Matthew

Grace Flow

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Today, my friend

I pray for you to know

 

really know

 

the grace that is yours

 

I pray that in the midst

of all the Have Tos

and Suppose Tos

and Got Tos

 

that you find the rhythms

of God’s grace flowing in you

 

That you enjoy

just being loved

 

And that you don’t forget to breathe in grace

and exhale praise

 

strengthened by God

knowing He is not burdensome

 

I pray this for you today

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But if it is by grace [God’s unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works].

– Romans 11:6 (AMP)

 

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)

 

So you, my son, be strong [constantly strengthened] and empowered in the grace that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.

– 2 Timothy 2:1 (AMP)

 

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)

 

The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.

– 2 Corinthians 13:14 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Divine Silence

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Silence

 

Deafening silence

 

And your heart is heavy

and grief-striken

 

How can one hope

in such circumstances?

 

When God is silent?

 

He left

and despair is overwhelming

 

But fight your despair,

 

for even when there is death,

there is hope

 

for the true follower

of Jesus

 

All may be silent

for a time

 

But dawn will come

tomorrow

 

And you will see

that what was dead

 

will be alive!

 

So in this place

of silence and mourning,

 

Hope

 

The end of the story

has not yet come

 

And our Divine Jesus

will not remain silent

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Late in the afternoon a wealthy man from Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, arrived. His name was Joseph. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate granted his request. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean linens, put it in his own tomb, a new tomb only recently cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the entrance. Then he went off. But Mary Magdalene and the other Mary stayed, sitting in plain view of the tomb.

After sundown, the high priests and Pharisees arranged a meeting with Pilate. They said, “Sir, we just remembered that that liar announced while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will be raised.’ We’ve got to get that tomb sealed until the third day. There’s a good chance His disciples will come and steal the corpse and then go around saying, ‘He’s risen from the dead.’ Then we’ll be worse off than before, the final deceit surpassing the first.”

Pilate told them, “You will have a guard. Go ahead and secure it the best you can.” So they went out and secured the tomb, sealing the stone and posting guards.

– Matthew 27:57-66 (MSG)

 

Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted.

– Psalm 23:4 (VOICE)

 

Be brave. Be strong. Don’t give up. Expect God to get here soon.

– Psalm 31:24 (MSG)

A River Flows Through It

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

An outward focus

is as a river flowing

 

unobstructed

moving

living

 

from a heart

listening to the Spirit

 

An inward focus

is as a black hole

 

dark

still

backward

 

from a heart imploding on itself

 

And it is obvious

when you speak to someone

 

which one they are

and where their focus is

 

Do people come away from talking to you

feeling heard?

Valued?

Seen?

 

Or do they come away from talking to you

knowing a whole lot

about you

with a little more of you

on the side?

 

Our Jesus

Savior

King

God

 

focused outward

 

Time with His Father prioritized,

He went to the masses

 

and He Healed them

with His hands and His words

 

Selflessness

Humility

and attentiveness

come from the character of God

 

And we become more of this

when we allow Him to do His inward work

 

 

looking to Him

and focusing outward

 

– Susie Stewart

 

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted Him high and honored Him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that He is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

– Philippians 1:1-11 (MSG)

 

On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took His stand. He cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in Me this way, just as the Scripture says.” (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)

– John 7:37-39 (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)

 

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

— 1 Peter 3:8 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

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

 

Escapism

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

There are places people go

in their hearts and minds

 

to escape real life

 

And those places

may look like other people’s stories

 

They may look like

a fantastical world

 

They may look like

hours before a screen or pages

 

And while it’s good to dream and imagine,

living a life that is not yours

 

can be dangerous

 

for the escape becomes

your god

 

It becomes more important

than anything else

 

it consumes

and dominates

 

and crushes

real life

 

I know,

because I’ve had times like that

 

I was drawn in

and obsessed

and out of touch

 

God was not on the throne

of my heart

 

May we who follow Jesus

be content where we are

 

relying on Him to walk with us

and not seeking escape

 

Come away with your Lord

for He will fill you

 

like no empty world of escapism

ever can

 

When your escape

leads to

Neglect

Obsession

and Avoidance

 

It’s time to get away with God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

…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)

 

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

– Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

 

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

– Romans 12:1,2 (MSG)

 

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

– 1 John 2:15-17 (MSG)

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Minority

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Do not be surprised,

dear ones,

that you are in the minority

 

Do not be discouraged

that the masses

are going in a different direction

 

Do not be overwhelmed

by the ugliness

all around you

 

Remember

that you are a lighthouse above the sea

 

You are a city on a hill

distinct from the rest

 

Sanctified

Set apart

 

Your one small flame

penetrates darkness

 

and the darkness

cannot overcome it

 

You are walking

the narrow road

 

while most are running

down the broad highway

 

Have compassion on them,

dear ones

 

Do not despise those

who are blinded by darkness

 

Make your light shine

in their world

 

And hold firm

to your hope

 

– Susie Stewart

 

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

– Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

 

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

– Matthew 7:13, 14 (NLT)

 

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

– Matthew 9:36 (NLT)

 

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

– John 1:5 (NLT)

 

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.

– 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

 

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

– Ephesians 5:8 (NLT)

 

Strong Tower

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

There is only one Name

that wields unimaginable power

 

That is the Name of the LORD

 

And when I need strength

sheltering

protection

comfort

 

It is the Name I call

the Name I flee to

 

This Name

in fact

is a Strong Tower

 

for those who trust God

with their lives

 

Calling on the Name of YHWH

when fleeing darkness

 

causes the darkness

to flee

 

It exasperates evil

 

I stand atop that LORD tower

and look down at the one who would destroy me

 

He cannot reach me

and I am secure

 

May I never seek anything

before You and Your strong Name, God,

 

My LORD

My Tower

 

secure

fortified

and strong

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].

– Proverbs 18:10 (AMP)

 

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your name be kept holy.

– Matthew 6:9 (NLT)

 

So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.

And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”

– Philippians 2:10-11 (GW)

 

No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of His name.

– Exodus 10:7 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

In the Highest

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Jesus,

You who always were

in the highest

 

and always were

the Highest

 

humbled Yourself

lowly

for me

 

And I am in awe

of the sacrifice

 

of majesty

and Sonship

and royalty

 

Because the highest place

and the highest position

and the highest praise

 

are what You deserve

 

A wooden animal trough

made by a carpenter’s hands

is where you came to be

 

And I will forever thank You

and I will forever bless You

and I will forever praise You

 

for You are the Highest

bent low

for me

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And in a flash there appeared with the angel a vast host of the armies of Heaven, praising God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest Heaven! Peace upon earth among men of goodwill!”

– Luke 2:13,14 (PHILLIPS)

 

For the Lord Most High is to be feared [and worshiped with awe-inspired reverence and obedience]; He is a great King over all the earth.

– Psalm 47:2 (NLT)

 

Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo!
Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs!
God Most High is stunning,
astride land and ocean.
He crushes hostile people,
puts nations at our feet.
He set us at the head of the line,
prize-winning Jacob, his favorite.
Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain,
a ram’s horn blast at the summit.
Sing songs to God, sing out!
Sing to our King, sing praise!
He’s Lord over earth,
so sing your best songs to God.
God is Lord of godless nations—
sovereign, He’s King of the mountain.
Princes from all over are gathered,
people of Abraham’s God.
The powers of earth are God’s—
He soars over all.

– Psalm 47:1-9 (MSG)

 

 

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.

– Psalm 57:2 (NLT)

 

Lord Most High, Your voice
thundered from the heavens.

– 2 Samuel 22:14 (CEV)

 

I will thank the Lord because He is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

– Psalm 7:17

 

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around Him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”

– Matthew 21:9 (NLT)

 

Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: Blessed is He who comes, the king in God’s name! All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places!

– Luke 19:37,38 (MSG)

 

 

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