free

What’s Keeping You?

/ Susie Stewart / 6 Comments

You know in your heart

He is there

 

yet you pretend He isn’t

 

ALL of His creation shouts

and whispers

and sings

His glory and His goodness

 

And yet…

 

What’s keeping you, friend?

 

You see His character

in those who are

the givers

and the faithful

and the peaceful

 

And yet…

 

You think that life with Him

would be stuffy religion

and stifling rules

and….

 

accountable

 

Well, you can nix the idea of stuffy religion

and stifling rules

 

but accountability is a reality

 

You are accountable

before Almighty God

 

we all are

 

And you WILL give an account of your life

 

But wouldn’t it be better

if you could be accountable to God

 

with God’s help?

 

Because, guess what?

 

When you accept His love

and you accept His Son

 

and you accept His grace and mercy

and you choose relationship with Him

 

He becomes your Advocate!

 

How amazing is that??

 

Dive in, friend!

ALL in!

 

Nothing satisfies

like a relationship with the One who made you!

 

What’s keeping you?

 

Run

to

Him

 

and find freedom

 

for if you are ignoring Him

and rejecting Him

and not walking hand-in-hand with Him

 

you

are

NOT free

 

What’s keeping you?

 

~  Susie Stewart

 

 

Walking with Jesus

 

 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

– Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

 

  …You will fill me with joy in Your presence…

– Psalm 16:11 (NIV)

 

What a stack of blessing You have piled up
    for those who worship You,
Ready and waiting for all who run to You
    to escape an unkind world.
You hide them safely away
    from the opposition.
As You slam the door on those oily, mocking faces,
    You silence the poisonous gossip.
Blessed God!
    His love is the wonder of the world.

– Psalm 31:19,20 (MSG)

 

God’s way is perfect!
    The promise of the Lord has proven to be true.
        He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him.

– Psalm 18:30 (NIV)

 

The spacious, free life is from God,
it’s also protected and safe.
God-strengthened, we’re delivered from evil—
    when we run to Him, He saves us.

– Psalm 37:39,40 (MSG)

 

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

– 2 Peter 3:9 (AMP)

 

Is there anyplace I can go to avoid Your Spirit?
    to be out of Your sight?
If I climb to the sky, You’re there!
    If I go underground, You’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    You’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, He even sees me in the dark!
    At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to You;
    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to You.

– Psalm 139:7-12 (MSG)

 

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

– 1 John 2:1 (NLT)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom

/ 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

Freedom

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I’m thankful, Jesus,

for the physical freedom that is mine

 

And even more thankful

for my spiritual freedom in You

 

Remind me often, Jesus,

to live free

 

not in bondage to anything

You have already loosed

 

Help me to walk in the wide open space

of You

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

– 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

– Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

 

In him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

– Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

 

But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.

– Romans 6:21-23 (MSG)

 

When trouble surrounded me, I cried out to the Eternal;
He answered me and brought me to a wide, open space.

– Psalm 118:5 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Let Go

/ Susie Stewart / 8 Comments

 

Let Go, dear one.

Your head and heart are clenched tight

 

You think that you will be shielded by your bravery

 

But you are shut

Like a door without a handle

 

And you long to be out where you can breathe

Where God meets you in your pain

And those closest to you listen

 

And you don’t feel numb from self-protection

And you don’t have to be brave in yourself

 

You are free.

 

Let go

 

…of pleasing the critical

…of criticizing yourself

….of fear

…of control

…of your tender but guarded heart

 

God will be there when you open the door

 

He always is

 

He wants you open, not shut

 

….to experience life

…to try new things

…to love and be loved

…to rest in Him

…to have His unmistakeable joy

 

Let go, dear one.

He is your shield.

– Susie Stewart

 

“The Lord is my Strength and Shield.  I trust Him with all my heart.  He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.”

Psalm 28:7 (NLT)