Joy In The Middle Of It

December 6, 2017December 7, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

There is joy
in Your presence, God

but not always
with people…

And I don’t want
my joy stolen

by difficult people
I come into contact with

when Divine joy
is mine for the taking

So I choose this day
to find joy in YOUR presence

while in the presence
of unpleasantness
hostility
rudeness
unkindness
hatred
obnoxiousness…

And I choose to set my focus
on the beauty
and the joy
and the gift

of Your presence,

my always-there
and undeniably loving
God

Thank You
for never leaving me

to fend for myself

And by the way,
God

please help me not be the one
whose presence steals another’s joy

-Susie Stewart

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

-Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.
As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,
and I know true joy and contentment.
– Psalm 16:11 (NOICE)

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
– Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from Your Spirit!
    I can never get away from Your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, You are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there Your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
     but even in darkness I cannot hide from You.
To You the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to You.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.
How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!
– Psalm 139:7 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Fire & Water

September 28, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 8 Comments

The tests

and the trials

are fire

and they are water

threatening to overtake

exposing

hurting

invading

but…

My GOD, too,

is FIRE and WATER

An unquenchable Flame

A never-ending Stream

of power

and healing

and love

and He is fierce

So, as I am lead into fiery trial

He stands in Divine authority beside me

As the floods threaten to drown

He provides my net, my calm

His presence burns vibrantly

His Spirit refreshes completely

And I know the God of fierce Fire

and I know the God of Living Water

is refining through the process

He takes my right hand

and

stands

with

Alone is a word I never use

for my Savior

has a tight grip

on me

– Susie Stewart

For you, God, tested us;
    you refined us like silver…
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.

– Psalm 66:10-12 (NIV)

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

– Isaiah 43:1-3 (NIV)

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

– Revelation 22:1 (NLT)

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up.

– Exodus 3:2 9NLT)

The Eternal went on ahead to guide them during the day in a cloud shaped like a pillar; at night He appeared to them in a fire shaped like a pillar to light their way. So they were able to travel by day and by night.

– Exodus 13:21 (VOICE)

The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.

– Revelation 22:17 (AMP)

As evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke Him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

When Jesus woke up, He rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.Then He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey Him!”

– Mark 4:35-41 (NLT)

Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and He won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God Himself is Fire!

– Hebrews 12:28,29 (MSG)

You make Your messengers like the winds; the breeze whispers Your words, Your servants are like the fire and flame.

– Psalm 104:4 (VOICE)

Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?

– Jeremiah 23:29 (NLT)

With joy in each step, you will drink deeply from the springs of salvation.

– Isaiah 12:3 (VOICE)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usualand commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God,come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants! They trusted in Him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

– Daniel 3:16-29 (NIV)

Surgery day today to remove cancer of the uterus.

Jericho Has a Gondola?

July 8, 2017July 8, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 6 Comments

Hey Everyone! I intended to blog everyday, and tried, but I just didn’t have the time, energy, or bandwidth to be able to. So I will do my best to recapture each day, if not only for myself, to keep the memories alive. This was the most special trip I’ve ever been on. Profound is an understatement.

Our hotel, the Ma’agan Eden Kibbutz Village on the Sea of Galilee was very beautiful, as you can see by these photos. This is a Kibbutz, which is a communal living cluster of homes and occupations. The hotel is part of it.

What these photos don’t really show you is the sweeping view of the Sea of Galilee. Taking that in was so beautiful. Tiberius was right across the lake through the haze. This time of year typically has a lot of haze.

It was interesting to observe Jews as families living and vacationing together. A wonderful sense of community and togetherness.

From this resort we headed out for a day of touring.

As we were driving around in our bus we would often see huge groves of banana palms covered in a massive box of netting to speed up growth and preserve as much water as possible inside.

We headed to Capernaum (or as our tour guide Daniel referred to it, Ca-per-na-HOOM), first thing this day because it can be one of the hotter places. Jesus spent two years here.

We walked around and in the area of where the synagogue was. You can see the difference in the color of stone from ancient times to more recent. In Jesus’ day the stone was at the bottom, darker, volcanic.

Being in Capernaum thrilled my heart. I imagined Christ walking in this town, spending time with people, teaching, and healing. He healed Peter’s mother most likely in this spot a modern-day church has been built over. We spent some time praying in the church.

We looked out at the water from Capernaum and stood with a statue of Peter with the inscription, “Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my church.” ~ Matthew 16

We then drove through Tiberius. What a cool town on the hills of the lake! Andy was kind of obsessing over Tiberius.

