Bible

Flexibility

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

We who have Light

dwelling in us

 

of all people

 

we should be the most flexible

 

Pliable

bendable

unhardened

 

toward God

and people

 

For when we follow our Savior

He takes us places

 

where stiff cannot dwell

 

The free-flowing Spirit of God

needs to breathe through us

 

And this requires flexibility

 

to things unknown

to changes in schedule

to people unreached

 

Flexibility is a Spirit of God walk

in an uncertain world

 

It is love

when unexpected

 

It is Yes

when No is probable

 

It is the joy of the Lord

encompassing

all relationships

and circumstances

 

Live unbreakably pliable

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”

– James 4:13-15 (MSG)

 

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.

– Ephesians 4:1-3 (VOICE)

 

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed Him.

– Mark 1:16-18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Andy Stewart

 

 

My Will

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I bow my will

as worship

to you, God

 

I surrender me

my dreams

my desires

 

I worship You

with the bowing

 

I give to You

that which I wish to control

 

For there are things

in this life You’ve given to me

 

that I would not

have chosen

 

They frustrate

and try

and

challenge

 

and I would not have chosen them

 

but You did

 

And I lay it all down

knowing

 

that in You

I have strength for anything

 

in You

I can be more

 

in You

I can stand strong

 

In You

I know nothing is wasted

 

 

And the reason I know this

is because You’ve shown me before

 

that my will bowed

in the midst of hard and trying

 

means deep-set peace

 

and I know that You endured far more

than a mere trial

 

for my sake

 

So here and now

I bow

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

– Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)

 

We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because He knew that later on He would be glad He did. Now He is seated at the right side of God’s throne!

– Hebrews 12:2 (CEV)

 

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

– James 1:12 (NLT)

 

…constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength]…

– Romans 12:12 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Salvation Strength

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Do you know

the strength of your salvation?

 

Do you know the power at work

in and through you?

 

You were saved for so much more

than you probably even realize

 

Jesus’ death and resurrection

broke the power of death over you

 

And you will live gloriously forever

because of the gift of your salvation

 

Your salvation brings you strong victory over sin

and you are no longer chained to it!

 

You have power in Christ

to overcome sin

to stomp on it

 

and before Christ

you were defenseless against it

 

Your salvation protects you

from the enemy who wants to take you down

 

He has no authority over you

so resist him

 

Your salvation brings you life-giving freedom

from your prison cell

 

and you have the power

to walk in that freedom

 

Your salvation brings you hope

in an uncertain world

and uncertain times

 

and this is a strong and enduring hope

 

Your salvation brings you peace

making you able to stand solid in chaos

 

Your salvation is strength

and defense

and endures forever

 

There is no need

to walk in defeat

 

– Susie Stewart

 

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News….

– Colossians 1:21-23 (NLT)

 

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

– Romans 8:38, 39 (MSG)

 

“It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put Me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.

– John 5:24 (MSG)

 

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

– Romans 8:1, 2 (MSG)

 

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

– 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NLT)

 

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

– John 8:36 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Embraced

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You

are wrapped in Light

 

You who trust God

 

He promises

to surround you

with Himself

 

And if you could but see

 

the Lord

with His arms wrapped

lovingly

 

around you

 

fear would be dispelled

and loneliness would fade

 

Trust Him

 

and know that His angels

also encamp about you

 

Know the enveloping

of True Love

 

Know your protection

in Him

 

Know your position of embrace,

beloved child of perfect God

 

KNOW

you are surrounded

by Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.

– Psalm 34:7 (NIV)

 

You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me, and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder.

– Psalm 139:5 (VOICE)

 

In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of His eye,

– Deuteronomy 32:10 (NIV)

 

You are my hiding place. You will keep me out of trouble and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free. 

– Psalm 32:7 (VOICE)

 

Just as the mountains around Jerusalem embrace her, the Eternal, too, wraps around those who belong to Him— for this moment and for every moment to come.

– Psalm 125:2 (VOICE)

 

For the Eternal One says, “Instead of a wall of stone, I will be a wall of fire protecting her all around, and I will be the shining glory within her.”

– Zechariah 2:5 (VOICE)

 

For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with Your shield of love.

– Psalm 5:12 (NLT)

 

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness.

– Psalm 32:10 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Haven

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I desire, Lord,
for our home
to be a haven

For Your sweet love
humor
peace
grace
joy
and forgiveness
to fill its walls

I stand in defiance
with You, Lord,
against enemies
who would seek to destroy
to corrupt
to sever

And I know this is Your desire, God,
for it is Your Spirit
that bonds
the lives within these walls
together

Imperfect humans
clinging to our perfect King

serving
one another
in love

Our home haven
is also
a battleground
and worth fighting for
these precious ones
and
these sacred loves

on my knees

– Susie Stewart

 

And the Spirit makes it possible to submit humbly to one another out of respect for the Anointed.
– Ephesians 5:21 (VOICE)

 

If anyone fails to provide for his relatives, and especially for those of his own family, he has disowned the faith [by failing to accompany it with fruits] and is worse than an unbeliever [who performs his obligation in these matters].
– 1 Timothy 5:8 (AMP)

 

“And I will be for you as a father, and you will be for Me as sons and daughters,” Says the Lord Almighty!
– 2 Corinthians 16:8 (VOICE)

 

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
– Colossians 3:12-16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Settling

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

I realized something

this morning

 

I realized that I

have been settling

 

No, it’s not what you think

 

God has given me

health and strength

to be fit

 

and I settled for little exercise

 

God has given me good food

to eat

 

and I settled for boxed crackers

and unearthly-orange cheese dip

 

God gave me an endless variety

of things to explore

 

and I settled for the couch

and Facebook

 

God gave me abundance wide open!

and I settled for mediocrity …

 

And it’s a slow, deceiving slope we go down

 

Sinking deeper and deeper

until we are comfortably settled

and the ground is swallowing us up

 

And we wonder how we got here…

 

We realize it was choice

after little choice

after little choice

 

A settling for lukewarm

and blah

and less than

 

Which is NOT

what vibrant God

has called us to

 

But…

 

As His mercies are new every morning,

so are my chances

 

And today I choose

to take care of my body

and take care of my mind

and most importantly,

take care of my spiritual life

 

which encompasses everything

 

No more settling

 

On PURPOSE today

for His glory

 

– Susie Stewart

 

*  This was tough for me to write, but I want you to know you’re not alone if you are in this place too.  God has called me to expose things to the light of Him and then do something about it.

 

Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body.

– 1 Corinthians 6:19,20 (GW)

 

Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].

– 3 John 2 (AMP)

 

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

– Romans 12:1,2 (MSG)

 

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

– 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

 

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.

– 2 Peter 2:3,4 (MSG)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

 

Swift

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Your forgiveness

Lord

is swift

 

You take no time

to debate in your mind

whether we are worthy

 

You offer open hands

and warm embrace

without reservation

 

And I think about

how we often

are not quick to forgive

 

 

We make a choice

 

to mull over offenses

and severity

and deservedness

 

And sometimes

we never get to the forgiving part….

 

And the longer we wait

the more hardened we become

 

Instead of swift

we are feet dragging in dirt

 

getting scuffed up

in the process

 

What if

our forgiveness

was swift

 

like Yours God?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

– Mark 11:25 (NLT)

 

Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

– Ephesians 4:32 (AMP)

 

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

– 1 John 1:9 (AMP)

 

Love….keeps no record of wrongs.

– 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Conscience

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

A conscience clear

is sign of hope

 

in the One

 

who makes all things new

and can keep us from willful sin

 

A clear conscience shows

that life renewed

and actions redeemed

 

are all the heart of a Savior

 

Who provides new

and do-overs

and mercy

 

We make amends

and we mend brokenness

 

because of hope

 

We ask for forgiveness

and we offer it

 

because of hope

 

We keep short accounts

on account

of hope

 

And we choose right over wrong

because we have every reason to

 

God is our reason

 

His reverence

love for Him

respect for Him

 

And if there were no Divine reason

for a clear conscience

 

all would be hopeless

 

We would do our worst

and sink deep

 

All would weigh heavy

and overwhelming

 

So, keep your slate clean

and clear things up where needed

 

and do it because of hope

 

and for the love of your Savior

 

You know the Truth

Now walk in it

 

conscience clear

and hopeful

 

unencumbered

and free

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Because of this hope, I always do my best to live with a clear conscience toward God and all people.

– Acts 24:16 (VOICE)

 

“Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of Him will keep you from sinning!”

– Exodus 20:20 (NLT)

 

Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

– Romans 5:5 (AMP)

 

And see to it that your conscience is entirely clear, so that every time you are slandered or falsely accused, those who attack or disparage your good behavior in Christ will be shamed [by their own words].

– 1 Peter 3:16 (AMP)

 

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.

– 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Taken For Granted

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Sometimes we need

a wake up call

 

to what we have in Jesus

 

Blessed are we who

treasure

the Word of God

 

who long to learn

and hear

and see

and understand

 

His words to us

 

So many from history

and even the present-day persecuted

 

would have given anything

to have the Bible lying open before them

 

and to read

and absorb

freely

 

the Feast of Divine communication

 

We can take this for granted

 

We forget

that life is found in these words

 

Busyness is an excuse

for letting it collect dust

 

Supposed-tos

rob us of the joy of a heart connect

 

Procrastination steals

each day of refreshment and Truth

 

And we go without

 

life-giving words

reviving

and bringing understanding

and revealing

 

who YOU are God

 

May we long for You

with genuine hearts

 

May we desire

spiritual sustenance

 

May we bask

in Your words

 

which are

our privilege

to read

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Jesus said —

For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

– Matthew 13:17 (NIV)

 

But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.

– Matthew 13:17 (MSG)

 

To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

“When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let Me heal them.”

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 

– Matthew 13:12-16 (NLT)

 

The amount of desire for God’s Words

is in direct proportion

to how deeply we know of their power.

– Susie Stewart

 

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

– 2 Timothy 3:16,17 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Wandering Sheep

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

The sheep

sometimes wander

 

and instead of following

the Shepherd’s leading

 

they follow nothing

in particular

 

wandering here

and wandering there

 

The sheep know the Shepherd,

they’re within the flock

 

but with choices poor

they meander aimlessly

 

And it may be so subtle

that the sheep doesn’t even realize

 

but then finds himself

in unfamiliar territory

 

lost

and alone

 

But the Shepherd knows

 

and searches for this

lost one

 

enfolding brokenness

with love

 

carrying

and caring

 

back close

to His heart

 

You know Jesus, friend,

and you have been acting

like you don’t

 

He sees you

and wants to bring you back

 

Find safety

in His will for you

 

find security

in Truth and boundaries

 

Stay close

to your Shepherd

 

You are forever His

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.

– Ezekiel 34:11 (NIV)

 

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

– Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

 

…should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me! I’ll recognize the sound of Your voice.

– Psalm 119:176 (MSG)

 

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me.

– John 10:27,28 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart