John

Extraordinary

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Since our heavenly Father’s goal is to help us reach our full spiritual potential as believers in Christ, we will be challenged by the things He calls us to do. Sometimes really challenged…This is God’s way. Putting extraordinary tasks on the plates of ordinary people so that ordinary people can see what an extraordinary God can do through them…what He’s saying to you may sound impossible. But if you’ll just follow Him in stunned, submitted obedience, stepping out of your cozy comfort zone, you’ll find you’re leaving the realm of your natural abilities behind and entering the realm of His supernatural ones.

– PriscilIa Shirer

 

I replied, “I’m not a good speaker, Lord, and I’m too young.”
“Don’t say you’re too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don’t leave out a word! I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don’t be afraid.”

– Jeremiah 1:6-8 (CEV)

 

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.”

– John 14:12 (NLT)

 

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

– Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Never Fails

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love never fails.

– 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)

 

Love is the river that flows through. Love is the arms that are holding you. Love is the place you will fly to. Love never fails you.

-Brandon Heath

 

You stay the same through the ages. Your love never changes. There may be pain in the night. But joy comes in the morning.
The wind is strong and the water’s deep. I’m not alone here in these open seas cause Your love never fails.

-Newsboys

 

Higher than the mountains that I face. Stronger than the power of the grave. Constant in the trial and the change. One thing remains.
In death. In life. I’m confident and covered by the power of your great love.
My debt is paid. There’s nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love.
Your love never fails. It never gives up. It never runs out on me.

-Jesus Culture

 

Love never fails.

 

Everything else

Everyone else

may fall away

but God will never fail

you

 

He is the Love

the Constant

you are searching for.

 

– Susie Stewart

 

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 3:15-17 (MSG)

 

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Love Always Protects

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Love always protects…

– 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

 

Love protects in many different ways. Love protects from the harm of gossip from our own mouths or others’. Love protects physically, even to the point of giving up our lives for our loved ones if necessary -there is no greater love. Love protects by praying spiritual, emotional, and physical protection over a person. Love seeks to protect one’s marriage. Love steps up to protect the vulnerable. When dating, love protects the virtue of the other person. Love covers over a multitude of sins.

– Susie Stewart

 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

– Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

 

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

– John 15:13 (NLT)

 

You are my hiding place. You will keep me out of trouble and envelop me with songs that remind me I am free.

– Psalm 32:7 (VOICE)

 

He who takes refuge in the shelter of the Most High
will be safe in the shadow of the Almighty.
He will say to the Eternal, “My shelter, my mighty fortress,
my God, I place all my trust in You.”
For He will rescue you from the snares set by your enemies who entrap you
and from deadly plagues.
Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers,
will protect you under His great wings;
His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you.
You will not dread the terrors that haunt the night
or enemy arrows that fly in the day
Or the plagues that lurk in darkness
or the disasters that wreak havoc at noon.
A thousand may fall on your left,
ten thousand may die on your right,
but these horrors won’t come near you.
Only your eyes will witness
the punishment that awaits the evil,
but you will not suffer because of it.
For you made the Eternal [your] refuge,
the Most High your only home.
No evil will come to you;
plagues will be turned away at your door.
He will command His heavenly messengers to guard you,
to keep you safe in every way.
They will hold you up in their hands
so that you will not crash, or fall, or even graze your foot on a stone.
You will walk on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the lion and the serpent underfoot.
“Because He clings to Me in love,
I will rescue him from harm;
I will set him above danger.
Because he has known Me by name,
He will call on Me, and I will answer.
I’ll be with him through hard times;
I’ll rescue him and grant him honor.
I’ll reward him with many good years on this earth
and let him witness My salvation.”

– Psalm 91 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Sam Magumba

Voice of Authority

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

– John 10:27 (NLT)

 

When the Holy Spirit speaks, His voice comes with power and authority. It hits you deep. It grips you. Your heart burns. It’s Him. You know it….When God speaks, His voice is noticeable by its resonance, depth, and impact. It pulses with a calm, steady force that makes a clear impression on your soul….you are moved to stillness as you reflect on what you’ve seen and heard….Truly, you can distinguish the voice of God from any other voice by the powerful influence it carries in your soul.
– PriscilIa Shirer

 

 

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
– Luke 24:32 (NLT)

 

 

Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

– John 8:47 (ESV)

 

 

But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord
or speak in His name,
His word burns in my heart like a fire.
It’s like a fire in my bones!
I am worn out trying to hold it in!
I can’t do it!
– Jeremiah 20:9 (NLT)

 

 

“Does not my word burn like fire?”
says the Lord.
“Is it not like a mighty hammer
that smashes a rock to pieces?”
– Jeremiah 23:29 (NLT)

 

 

Photo taken by Arik Stewart

 

 

Offended

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

I’ve been realizing more and more that being offended is a choice.  And really, when I concentrate so much on a person who offends me, I’m not able to concentrate on God or where He’s leading me.  I’m spending too much time and energy thinking about how I’ve been offended.  I’m thankful that God doesn’t do that with me.  I’ve given Him plenty to be offended about.  I heard Michael W. Smith speaking on a video once and he said something like, “I’ve made it my goal to never be offended by another person again.”  That really made me think!  How often do I get bent out of shape by another’s actions or attitudes when my focus really just needs to be on Jesus and running this race He’s called me to, and to extending the grace that’s been given to me.

– Susie Stewart

 

Therefore, I accept weakness, mistreatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties suffered for Christ. It’s clear that when I’m weak, I’m strong.

– 2 Corinthians 12:10 (GW)

 

In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.

– Psalm 109:4 (ESV)

 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

– John 8:36 (ESV)

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

– Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

 

Photo taken by Arik Stewart

 

Up

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

 

I want don’t want to be grounded.

Hmm..

What do you do with that?  Grounded can take on different meanings.  The grounded I’m talking about may not be what you think.

This world has a way of weighing us down, almost as if it is pulling us deeper into the earth.  Troubles, trials, relationships gone wrong, the depressing things we hear on the news every day… it feels as if it has a downward pull.

God calls us to look UP.  He calls us to “set” our minds on things that are heavenly, peaceful, strong, gentle…… truth.  He is continually pulling us out of the muck and mire and setting our feet on solid ground or in spacious places (2 Samuel 22:20).  He brings us out of darkness into His unimaginable light.

My feet feel very weighted to the earth at times.  I allow the cares of this world to eat away at my thoughts and emotion, at my trust.  I am called to so much more!  “…because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…”! (Eph. 2:4,5)

Over the years, I have often thought about what it means to “set your mind on things above, not on earthly things…”  I’ve assumed that Paul was referring to heaven.  I’ve never seen heaven, so at times I find it hard to set my mind on it, having never seen it and all.  But, for me, this verse has come to mean even more.

Look down….

earth, dirt, gravity, weightiness, troubles….

Look up….

Sky, heaven, weightlessness, peace, freedom….

I don’t want to be grounded.  I don’t want to be weighed down with the troubles of this world, but to trust in Light and Love and Mercy — Jesus!

He is above!  He is the Name that is “above every name” (Phil. 2:9).

He is up!

He is in me.

And when I soak Him in and I listen to Him and when I trust and believe and I focus on Him, I’m not so grounded anymore.  I feel lighter and more joyful.  I’m not so concerned with how the people around me are not meeting my oh-so-important needs.

May I only be grounded in your truth, Jesus.  Otherwise, let my feet be just above the ground because I trust in You.  You are working in and through me as I look forward to my forever home.

– Susie Stewart

 

Colossians 3:2  “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.”

1 Peter 1:13  “Be holy, therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at His coming.”  

John 10:10   “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 16:33   “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 32:10  “Many are the woes of the wicked but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trust in Him.”

 

Photo:  Susie Stewart

Exile

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

 

Are you on an island?

Has life caused you to be isolated?

Is there an aloneness that is tangible in your heart?

Pain and suffering, change, betrayal, loss….

John was on an island.  He was exiled to the island of Patmos.  Christians were going through a time of persecution and those who held that Christ, not Caesar, was Lord, were facing hostility.  John was sent to Patmos as punishment for his faith.

In his exile, God showed up.

His eyes were opened to the realm of the supernatural, of things to come.  Imprisoned on an island, away from the people and places that he loved, the Lord of the future overwhelmingly revealed Himself and His plan to John.

The book of Revelation is so stunning that it takes my breath away at times!  The things written in this book, so distinct and curious, are a taste of the judgment and the wonder to come.  John was overcome.  He says, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.  Then He placed His right hand on me and said:  ‘Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One;  I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!'”

There was a point in my chemo journey when I realized that I was an exile like John.  On a much smaller scale, mind you, but I felt it nonetheless.  Because of the winter season, wanting to stay away from germs, and because of feeling bad physically, I was home most of the time over the course of a few months.  I was home, and I was bald.  While I was grateful for a warm home, it felt like the walls were closing in on me at times.

God opened my eyes to my island.

What I did with my time came into sharper focus and I longed to be closer to God.

I determined that I didn’t want to waste my exile.

Sowing aloneness can reap growth.  Sowing aloneness can also reap self-pity, discouragement, resentment….

What I set my mind and heart on determines what I sow.  I know because I have sown both.

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on this earth,” God’s Word says in Colossians 3:2.

I have found that in exile, determination to follow truth and to follow hard after God take discipline.  It takes a “setting” of the mind.  Your mind and heart will be pulled away if you don’t.

“So let us come near to God with an honest and true heart. Let us come near with a faith that is sure and strong….”  Hebrews 10:22

My prayer for you is that you will draw near to God in your exile, and there He will share with you His amazing love and His undeniable truth.

– Susie Stewart

 

(photo of the island of Patmos courtesy of bibleplaces.com)

Listen

/ Susie Stewart / 12 Comments

Deuteronomy 30:20 “…love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.”

I want to hear Him.

Listening can be difficult at times.  Life gets loud and complicated.  But deep calls to deep (Ps. 42:7).

Earlier today my home was quiet.  I asked the Lord to speak through me as I typed my first blog on this site.  I listened with my heart and I spent much time bringing thoughts and Scripture together.

Everything I typed….disappeared.

No explanation.  Just gone.  As hard as I tried, I couldn’t retrieve it, from my computer or from my brain.

Big, big sigh.  This, my first blog on my own site, just vanished.

While I was drawing near to God, while I was listening, while I was absorbing….things took a turn.  This was not the plan I had.  I was going to click a button, publish those words, and there you have it.  But I just couldn’t make it work…

That’s what happened to me in life.  Life took a turn.  Things were going along relatively smoothly.  But then cancer.

I didn’t want to shift this way!  I wanted things to go along the way I envisioned.  Was life now clouded and dark and hard?  Would the good memories of joyful times just disappear, like my typed words, as if they hadn’t happened?  It really depended on my trust in the One leading me.

My Shepherd is Jesus.  I know His voice.

 “…His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.”  John 10:4

My Shepherd promises me that He works all things for my good.  He promises never to leave me or forsake me.  He promises purpose for my life.  I want His purposes to be mine.  (Romans 8:28; Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 138:8)

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverbs 19:21

Following my Shepherd even when life takes a turn, that takes pliability.  Trust is key.  Listening in the midst of the noise is important, and can be difficult.

“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”  Psalm 95:7

I have come through surgery, radiation and chemo.  Things are looking good at this point.  I will keep clinging and praying and listening.

As I bring this new blog to you, my friends, I will be seeking HIM.  I will be looking to bring words of wisdom, of encouragement, of real life.  I want to be pliable as I do it.  After all, I am following the Leader.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the way, in the middle of the night, after a bit of sleep, the first blog I wrote started coming back to me.  I got out of bed, typed it up, and it will come next time.  Things didn’t go the way I planned, but there was purpose in it.  After all, the blog above wouldn’t have happened if things hadn’t taken a turn……

– Susie Stewart

(My blog from the last 7 months:  www.mylifeline.org/susiestewart)