On to the Mount of Beatitudes! Catholics have made this site, thought to be the place where Jesus spoke the Beatitudes, into a very beautiful spot to visit and worship in.

By the way, we were very blessed to have Bob Siegel and his wife Dana along with us. Bob is extremely knowledgeable in all things Bible and has his own radio program (bobsiegel.net). He spoke to us on descending stairs as Jesus would have spoken to the people on that hill, being at the bottom of the group. The Missions Pastor from our church, Crossroads Community Church, who did such a great job of leading our entire group to the Holy Land, is standing next to Bob teaching. Bob is his brother-in-law.

As we drove away from the Galilee area and headed south to the desert, I though a lot about how it would be to travel in the hot sun through these parts. Not an easy thing. Below is when we passed over one part of the Jordan River.

As we followed along the Jordan River path, we were right next to the border with Syria and with Jordan. You can see the security fences in the photos below. It was sobering to see first hand what the Jews need to do in order to protect themselves from hostile neighbors.

Trees planted always made a stark contrast with the rocky desert. Did you know that in the last 100 years, Jews have planted over 200 million trees in Israel? It adds so much!

One of the most shocking things for me during this day, was seeing Jericho. In all my imaginings growing up, I did not expect Jericho to look like this! Aaannd, modern day Jericho has a gondola! Who knew?!

In Jericho we stopped for lunch at the Sultana Restaurant. When we stepped off the bus it was 117 degrees and when we left it was 119. What?!?! The food was delicious and I especially loved this dessert. The staff of the restaurant were entertaining and made even our meal a drama. One of our team members, Carlie, was used as a model to demonstrate a dead sea mud mask that you take off with a magnet!

This man asked us if we wanted to buy a flying carpet. 🙂

One thing I didn’t realize before visiting Jericho is how close in proximity it is to the Dead Sea. All such a barren desert area.

Our guide brought our attention to a monastery cut into the mountains where they have kept the skulls of priests for hundreds of years, and to a very old sycamore tree like the one Zachaeus climbed.

As we headed to Jerusalem, large areas that have held refugees were also pointed out to us.

We saw surprising Jewish settlements in Arab areas, like this one on the hill.

Bedouin camps camps at the foot of mountains.

and Palestinian neighborhoods

I was struck by the differences in Arab and Jewish neighborhoods.

We drove steeply uphill through the desert until we got to

Jerusalem!

What a vast, interesting, beautiful place.

We overlooked the city from a place where many names were recorded of people who had given over a million dollars to help enhance and build Jerusalem. One of the names you might recognize – Steven Spielberg. Many Jews from all over the world contribute generously to furthering the building, education, agriculture, and more.

Not far from this site, was Bethlehem. We overlooked the city and the hills where the shepherds saw the angels at night. It looked nothing like I had imagined. I felt thankful to see what it was really like. Bethlehem is a town that is mostly muslim now, which also surprised me.

I took a small piece of this hyssop plant and brought it home. It has a very strong scent.

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” ~ Psalm 51:7

“Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.” ~ Exodus 12:22

“A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”

– John 19:29-30

This was a sharp, beautiful thistle, and a ginormous aloe vera plant.

As if all of this wasn’t enough to fill a day, we got to go to a portion of the Jordan River and get baptized! How wonderful is that?

Thank you to Bob and Guy for baptizing us! And thank You Jesus for giving us a reason to testify to new life in You!

We capped it all off with a night out near the Old City at a happenin’ mall. We happened to be there for a light show and presentation. The old is mixed with the new in so many amazing ways in this city.

My favorite part of the evening was watching people dancing in the streets together. It was joyful and just made me happy.

So! Believe it or not, that was all in one day! The whole week the Israel Tour Company did such a phenomenal job making sure we experienced everything we intended to experience with the longer stay. I’m so grateful. Onto the next day!

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”

– Psalm 122:1,2,6,7 (NIV)

Photos by Susie Stewart

Jesus Warrior

May 24, 2017May 25, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Do you realize

that He fights for you?

Jesus is a MIGHTY warrior

and He goes to battle

for

you

No one is braver

in the face of evil

And if you can’t picture Him

as strong,

as powerful,

as your perfect Rescuer

fighting battles unseen

maybe you should take another look

at His character in Scripture

He would rush to your side

if you called out to Him

He would go to great lengths

Just

For

You

He promises to rescue

those who depend on Him

Believe it for yourself

He will

deliver you

from our enemy

Mighty

Strong

Powerful

Brave

Dominating evil

Jesus

– Susie Stewart

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior…

– Jeremiah 20:11 (NIV)

On the day I needed You, I called, and You responded and infused my soul with strength.

– Psalm 138:3 (VOICE)

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit.

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (VOICE)

Because he clings to Me in love,
    I will rescue him from harm;
    I will set him above danger.
Because he has known Me by name,
He will call on Me, and I will answer.
    I’ll be with him through hard times;
    I’ll rescue him and grant him honor.

– Psalm 91:14, 15 (VOICE)

The LORD Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

– Exodus 14:14 (NLT)

Invisible

February 2, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

My beautiful

Invisible

God

Sometimes I long

to see Your face

and Your invisibility

appears as a barrier

between You and me

But it doesn’t have to be

that way

There really is

no barrier

Only Jesus,

as the Way

Invisible God

You see me

right through to my core

And,

Invisible God,

you see the invisible people

among us

None escape Your sight

And while I still long

to see You,

Jesus

It doesn’t need to be a barrier

For You have made a Way

Communication with You

Creation Divine and serene

Your Word powerful and life-changing

Relationships beautiful

Love overwhelming

Life abundant

They show me You,

my invisible God ❤

– Susie Stewart

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, He organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

– Colossians 1:15-18 (MSG)

We all live off His generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made Him plain as day.

– John 1:16-18 (MSG)

But you may not look directly at My face, for no one may see Me and live.

– Exodus 33:20 (NLT)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

– 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV)

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.

– 1 John 4:12 (NLT)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

– Romans 1:20 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

For Sure

January 19, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

In uncertain times

I am grateful to You, my Abba,

for making my footsteps sure

You have planted me

in the sure earth

of Your inheritance for me

You have established

Your good plans

for my good

You have lead me,

never forsaking Your promises,

and I have followed

The surety of You

is all I need

in the uncertain

For I am Yours

and You are God

for sure

– Susie Stewart

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance— the place, Lord, you made for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

– Exodus 15:17 (NIV)

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

– Psalm 37:23,24 (NLT)

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

– Psalm 16:8 (NLT)

The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

I’m happy from the inside out,
and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell—
that’s not my destination!

– Psalm 16:7-10 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Strong Tower

January 6, 2017January 6, 2017 / 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

Without Restraint

December 12, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What You give, God,

is lavish

and generous

and overflowing

You don’t just stop at need,

You go over

and above

and then some

You are our God of much

and we are your people most blessed

And what You give

is not always what we expect

For the world sees lavish

different

than You do

You know how to give

good gifts

to Your children

With leftovers

Not the least of which

is Yourself

Our greatest gift of all

Friend, if you think God is holding out on you,

look again

and find

Love without restraint

– Susie Stewart

Then Jesus called His disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children….

– Matthew 15:32-39 (NLT)

…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!

– Matthew 6:8 (NLT)

He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

– Ephesians 1:7, 8 (NLT)

Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.

– Exodus 34:6,7 (NLT)

So if you, who are sinful, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more so does your Father in heaven, who is perfect, know how to give great gifts to His children!

– Matthew 7:11 (VOICE)

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children.

– 1 John 3:1 (VOICE)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Conscience

November 26, 2016 / 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

See the Glory

November 19, 2016 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You’re glory

is everywhere, God!

in the midst of a sin-tainted world

light in darkness

beauty in ugliness

revelation in confusion

And some remain asleep

to that glory

and look to shallow

and frivolous

and breakable

ascribing worth

to worthless

I glorify You, God!

I recognize

and see

and hear

YOU God

here

Everywhere

I make much of You!

For You

are ALL

and worthy

worthy

of my attention

and adoration

and love

Glory

glory

to my God!

Always sufficient

Always perfect

Always just

Always loving

Always deserving of glory

I look in Your eyes,

Jesus

I believe

and I see Your glory!

– Susie Stewart

Jesus looked her in the eye. “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

John 11:40 (MSG)

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell Him what to do? Anyone who has done Him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from Him; Everything happens through Him; Everything ends up in Him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.

– Romans 11:35-36 (MSG)

Then Moses said, “Please, show me Your glory!”

– Exodus 33:18 (AMP)

But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of His divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat Him like God, refusing to worship Him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

– Romans 1:19-23 (MSG)

Photo by Susie Stewart