God’s Word

Is Your Truth Relative To Your Culture?

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Is your morality

a hodgepodge

of your own autonomous ideas?

 

Does your truth change?

 

Many people today

are picking and choosing

their own “truth”

 

They are like ships

tossed about

by the waves of societal trends

 

They embrace relativism

like trying to grasp an ever-moving object

in a culture going downhill

 

How confusing it must be

to choose your own truth

 

But you don’t have to!

 

God has laid the foundation

in His Word

 

He never changes

and His Words to us never change

 

Solid Truth

 

Security

is what you feel

when your foundation for Truth is secure

 

 

You will never feel secure

when your finite and fallible brain

gets to decide

 

I stand on Biblical truth

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

– Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

 

The grass withers, the flower fades; nothing lasts except the word of our God. It will stand forever.

– Isaiah 40:8 (VOICE)

 

What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that’s what You ordered—You set the earth going. If Your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I’ll never forget the advice You gave me; You saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I’m all Yours. I look high and low for Your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I’m only concerned with Your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain Your commands!

– Psalm 119:89-96 (MSG)

 

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your teachings are reliable.

– Psalm 119:142 (GW)

 

“My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

 

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

 

Poison Words

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Friend,

why?

 

Why are you speaking words

of division?

 

Why do you tell one person

negative things about another?

 

Swaying friends’ opinions

when they two were at peace?

 

Stale water and fresh water

should not be coming out

of the same spring

 

Words of gossip

words of condescension

words of poison,

so the Word says

 

The enemy is the divider

and our God is the Unifier

 

Whose team do you want to be on anyway?

 

Use your words to bless,

not curse

 

Edify the Body of Christ

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!  Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water?  Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

– James 3:5-12 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

 

His Words, My Delight

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Does the Bible, this ancient document, thrill you?

Do you know that it is timeless?

 

Do you understand the treasures

that await your heart

if you will only commit to pick it up

and read it?

 

Do you know that true peace is possible

found in His Words?

 

What a loving, amazing God we have

that He would share His heart

and His truth

with us, His beloved.

 

Do you want to be firm and grounded

with your roots deep

in the soil of truth?

 

Do you want to be well-watered, growing, thriving

and not hopelessly withering?

 

Open this ancient,

timeless,

God-inspired book.

 

Find Eternal God in the pages.

Find salvation for your hurting soul.

Find hope forever.

 

– Susie Stewart

 

* There are many translations of the Bible.  I grew up using both the KJV (King James Version) and NIV (New International Version) of the Bible.  I tend mostly toward the NIV and NLT (New Living Translation) these days, although I look into many different translations online at Biblegateway.com.  The MSG (Message) version is a modern paraphrase that can word God’s truth in a way that is closest to how I talk.  I take it as a paraphrase and not a literal translation, much like a pastor would paraphrase a portion of Scripture he reads.  Whatever your translation, make sure that it is accurate and not a skewed version (i.e. – Mormon version of the Bible).  Online Bible tools are very helpful.  Websites like Biblegateway.com and YouVersion.com give you access to so many tools and searches. I utilize them a lot when writing my blogs.

Regardless of how you get into the Word, get into it!  And stay in it!  The Lord blesses those who delight in His Word.

Find your salvation in Jesus, trusting Him to save you from your sins, paying for all of them on the cross, conquering sin and death.  You can have new life in Him!  Ask for His forgiveness of your sins and accept His free gift of eternal life.  The Scriptures will open up to you in a new and powerful way.  A.W. Tozer says, “The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid.”  God’s Spirit must help you understand and soak up Scripture.

Let me know if you have any questions.  I’d be glad to communicate with you about salvation, God, the Bible…

Read and mediate on the Bible’s life-giving words!    ~Susie

 

Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

– Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)

 

Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.

– Psalm 1:2,3 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Planted

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Words…

above the ground

skimming the surface

never digging in

never planted

 

as opposed to

 

Words

piercing the dirt

lodging deep

roots and shoot ever growing down and up

planted and solid

 

It’s a picture of how

the seed of God’s Word

is meant to be cultivated

in you

 

Its effects powerful

causing you to flourish

 

Soaking in

Living Water

 

Let the Seed of His Word

take root

and transform

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

– James 1:21 (NIV)

 

…In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

– James 1:21 (MSG)

 

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.

– Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)

 

Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

– Psalm 1:1-3 (NLT)

 

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Photos taken by Susie Stewart