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

God’s Child

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

“He reacted like it was the best news he’d ever heard!”

 

I listened as my friend Carol

recounted one of her interactions in Uganda…

 

As she taught village children about God’s Word

and encouraged them to memorize the precious words,

 

She led some in a prayer of surrender

to Truth

 

And told a young one,

“You are now a child of God!”

 

 

The boy reacted with sheer

uninhibited excitement

 

With elation

inside and out

 

It was the best news

he had

ever

heard

 

No one could curb his enthusiasm

over the unbelievable message

 

And a life was changed that day

 

Because a young one

embraced His Father

 

And God’s grace

and love

and forgiveness

enveloped the child

 

He was grafted into the family

he longed for

 

An orphan’s hope,

to be adopted by God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.

– John 1:2 (NLT)

 

Jesus called a little child to Him and put the child among them. Then He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

– Matthew 18:2-4 (NLT)

 

One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him.

When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.

– Mark 10:13-16 (NLT)

 

You are all God’s children by believing in Christ Jesus.

– Galatians 3:26 (NLT)

 

“I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

– John 14:17-19 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Temptation

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

God has provided a way out for you

He always does

 

Temptation is NOT your master

 

Well,

it can be

if God is not truly your Master

 

We are all tempted

 

What you experience is nothing new

 

But the Lord’s faithfulness

will not allow

more temptation than you can stand

 

He will show you your exit

from that which will pull you down

 

He was tempted

and understands

 

Don’t be ruled by something

that will lead you away from Him

and only end in death

 

Let His Spirit lead you

out

 

– Susie Stewart

 

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

– 1 Corinthians 10:12,13 (NLT)

 

Here’s my instruction: walk in the Spirit, and let the Spirit bring order to your life. If you do, you will never give in to your selfish and sinful cravings.

– Galatians 5:16 (VOICE)

 

Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

– Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

 

A man must not say when he is tempted, “God is tempting me.” For God has no dealings with evil, and does not himself tempt anyone. No, a man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive. His own desire takes hold of him, and that produces sin. And sin in the long run means death—make no mistake about that, brothers of mine!

– James 1:13-16 (PHILLIPS)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Fragrance

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Jesus,

the fragrance of You is so sweet

and I desire to spread Your beautiful scent

 

May my life be poured out

at Your feet

 

And may Your Spirit in me

be so evident

 

As perfume fills a room

and a scent permeates the senses

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One; and through us He spreads the beautiful fragrance of His knowledge to every corner of the earth.

– 2 Corinthians 2:14 (VOICE)

 

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

– Ephesians 5:1,2 (NIV)

 

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

– John 12:3 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Reminder

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

I’m thinking you might need a reminder today

 

A reminder of who you are

 

Because we all tend to believe lies sometimes,

spoken to us

or whispered in our heads

 

Truth is a good reminder,

so soak it in

 

YOU ARE

Loved more than you can even imagine

Redeemed from the worst

Royal, grafted into the family tree

Accepted right now

Child of Almighty God

Saved from eternal death

Friend of Jesus

Heir of treasures and life unimaginable

United with your Creator

Temple to the Holy Spirit

Member of the Body of Christ

Forgiven for everything

Free to walk in freedom

A new creation

Chosen by God

Wise by His guidance

Complete

 

Let truth remind you

and don’t listen to those lies

 

Live a life worthy of your calling

 

And if you went over that list quickly

as you are running through life

stop

and read it again

 

slowly

 

Believe His promises to you

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

– Ephesians4:1 (NLT)

 

How blessed is God! And what a blessing He is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him. Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love. Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved Son.

– Ephesians 1:3-6 (MSG)

 

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.

– John 1:12 (NLT)

 

And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

– Romans 8:17 (NLT)

 

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

– 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)

 

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With His love, He will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

– Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

 

Grieving Him

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

My closest Companion,

I would never want to hurt You

 

My beautiful Encourager,

I don’t want to grieve Your heart

 

And it hurts to think that I could do that

 

And yet I do

 

With my words

 

My words to people

or about people

Unneeded words

Gossip

Slander

Harsh words

Complaining

 

Quick to speak

slow to listen

 

They are all the opposite

of worshipful

 

They do not bring You honor

or glory

or joy

 

Their root is self

and sin

 

And so, my closest Companion,

my precious Holy Spirit,

I seek to worship You

with my words

 

I choose to bless

and not curse

those who have been made in Your image

 

I choose to say no

to gossip

and slander

 

I choose to express gratefulness

and not complaints

 

I choose to say what is helpful

for building others up

 

I choose

to choose

my words carefully

 

For You, Holy Spirit,

dwell in me

 

And the last thing I want to do

is grieve my God,

my Gift

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

– Ephesians 4:29, 30 (NIV)

 

Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

Don’t grieve God. Don’t break His heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for Himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

– Ephesians 4:29,30 (MSG)

 

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

– James 3:9, 10 (NIV)  

 

With the gift of words, we bless God and then turn around and curse husbands, children, and others created in God’s image.  This is serious – because when we curse others, we are in effect cursing God and obliterating the previous act of blessing…..When James used the word curse, it meant much more than cursing and swearing.  Unkind words about a neighbor, child, husband, or anyone who is made in the image of God count as curses.

– Linda Dillow

 

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

 

Worship with Abandon

/ Susie Stewart / 6 Comments

Shout!

If you feel like it

 

Sing

If you feel like it

 

Whisper

If you feel like it

 

Bow

If you feel like it

 

Stand

If you feel like it

 

Dance!

If you feel like it…

 

Self,

Worship God with abandon!

 

Don’t just reserve your strong emotion

for things of this world

 

Nothing here should thrill you

like God!

 

May ALL that is within me

praise the Lord!

 

– Susie Stewart

 

O my soul, come, praise the Eternal
with all that is in me—body, emotions, mind, and will—every part of who I am—
praise His holy name.

– Psalm 103:1 (VOICE)

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

– Psalm 103:1 (NKJV)

 

Praise the Lord!
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

– Psalm 146:1,2 (NLT)

 

I was privileged to hear Joni Eareckson Tada speak Saturday night at the Desiring God Conference.  Most of you know Joni, a quadriplegic, was paralyzed 38 years ago in a diving accident.  She gave a great and convicting message but as the time of worship began, I saw something that was more impressive than anything I heard.  I saw Joni dance.

Joni handles her wheelchair as deftly as any Nascar driver on a racetrack.  No sooner had the music begun than Joni began to “dance”.  As much as a quadriplegic can dance, she danced.  Joni has just enough movement and strength in her hands and shoulders to grip the controls on her chair and maneuver herself without the aid of others.  Suddenly the chair began to move with the music.  She thrust forward, then backward, then forward, then backward.  Smoothly, and yet with obvious passion, she turned to the right, then the left, then the right again.

Suddenly, the forward and backward and side to side movements gave way to spinning.  Well, as much as a paralyzed person can spin.  Joni began to turn her chair in circles, first clockwise, then back again.  If she ceased her movements, if was only so that she could lift her contorted hands as high as her paralysis would allow.  It wasn’t very high, but who’s measuring!

I had to ask myself why I often stand like a vertical cadaver.  I have the glorious gift and privilege of being able to celebrate God and honor Him with my body.  I can kneel, lift my hands to heaven, fall prostrate, clap, and yes, move to the right and left and dance.

I went home thinking about Joni and thinking about her God.  What kind of God is this who can inspire such freedom and joy in one who, from a human point of view, would appear to have very reason to hate Him?  What kind of God is this who has the qualities and characteristics and attributes and beauty and glory that He can be found worthy of the praise and gratitude and “dancing” of a woman who’s spent the last 38 years in a wheelchair?  Wow!  Now that’s some God!

– Dr. Sam Storms

 

I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!…

– 2 Samuel 6:21,22 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart