Surrender

July 17, 2016 / Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Surrender

is so sweet

It is a free fall into the arms

of Abba

It is a breath of fresh air

after holding it for too long

It is the white flag

changed from black control

It is tight fists

released and open-palmed

It is the bowing of all

for God’s purposes

Acknowledgement

of sovereignty Divine

Surrender is necessary

for peace and joy

Surrender

is so sweet

– Susie Stewart

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

– Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

The Eternal made everything for a reason. Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.

– Proverbs 16:4 (VOICE)

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

– Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Peter: Master, we have left behind everything we had to follow You.

– Mark 10:28 (VOICE)

For any one of you who wants to be rescued will lose your life, but any one of you who loses your life for My sake and for the sake of this good news will be liberated.

– Mark 8:35 (VOICE)

Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship.

– Romans 12:1 (VOICE)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Moldable

July 16, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Would I rather stay a lump of clay,

or be molded

into something beautiful?

Would I rather be safe?

Or would I rather experience life

in abundance?

Would I rather God grow me through the tough stuff

or stay unchanged,

stagnant?

He uses all for my good,

and I can rely on this promise

I trust Him to mold me

with His loving hands

– Susie Stewart

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father.

We are just clay, and You are the potter.
We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.

– Isaiah 64:8 (VOICE)

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

– Romans 8:28 (VOICE)

Every man’s character remains as it is, or continues in the direction in which it is going, until it is compelled by IMPRESSED FORCES to change that state. Our failure has been the failure to put ourselves in the way of the impressed forces. There is a clay, and there is a Potter; we have tried to get the clay to mould the clay.

– Henry Drummond

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’

– Isaiah 45:9 (NLT)

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Unmerited

July 15, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Who else

in all the universe

can make you feel completely

unworthy,

and yet also feel completely

loved?

God is the only One

Utterly unmerited –

so it must be true love

– Susie Stewart

This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

– 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

– Ephesians 3:18-21 (MSG)

Photo by Arik Stewart

All His

July 14, 2016July 14, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to Him.

For He laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.

– Psalm 24:1-2 (NLT)

You established all of it, God

You created it all, every thing and every person

and even though some do not acknowledge You

or they shake their fists at You

it’s still all Yours

and always will be

You spoke

and it all appeared

You created in love and power

God, You sustain us

and I am so grateful

that the One who spoke life into

oceans and galaxies and babies and whales

loves me

and I am Yours

– Susie Stewart

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are Mine.

When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior….

…you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

– Isaiah43:1-4 (NLT)

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.

-Revelation 21:3 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Worthship

July 13, 2016July 13, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Lord, I feel as if I’m learning

all the time

what worship of You

looks like

It is all-encompassing,

a life poured out and in awe of You

A wide awake observation

It is my everything

bowed to You

expecting and obedient

It is surrender

humility

recognition of You

as God of all

It is discipline

heart focus

clarity

Light

It is words

and listening

singing

speaking

quiet

Worship is open eyes

open heart

open mind

open, redeemed, learning soul

Worship is gratefulness and reverential wonder

You are the object of my worship

Yours is the grace that brings me here

– Susie Stewart

It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.

– John 4:23-24 (MSG)

In prayer we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, but in worship we are totally occupied with God Himself.

– A.P. Gibbs

Worship is not a repetitious exercise of rituals and formulas. These create a veil that actually prevents us from enjoying the presence of the Lord. Worship is the heart poured out in gratitude and awe, expressing our appreciation of who He is and what He has done for us by His grace through Jesus Christ.

– Dave Hunt

Worship is the path to experiencing the presence of God, the way to face-to-face intimacy.

– Linda Dillow

Photo by Arik Stewart

Squirrel!

July 12, 2016 / Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

On my hike this morning….

Lord, I love you! I see Your beauty in these wildflowers! You are lovely, God. You are so great and I love You…

(Don’t forget to get trash bags at Walmart, oh and potting soil…)

And, God, please watch over Colie at camp and Arik in Denver, keep them safe….

(These shoes are so good for hiking. I’m really glad I got them. My flip flops are wearing out, though, I think I better get some new ones before the old ones break…)

Oh yes, God, thank you for a new morning, and for health and strength and for life!

(Man, I really loved my time with my Jericho Girls group last night. What a precious time of sharing…)

Lord, I’m sorry….

I have the hardest time staying focused sometimes when I’m praying to You. I want to

(Squirrel!)

I want to keep all my focus on You on these hikes, but I’m so distracted. I’m just sorry….

(Ugh, messed up again….)

I love you, child. I made you a multi-tasker. I see you trying hard to keep focused on Me. I made you this way and I use you this way. You are not messing up. I’m always here.

God…. I just love You so much. Thank You. I will keep trying with Your help.

I am just like a friend walking along your side that you jump from topic to topic with. I delight in you.

Friend, do you struggle with focus when praying? Boy, I sure do. But I’m so thankful that God sticks right with me anyway. And I’m thankful that as I grow to know Him more and more that my communication with Him can flow more and more freely throughout the day. He is always with me and I can talk to Him any time. What a precious gift from my Abba Father. Be encouraged! God knows we can be flighty. He is patient with His children.

– Susie Stewart

Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

– Jeremiah 29:12 (NIV)

God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.

– Proverbs 15:8 (MSG)

Search for the Lord and for His strength;
continually seek Him.

– 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope Je has given to those He called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

– Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

First

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016 / Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

As a new believer I often said my purpose was to know Him and make Him known. Too often my emphasis was on making Him known rather than on knowing Him…. My desire to serve God was good, but my priorities were out of order. God’s Word clearly says that the first and most important thing is this: to love God with all our being (Matthew 22:37-38). This is the first and greatest commandment. The second commandment is loving others, which includes ministry or works of service (Matthew 22:39). I had reversed these two.

It’s so important to be able to say, I am not primarily a worker for God; I am first and foremost a lover of God. This is who I am.

…When our priorities become turned around, and we place more emphasis on loving others than on loving God, we are headed for spiritual and physical exhaustion.

– Linda Dillow

All of us need to be lovers who work rather than workers who love.

– Bob Sorge

You first, God

All others –

people

work

recreation

ministry…..

Second

And not just in theory

but in Truth

I love You, Lord!

I delight in You

worship You

adore You

and I find my grounding here

find my purpose here

Loving You

And finding more reasons to love You

increases my delight in You

increases my awe of You

makes me want to love You more

For You loved me first

and drew me to Yourself

– Susie Stewart

O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust.
I seek You with every fiber of my being.
In this dry and weary land with no water in sight,
my soul is dry and longs for You.
My body aches for You, for Your presence.

– Psalm 63:1 (VOICE)

I have loved you with an everlasting love—
out of faithfulness I have drawn you close.

– Jeremiah 31:3 (VOICE)

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

– Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

Come, let us worship Him. Everyone bow down;
kneel before the Eternal who made us.

-Psalm 95:6 (VOICE)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Freedom

July 11, 2016July 11, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I am a slave to no one

and nothing

especially to sin

It does not rule over me

Christ set me free

and I am free forever

I am no slave to fear

to people’s opinions

to shame

to evil

I conquer

through Christ

in fact, I more than conquer

The victory is mine

And no matter what,

I am free

– Susie Stewart

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

– Galatians 5:1 (MSG)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for He has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free.” ~ Jesus

– Luke 4:18 (NLT)

Doesn’t it make sense that if you sign yourself over as a slave, you will have to obey your master? The question before you is, What will be your master? Will it be sin—which will lead to certain death—or obedience—which will lead to a right and reconciled life?

– Romans 6:16 (VOICE)

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].

– Romans 8:37 (AMP)

Photo by Andy Stewart

His Name

July 10, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Your name, Jesus,

has power unlimited

Your name

has meaning deep and profound

Your name

sparks controversy and division

Your name

melts the calloused heart

How is it that Your name

is spoken in vain?

As if You weren’t God

over all the universe?

As if it were any other profane word….

The blasphemers don’t know,

or they don’t care

But one day,

all will acknowledge Your name

And for me, Your name

will only leave my lips

to honor You

or speak to You

Your name

is the most beautiful one I know

– Susie Stewart

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

– Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

Lord, there is no one like you!
For you are great, and your name is full of power.

– Jeremiah 10:6 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart