Jesus

Fear

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
– Proverbs 9:10 (NLT)

 

A life of worship

is a life of fear

 

And it sounds strange

to say so

 

For fear

brings thoughts of scary

and terror

and angst

 

But Abba calls us to fear Him

with awe

and reverence

and joy

 

He calls us to see Him

in everything

 

He tells us not to fear people

or circumstances

or spiritual darkness

 

But to stand bold

in His Spirit

 

and this leaves us

with only the fear of HIM

 

But it couldn’t be further from the word we know

 

For this fear

dances in His presence

 

And brims over with joy

 

And seeks Him passionately

 

This fear is amazed at

and respecting

all-knowing

all-seeing

all-important

God

 

It is the beauty

of Father and child

 

It is

Fear

and fear not

 

– Susie Stewart

 

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

– 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

 

Fearing God has been a term I’ve wrestled with and longed to better understand. I know it means to have a deep level of reverence for God. But I love what a friend of mine who studies language root words to better understand biblical terms recently shared with me. After much study, she now defines a person who fears God as ‘one who sees the hand of God in everything.’ There are several Hebrew words for the word ‘fear’, but let’s look at two of these closely. One is ‘pachad’, which means terror. That’s not the one used in this passage about the fear of the Lord. The word used is ‘yirah’, which means being in awe of God. That deep sense of reverence where we truly desire to look for the hand of God in everything.
– Lysa Terkeurst

 

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him.

– Psalm 33:8 (NIV)

 

Let all people stand in awe of the Eternal; let every man, woman, and child live in wonder of Him.

– Psalm 33:8 (VOICE)

 

The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water so you won’t go off drinking from poisoned well.

– Proverbs 14:27 (MSG)

 

 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

 

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

– Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Heart Trust

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

 

Has a person

broken your heart?

 

Crushed you

deeply?

 

And as a result

have you determined

 

that you can’t possibly

trust your heart

to God?

 

Secretly

you guard your heart

 

for fear

that He will disappoint

 

just like people have

 

But He calls out to you

as a faithful lover would

 

A faithful lover

 

He pursues you

consistently

 

And you gently learn

that your circumstances

 

don’t determine

His love for you

 

And that God,

your faithful One,

will hold you

 

in those circumstances

 

That He does not leave

nor forsake

 

And you find

that in trusting Him

with your heart

 

 

that He is the One

who wraps you

in His sheltering arms

 

When people

can’t be trusted

with your heart

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.

– Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

 

Our hearts erupt with joy in Him because we trust His holy name.

– Psalm 33:21 (VOICE)

 

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give Him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
don’t sulk under His loving correction.
It’s the child He loves that God corrects;
a father’s delight is behind all this.

– Proverbs 3:5-12 (MSG)

 

Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you.

– Deuteronomy 31:6 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

A Whisper

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Your life is a whisper

 

It is a mist,

a breath

 

Your lungs take in the breath of God

at birth

 

And no matter how much time you are given

 

Your life is still

as fog that quickly dissipates

 

Eternity envelopes

and swallows up

your existence in flesh

 

Your spirit is everlasting,

solid

 

And so many are aimless

and unaware of the brevity

 

of Life

 

So precious

so short

 

But we are reminded

in this moment

 

that loving

on purpose

thriving

on purpose

worshiping

on purpose

serving

on purpose

forgiving

on purpose

 

Is vital

in so little time

 

to really live

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Humans are like a passing breath; their time on earth is like a shadow that passes over us during the day and soon is gone.

– Psalm 144:4 (VOICE)

 

…What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears.

 – James 4:14 (PHILLIPS)

 

As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.”

– 1 Peter 1:24 (NLT)

 

We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

– 1 Chronicles 29:15 (NLT)

 

He was mindful that they were human, frail and fleeting, like a wind that touches one’s skin for a moment, then vanishes.

– Psalm 78:39 (VOICE)

 

My days go by like a long shadow—stretched thin and disappearing…

– Psalm 102:11 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

 

Testify

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

My mouth

and my life

testify

to Love

 

Not just any love

 

But Unconditional Love

 

Love Perfect

given to imperfect

 

And I would testify to this Love

in any court

 

And some will doubt

and some will scoff

and some will turn away

 

But that does not change

my testimony of Him

 

And the evidence is not just in me

It is worldwide

 

The Fruit is the evidence

 

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Gentleness

Faithfulness

Self Control

 

And lives changed

 

Growing

and not stagnant

 

Softening

and yet strengthening

 

Kinder

and yet bolder

 

Love testified

through life

and words

 

And evidence

 

That we are truly saved

from so much more than sin

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

– Galatians 5:22 (NLT)

 

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

– John 13:35 (NLT)

 

“No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you.” So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

– Luke 8:39 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Together

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

I think we don’t take God seriously

about unity in the Body of Christ

 

We divide ourselves into denominations

and separate from one another

 

We look down on this group

or that one over there

 

And we quarrel with our brothers and sisters

not taking seriously that God is about forgiveness

 

and about reconciliation

and unconditional love

 

We take advantage of His grace

and feel justified in our bitterness

 

Because if you only knew what they did….

 

When all along it has been us, too,

holding onto judgment

and bitterness

and unforgiveness

 

How ironic

 

For in our minds

we are pointing out their sin

 

And we could all be put in a basket

a basket of people stained and broken

 

BUT that is not how God sees us!

 

His precious Son died so that we

could be reconciled to the Father

 

He bought us reconciliation!

 

Do you hear that word?

Reconciliation

 

And that is what we ought to be about

with one another

 

Reconciliation

 

After all, do you not know

that together we build

 

The Holy Temple of God?

 

Each one a brick

adding to the beautiful structure

 

Jesus, the Son of God,

is the Cornerstone of that temple!

 

It is important that we be together

Each having a place

 

Brick by brick

by brick

 

So, please, brothers and sisters

let’s not judge

and criticize

and hate

and draw denominational lines

 

God has called us to love

so that others outside the building

 

Will know of our Savior

 

What barrier have you erected

that the cross already demolished?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

People are incorporated into [Jesus Christ], and when He is raised to new life, a new being comes into existence, one in which people are one with Christ and one with each other in Him.  Grace not only connects us to God and Christ, it connects us to each other.

– Klyne Snodgrass

 

Jesus prayed:   “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent Me.”

– John 17:20-21 (NLT)

 

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.

– Ephesians 2:20-22 (NLT)

 

God’s purpose and Christ’s achievement is a single new humanity, a model of human community, a family of reconciled brothers and sisters who love their Father and love each other, the evident dwelling place of God by His Spirit.  Only then will the world believe in Christ as Peacemaker.  Only then will God receive the glory due His name.  

– John Stott

 

And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in Him
will never be disgraced.”
Yes, you who trust Him recognize the honor God has given Him. But for those who reject Him,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”

And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

“Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”

– 1 Peter 2:4-10 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

Agreement

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Have you ever thought about

how you might have conceded?

 

That you might have agreed

to the lies

that were whispered your way?

 

The enemy of your soul

sought to convince you

 

How inadequate you are

How hopeless you should be

How nothing will ever change

How victory is not possible

and more…

 

And maybe at first

you fought the idea

 

But then you came to agree,

maybe without even thinking about it

 

You bought the lies

and thought it must be true

 

And there you have

Agreement with the enemy

 

But your Holy Spirit pure

wants you to hear Truth

 

About your identity

your hope

your destiny

about forgiveness

 

And you realize that it’s time to confess

your own agreement with the lies

 

Love covers all

when forgiveness is sought

 

Love covers all

 

And how glorious to find

that truth in that area no longer meets a wall in your mind

 

For discovery and confession and turning

have brought freedom

 

To hear and believe

what God says

 

And you know that you now agree

with His Truth for you

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 11:3 (NIV)

 

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

– Ephesians 6:10-12 (MSG)

 

…for love covers a multitude of sins.

– 1 Peter 4:8 (NLT)

 

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

– 2 Timothy 2:25,26 (NLT)  

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Compare Not

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Let God tell you

who you are

 

Comparing yourself

to your brothers and sisters in Christ

 

will only make you feel superior

or inferior

 

Leave it up to God

 

Be your absolutely unique

self

and give yourself grace

 

to grow in Christ

without pride

or condemnation

 

The most important thing

 

is not

 

to be more like this person here

or that person there

 

It is to be like Christ!

 

Compare yourself with others

NOT

 

Know your Father’s delight

in created

YOU

 

– Susie Stewart

 

We’re not, understand, putting ourselves in a league with those who boast that they’re our superiors. We wouldn’t dare do that. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

– 2 Corinthians 10:12 (MSG)

 

Am I now trying to win the favor and approval of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please someone? If I were still trying to be popular with men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.

– Galatians 1:10 (AMP)

 

But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.

– Galatians 6:4 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Bear It No More

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

Heavy

burden

weight of weights

constraining

 

Shame

Guilt

Soul burdened

with wrong-doing weight

 

And I ask you,

Why do you bear it?

 

Why do you carry the shame

the guilt

the burden

of sins past?

 

It is all

nailed to the cross

 

Bear it no more

 

For Jesus carried the heavy

for you

 

He died to take your shame

 

To take away your sin

 

And you do Him an injustice

by trying to carry the weight

that He already bore

 

His sacrifice should bring you freedom

Not burden

 

You have accepted your Savior

Have you accepted grace?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

– Micah 7:19 (NLT)

 

So now you need to rethink everything and turn to God so your sins will be forgiven and a new day can dawn, days of refreshing times flowing from the Lord.

– Acts 3:19 (VOICE)

 

This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.

– John 3:16-18 (MSG)

 

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Grace

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

God, Your grace

it is so far-reaching

 

It touches all that I have done wrong

and all that I will do wrong

 

It covers all of life

and breath

 

All is grace

 

For even my faith

is because of Your grace

 

And thankfully

it can’t be nullified

 

Even on my less than stellar days

Even when I fall on my face

 

Grace is still grace

 

If it weren’t,

it would be dependent on me

 

And it isn’t

 

Grace is not a teamwork thing

with me and You, God

 

It’s all You

 

Let me never think that Your grace

is earned by me

 

For Your grace is a gift,

never earned

 

Only gratefully received by me

 

– Susie Stewart

 

* These thoughts came from my friend Nicole Rowell in a study on Ephesians.  I just re-worded a bit.  Nicole, thank you for your insight into God’s Word and His amazing grace!

 

But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

– Ephesians 2:4-10 (NLT)

 

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)

 

For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].

– John 1:16 (AMP)

 

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