Jeremiah

Those Places

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You fill

those places, God,

of emptiness

 

You heal

those places, God,

of hurt

 

You restore

those places, God,

of brokenness

 

You find

those places, God,

that are lost

 

You inhabit

those places, God,

of loneliness

 

You comfort

those places, God,

of deep pain

 

And we get stuck

in those places….

 

but You want us

to find YOU

there

 

– Susie Stewart

 

If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, He’ll help you catch your breath.

– Psalm 34:18 (MSG)

 

When someone is hurting or brokenhearted, the Eternal moves in close and revives him in his pain.

– Psalm 34:18 (VOICE)

 

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

– Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

 

You, my people, have sinned in two ways— you have rejected me, the source of life-giving water, and you’ve tried to collect water in cracked and leaking pits dug in the ground.

– Jeremiah 2:13 (CEV)

 

Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting You.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to You.

– Psalm 143:8 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Far Beyond Tolerance

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

If we were called

to just tolerate one another

 

would it not be

so much easier?

 

Bearing with each personality

different from our own

 

with a stiff upper lip

and a grit of our teeth?

 

Tolerating…

Enduring….

People?

 

But we are called

to more

 

to Love

 

And it would seem

impossible

 

if not for the example

set before us

 

Christ would not

have rescued us from ourselves

 

if He only tolerated us

 

No, He loved us

with everlasting love

 

The Trinity

sacrificed much

 

for Love

 

We are not consumed

by fires’ wrath

 

because of love

 

And because He made the first move

we are called to the same

 

And it would be impossible

if not for righteousness imparted to us

 

God’s Spirit loves

the unlovable through us

 

Can we not see

that is what we can be  — unlovable?

 

Nonetheless

we are eternally cherished

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.

– Lamentations 3:22,23 (NIV)

 

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

– Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

 

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

– John 13:34 (NLT)

 

We love because He first loved us.

– 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

Slow It Down

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Slow it down

 

Slow down your prayer

 

Think carefully about what you are saying

 

Slow

 

Down

 

Memorized phrases

and empty words of habit

 

Don’t form deeper connection

 

Choose your words deliberately

and let them be

 

Love expressed

Worship embodied

Confession deep

Adoration clear

 

Words of meaning

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But when you talk to God, go into your room and shut the door. Then talk to your Father in secret. Your Father sees secret things and He will reward you.

And when you talk to God, do not say words that mean nothing, over and over again. People who do not believe in God do that. They think their god will hear them because they say many words.

Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

– Matthew 6:6-8 (WE)

 

Never stop praying.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

 

Eternal One: Call to Me, and I will answer you. I will tell you of great things, things beyond what you can imagine, things you could never have known.

– Jeremiah 33:3 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Focus

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

If you were to be honest with yourself,

would you say you focus on…

 

How big your circumstances are,

or how big your God is?

 

How weak you are,

or how strong your God is?

 

How you don’t understand,

or how wise God is?

 

Your focus determines

your mindset

 

Trust wins

 

–  Susie Stewart

 

Worship and glory belong forever to the eternal king, the immortal, invisible, and only God. Amen.

– 1 Timothy 1:17 (GW)

 

“Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord.
“No, I am far away at the same time.
Can anyone hide from Me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.

– Jeremiah 23:23,24 (NLT)

 

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 11:32-36 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Possible

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

 

Impossible

is not a word

God acknowledges

 

For He is God!

And there is not a thing

that isn’t possible for Him

 

 

Believe it

 

 

With people,

we don’t dare to ask

for what doesn’t make sense

 

With God,

He is glorified

in the asking

in the belief

and in the trust

 

For the impossible

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

– Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

 

Everything is possible for one who believes.

– Mark 9:23 (NIV)

 

Is anything too hard for the Lord?…

– Genesis 18:14 (NIV)

 

Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.

– Jeremiah 32:17 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Rain

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Rain down on us

sweet Jesus

 

Living Water, flood us

with Your love

 

We long for Your refreshment

in a dry and weary land

 

Cover us

Drench us

 

With Your kindness

Your forgiveness

Your acceptance

Your joy

Your Light

 

With YOU

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

A song of David while in the wilderness of Judah. O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence.

– Psalm 63:1 (VOICE)

 

Skies above, open up and let the clouds rain down righteousness! Let the earth below sprout triumph and justice. For I, the Eternal, have created them.

– Isaiah 45:8 (VOICE)

 

His voice thunders through the heavens, and the waters gush from the sky; He summons the clouds to build up over the earth. As the rain falls, the lightning flashes at His command; the wind rushes in from where He alone can store it.

– Jeremiah 10:13 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Squirrel!

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

On my hike this morning….

 

Lord, I love you!  I see Your beauty in these wildflowers!  You are lovely, God.  You are so great and I love You…

 

(Don’t forget to get trash bags at Walmart, oh and potting soil…)

 

And, God, please watch over Colie at camp and Arik in Denver, keep them safe….

 

(These shoes are so good for hiking.  I’m really glad I got them.  My flip flops are wearing out, though, I think I better get some new ones before the old ones break…)

 

Oh yes, God, thank you for a new morning, and for health and strength and for life!

 

(Man, I really loved my time with my Jericho Girls group last night.  What a precious time of sharing…)

 

Lord, I’m sorry….

 

I have the hardest time staying focused sometimes when I’m praying to You.  I want to

 

(Squirrel!)

 

I want to keep all my focus on You on these hikes, but I’m so distracted.  I’m just sorry….

 

(Ugh, messed up again….)

 

I love you, child.  I made you a multi-tasker.  I see you trying hard to keep focused on Me.  I made you this way and I use you this way.  You are not messing up.    I’m always here.  

 

God….  I just love You so much.  Thank You.  I will keep trying with Your help.

 

I am just like a friend walking along your side that you jump from topic to topic with.  I delight in you.  

 

Friend, do you struggle with focus when praying?  Boy, I sure do.  But I’m so thankful that God sticks right with me anyway.  And I’m thankful that as I grow to know Him more and more that my communication with Him can flow more and more freely throughout the day.  He is always with me and I can talk to Him any time.  What a precious gift from my Abba Father.  Be encouraged!  God knows we can be flighty.  He is patient with His children. 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

– Jeremiah 29:12 (NIV)

 

God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.

– Proverbs 15:8 (MSG)

 

Search for the Lord and for His strength;
continually seek Him.

– 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

 

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope Je has given to those He called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

– Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

First

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

As a new believer I often said my purpose was to know Him and make Him known.  Too often my emphasis was on making Him known rather than on knowing Him….  My desire to serve God was good, but my priorities were out of order.  God’s Word clearly says that the first and most important thing is this:  to love God with all our being (Matthew 22:37-38).  This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second commandment is loving others, which includes ministry or works of service (Matthew 22:39).  I had reversed these two.

It’s so important to be able to say, I am not primarily a worker for God;  I am first and foremost a lover of God.  This is who I am.

…When our priorities become turned around, and we place more emphasis on loving others than on loving God, we are headed for spiritual and physical exhaustion.

– Linda Dillow

 

All of us need to be lovers who work rather than workers who love.

– Bob Sorge

 

 

You first, God

 

All others –

people

work

recreation

ministry…..

 

Second

 

And not just in theory

but in Truth

 

I love You, Lord!

I delight in You

worship You

adore You

 

and I find my grounding here

find my purpose here

 

Loving You

 

And finding more reasons to love You

increases my delight in You

increases my awe of You

makes me want to love You more

 

For You loved me first

and drew me to Yourself

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust.
I seek You with every fiber of my being.
In this dry and weary land with no water in sight,
my soul is dry and longs for You.
My body aches for You, for Your presence.

– Psalm 63:1 (VOICE)

 

I have loved you with an everlasting love—
out of faithfulness I have drawn you close.

– Jeremiah 31:3 (VOICE)

 

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

– Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

 

Come, let us worship Him. Everyone bow down;
kneel before the Eternal who made us.

-Psalm 95:6 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

His Name

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Your name, Jesus,

has power unlimited

 

Your name

has meaning deep and profound

 

Your name

sparks controversy and division

 

Your name

melts the calloused heart

 

How is it that Your name

is spoken in vain?

 

As if You weren’t God

over all the universe?

 

As if it were any other profane word….

 

The blasphemers don’t know,

or they don’t care

 

But one day,

all will acknowledge Your name

 

And for me, Your name

will only leave my lips

 

to honor You

or speak to You

 

Your name

is the most beautiful one I know

 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor
and gave Him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

– Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

 

Lord, there is no one like you!
For you are great, and your name is full of power.

– Jeremiah 10:6 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Big

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

You are big enough

to create an endless universe

 

with words and will

 

You are big enough

to have Your eye on billions of souls

 

always

 

You are big enough

to hold everything and everyone

 

in Your hand

 

and yet

You are mine

 

You hold everything together

and all the while, You speak tenderly to my heart

 

You are big

beyond comprehension

 

but You love

one-on-one

 

personally

in the closest way

 

as if You were not so big

 

but I’m glad You are

for that is why

 

I can trust you with the small

 

– Susie Stewart

 
God stretches the northern sky over empty space
and hangs the earth on nothing.

He wraps the rain in His thick clouds,
and the clouds don’t burst with the weight.

He covers the face of the moon,
shrouding it with His clouds.

He created the horizon when He separated the waters;
He set the boundary between day and night.
The foundations of heaven tremble;
they shudder at His rebuke.
By His power the sea grew calm.
By His skill He crushed the great sea monster.
His Spirit made the heavens beautiful,
and His power pierced the gliding serpent.
These are just the beginning of all that He does,
merely a whisper of His power.
Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of His power?

– Job 26:7-14 (NLT)

 

When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—
the moon and the stars You set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that You should care for them?

– Psalm 8:3,4 (NLT)

 

O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

– Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart