Find Me True

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him….

– 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

 

Every day we make

Choices

 

Too many to count

choices

 

about how we spend our time

how we treat people

what we will eat

 

how we will respond,

or react

 

where we will go

what we will think about

 

Who or what we worship

 

And, Lord,

my deepest desire

 

is for You to find me faithful,

for You to see me

seeking You

 

and that the choices I make

are directed by You

 

Your eyes roam the earth

to find the faithful

the committed

the wise

 

and that’s who I want to be

 

one of the few

who seeks You wholeheartedly

 

and makes choices

in Your strength

and with Your wisdom

 

eyes on You

as You find me true

 

– Susie Stewart

 

God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

– Psalm 53:2 (NIV)

 

God has looked down from heaven upon the children of men To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God [who requires Him, who longs for Him as essential to life].

– Psalm 53:2 (AMP) 

 

God sticks His head out of heaven. He looks around. He’s looking for someone not stupid— one man, even, God-expectant, just one God-ready woman.

– Psalm 53:2 (MSG)

 

From heaven the True God examines the earth to see if any understand the big picture, if any seek to know the True God.

– Psalm 53:2 (VOICE)

 

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

But God

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

 

 

 

Yourself

I have told you, my children,

since you were young

 

that you are responsible

for yourself

 

Many people will do what is wrong

in the sight of God

 

But you remain true to Him

no matter what

 

And don’t get caught up

and offended

and angry

at whatever they do

 

You be responsible for yourself

 

It is your own life

that God will hold you accountable for

 

You will not change others

Change yourself when God reveals truth to you

 

Just go about your Father’s business

and leave Him to handle others

 

And if God opens a door

for you to speak truth into another

 

invited

 

Do so humbly and boldly

 

You, my dear children,

are responsible for you

 

before man

and before God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

– Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

 

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

– 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)

 

Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!

– Luke 6:31 (MSG)

 

Jesus didn’t try to change the minds of those who firmly believed they were right.  His entire focus was to go about the Father’s business.

– Suzanne Eller

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Fight!

 

What battle are you fighting?

 

There always is one

right?

 

A battle in your mind for purity

A battle in your home for peace

A battle at work for your witness

A battle in your heart for trust

A battle in your family for unity

 

And on and on…

 

And we often forget,

that at the root,

the battle is not with the people

 

The real battle is fought in the spiritual realm

 

 

The weapons we fight with

look like

 

Vigilance of mind

Prayer

Truth-seeking

Readiness

Faith

Steadiness

and

Standing firm

 

And too often

Jesus Followers surrender

 

We give in

when we need to fight!

 

There is an unseen world

swirling all around us

 

The battle is fierce!

 

And we approach it with

niceness

excuses

depression

cowering

apathy

fear

anxiety

defeat

 

The stance is casual and weak

in this intense battle

 

There is a clash of swords unseen

Light and darkness having it out

 

A struggle

between good and evil

 

And in the physical world

it feels like silence,

Deafening silence

 

But KNOW that all is not silent

It is unearthly LOUD

 

Our apathy

our surrender to evil

our cowardice

 

cause us to walk in limbo

or defeat

instead of victory

 

Let us stand up and fight, Warriors!

 

Better yet, let us get down on our knees

and fight

 

Fight for our purity!

Fight for our families!

Fight for our friendships!

Fight for our peace of mind!

Fight for our trust in God!

 

And may we not stand down

in our witness

 

For the battle belongs to the Lord

 

– Susie Stewart

 

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

– 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)

 

This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.

– Ephesians 6:12 (GW)

 

David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—He’s handing you to us on a platter!”

– 1 Samuel 17:46-48 (MSG)

 

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

– Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

 

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

– Exodus 14:13,14 (NIV)

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

– Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Warrior

Do you know

that your King

is also your Warrior?

 

He fights for YOU

 

The fiercest battles

are the unseen

 

And because you are His

He will defend you

 

Almighty Warrior

Savior

Defender

Rock

 

Surrender to Him

and He will fight for you

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

The Lord is with me like a mighty warrior….

– Jeremiah 20:11 (NIV)

 

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

– Exodus 14:14 (NIV) 

 

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

– 2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV)

 

For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’

– Deuteronomy 20:4 (NLT)

 

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