Hebrews

The Importance of Quiet

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You must rest

and reflect

and meditate

 

to hear the most important things

I want to teach you

 

A whisper can’t be heard

in noise

 

Truths cannot take root

in chaos

 

Hear Me

in your quiet

 

See Me

through eager eyes

 

Come and taste

and hear

and see

 

Me

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.
Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all His goodness.

– Psalm 34:8,9 (MSG)

 

This is God’s Message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: “Call to Me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own.”

– Jeremiah 33:2,3 (MSG)

 

That is why we ought to pay even closer attention to the voice that has been speaking so that we will never drift away from it.

– Hebrews 2:1 (VOICE)

 

Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.

– 1 Kings 19:11, 12 (MSG)

 

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

– Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

 

This is what the Almighty Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: You can be saved by returning to Me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting Me. But you don’t want that.

– Isaiah 30:15 (GW)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Love Obedience

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Self-righteous

rule-follower,

what is your motive?

 

Don’t you know it’s impossible

to please God without faith?

 

Fruitless are the actions

of religious law-abiding

 

Righteousness is not righteousness

by adherence to the rules

 

Righteousness is imparted

to the humbled and surrendered

 

Jesus’ perfection

rubbing off on His children

 

The righteous live by faith,

not the flesh

 

Faithless obedience

is only religion

 

Pharisaical

Empty

 

Live by faith

in the Son of God

 

and obey out of love

and true conviction

 

Obey out of love

and faith

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.

– Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

 

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

– Matthew 23:27 (NIV)

 

Jesus said to His disciples: If you love Me, you will do as I command.

– John 14:15 (CEV)

 

The test of the genuineness of our love for God’s family lies in this question—do we love God Himself and do we obey His commands? For loving God means obeying His commands, and these commands of His are not burdensome, for God’s “heredity” within us will always conquer the world outside us. In fact, this faith of ours is the only way in which the world has been conquered. For who could ever be said to conquer the world, in the true sense, except the man who really believes that Jesus is God’s Son?

– 1 John 5:204 (PHILLIPS)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

Pride’s Barb

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

When it comes to pride

there are two sides

to the coin

 

One side

is arrogant

self-reliant

bold

 

The other side

is self-depricating

self-loathing

apathetic

 

BOTH are centered on SELF

 

And when it comes to God’s grace

freely given to all

 

Pride sets itself up

against it

 

You either think

you don’t need God

and rely on who you think you are

 

Or you see yourself

as a worthless failure

never able to approach Him

 

Both reject grace

 

missing the point of it

completely

 

and walk away

from God’s extended hand.

 

This need not be

 

Grace draws in

those who would humble themselves

 

before God’s divine,

sacrificial love

 

Grace is free

but you must lay down your pride

and accept it

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

– Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

 

Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

– Ephesians 2:7-10 (MSG)

 

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

– Romans 11:6 (NLT)

 

And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

– James 4:6 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

The Most Important Blog You Will Ever Read

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

As your friend

I must tell you something

 

And maybe it’s kind of familiar

but read it carefully

 

for everything depends on it

 

Everything.

 

So here it is…

 

You will either confess Jesus

as your Lord and Savior here on earth

 

which will bring you salvation

 

Or you will confess Jesus

as the Lord and Savior before His judgment throne

 

which will bring you condemnation

 

forever

 

Either way

you WILL confess Jesus

 

Take the opportunity NOW

to turn to grace, life and love

 

for once your life on earth

is over

 

your confession

will only bring you death

 

And if you read this blog

and you disregard its truth

 

you can be sure

that you will think of my words

 

when you stand before God

ALONE

 

without an excuse

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

So God raised Him up to the highest place
and gave Him the name above all.
So when His name is called,
every knee will bow,
in heaven, on earth, and below.
And every tongue will confess
“Jesus, the Anointed One, is Lord,”
to the glory of God our Father!

– Philippians 2:9-11 (VOICE)

 

For it is written, “As I live, so I promise,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow down to Me. Every tongue will confess to God.”

– Romans 14:11 (VOICE)

 

I have bound myself with an oath. A word has gone out from my righteous mouth that will not be recalled, “Every knee will bow to me and every tongue will swear allegiance.”

– Isaiah 45:23 (GW)

 

…He has planted eternity in the human heart…

– Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

 

…each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment…

– Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)

 

I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed in the Book of Life was hurled into Lake Fire.

– Revelation 20:11-15 (MSG)

 

…when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power.

– 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Tempted

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You were pushed to your breaking point,

weren’t you?

 

It was just too much to take

and you had to give in

 

to temptation

 

No one could withstand

that much temptation

 

….except they could

 

Except YOU could…

 

God is faithful to you

and He will not let you

 

be tempted

 

beyond what you can bear

 

And if God is the One

Who causes you to bear it

 

then you don’t need to fail

 

His faithfulness

gives you what you need

 

and there is no excuse that stands

against His promise

 

Take your rightful position

and STAND

against temptation

 

– Susie Stewart

 

No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].

– 1 Corinthians 10:13 (AMP)

 

So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

– James 4:6-8 (MSG)

 

Because Jesus experienced temptation when He suffered, He is able to help others when they are tempted.

– Hebrews 2:18 (GW)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

But God

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

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

 

 

 

Peace Sought

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

You who serve

the Prince of Peace

 

how are You

PURSUING

peace?

 

Do you run toward it

or

do you choose the opposite?

 

The Lord

would have you

SEEK peace

 

Which means

you diligently look for it

 

you hunger for it

 

and your first step in peace-seeking

is to quiet yourself

 

before the Prince

before the King

 

and the next

is to quiet yourself

 

before those

you don’t want to quiet yourself before

 

 

And the third thing to do

is to be alert and aware

 

of triggers in you

of the enemy’s tactics

of the ways people choose division

 

and choose peace

 

Pursue it

Seek it

Live it

 

Let it take root

in your heart

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…seek peace and pursue it.

– Psalm 34:14 (NIV)

 

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

– Romans 12:18 (NIV)

 

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

– Romans 12:17-19 (MSG)

 

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].

– Colossians 3:15 (AMP)

 

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

– Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Today

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Show me, God, how to

deny myself,

take up my cross,

and follow You

 

TODAY

 

not just in the hazy future

where intentions evaporate,

but Today

 

for, Lord, sometimes I forget

that what matters

is TODAY

 

The enemy wants me distracted

and to keep my mind

on what I might do tomorrow

and the next day

and the next

 

or on the past

 

But TODAY is important

and it is the day

I choose Who to follow

and I choose who to love

 

I choose

You, God,

 

TODAY

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”

– Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

 

If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.

– Joshua 24:15 (MSG)

 

You should therefore be most careful, my brothers, that there should not be in any of you that wickedness of heart which refuses to trust, and deserts the cause of the living God. Help each other to stand firm in the faith every day, while it is still called “today”, and beware that none of you becomes deaf and blind to God through the delusive glamour of sin. For we continue to share in all that Christ has for us so long as we steadily maintain until the end the trust with which we began. These words are still being said for our ears to hear: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’.

– Hebrews 3:12-14 (PHILLIPS)

 

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

– Luke 22:61 (NIV)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

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

 

Confident

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Do you feel timid when you pray?

 

Do your sins glare before you

and get in the way of your relationship with God?

 

Do you skip it altogether

because you are altogether imperfect

 

to come before a perfect God?

 

Well, I can relate

 

But God has shown me

that something amazing happened

 

when Jesus became my Savior

 

He became my bridge

to God

 

His perfection

sacrificed for me

 

and His righteousness

imparted to me

 

and His white robe of sinlessness

put on me

 

Caused me to be able to approach

that great throne

 

with confidence

and freedom

and boldness

 

And it’s not because I had a sinless day

but because my sins have been washed away

 

And I look my Abba in the eyes

and I talk to Him

 

We are close

and I don’t need to be timid

 

because of Jesus

 

I confess to Him

what is not right

 

But I don’t feel the weight

of condemnation

 

Because I’m not condemned

 

I am free

 

– Susie Stewart

 

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

– Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)

 

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

– Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

 

It is also very comforting to us to observe that the God who hears prayer is enthroned and glorified. The God of grace sits upon the throne of grace and so grace reigns supreme at the place where God meets with us in prayer! The hands of grace are full of blessings through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ—and those hands are happily employed in dispensing royal largess among the poverty stricken sons and daughters of men! Come here, then, all you who feel your need of grace! Be not afraid to approach the throne of grace. Since Jesus Christ has taken upon Himself our nature and suffered in our place, the throne to which the sinner is bid to draw near is a throne of superlative, unlimited, reigning grace—grace that pardons; grace that regenerates; grace that adopts; grace that preserves; grace that sanctifies; grace that perfects and makes meet for glory!

– C.H. Spurgeon

 

…or He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago]…

– 2 Timothy 1:9 (AMP)

 

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)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart