Matthew

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

Without Restraint

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What You give, God,

is lavish

and generous

and overflowing

 

You don’t just stop at need,

You go over

and above

and then some

 

You are our God of much

and we are your people most blessed

 

And what You give

is not always what we expect

 

For the world sees lavish

different

than You do

 

You know how to give

good gifts

to Your children

 

With leftovers

 

Not the least of which

is Yourself

 

Our greatest gift of all

 

Friend, if you think God is holding out on you,

look again

 

and find

Love without restraint

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Then Jesus called His disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”

The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”

Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children….

– Matthew 15:32-39 (NLT)

 

…your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!

– Matthew 6:8 (NLT)

 

He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

– Ephesians 1:7, 8 (NLT)

 

Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.

– Exodus 34:6,7 (NLT)

 

So if you, who are sinful, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more so does your Father in heaven, who is perfect, know how to give great gifts to His children!

– Matthew 7:11 (VOICE)

 

Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children.

– 1 John 3:1 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Light Of The World

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

Light of the World

 

It is what we call You, God,

because of Your glory

Your redemption

Your Beauty

 

and more

 

And we, in whom Your Spirit dwells

are also

 

The light of the world

 

We share this title

 

Not on equal footing

but because we are like lanterns

 

in which Your spirit burns

and glows

 

We are vessels of Your hope

and Your glory

 

Your light in us

will not burn out

 

Just as Your glory will always

bring light

to the darkness

 

We are not meant to be hidden

from a world of darkness

 

for in that world

we are the light of it

 

The light of the world

 

– Susie Stewart

 

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

– Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

 

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

– John 8:12 (NIV)

 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

– John 1:5 (NIV)

 

But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light.

– 1 Peter 2:9 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

Taken For Granted

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Sometimes we need

a wake up call

 

to what we have in Jesus

 

Blessed are we who

treasure

the Word of God

 

who long to learn

and hear

and see

and understand

 

His words to us

 

So many from history

and even the present-day persecuted

 

would have given anything

to have the Bible lying open before them

 

and to read

and absorb

freely

 

the Feast of Divine communication

 

We can take this for granted

 

We forget

that life is found in these words

 

Busyness is an excuse

for letting it collect dust

 

Supposed-tos

rob us of the joy of a heart connect

 

Procrastination steals

each day of refreshment and Truth

 

And we go without

 

life-giving words

reviving

and bringing understanding

and revealing

 

who YOU are God

 

May we long for You

with genuine hearts

 

May we desire

spiritual sustenance

 

May we bask

in Your words

 

which are

our privilege

to read

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Jesus said —

For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

– Matthew 13:17 (NIV)

 

But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.

– Matthew 13:17 (MSG)

 

To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

“When you hear what I say,
you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
you will not comprehend.
For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let Me heal them.”

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 

– Matthew 13:12-16 (NLT)

 

The amount of desire for God’s Words

is in direct proportion

to how deeply we know of their power.

– Susie Stewart

 

There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

– 2 Timothy 3:16,17 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Critical

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

If you have a critical spirit

your joy will be swept away

 

plain

and simple

 

You will spend your time thinking

about the flaws of another

 

instead of on the sweetness

and beauty

and loveliness

of life

 

and of God

 

If you find yourself

criticizing

this person

and that person

 

outwardly

or in your thoughts

 

Stop

 

Just stop

 

And send your thoughts

into the realm of joy

 

Your world is small

if all you do is think critical thoughts

of people

 

Expand your heart

to joy

and thankfulness

 

And watch those words

 

Build others up

 

You know that you don’t appreciate

someone being critical

of you

 

Find joy

in focused attention

on goodness

and Light

 

and always be

thankful

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, “Let me wash your face for you,” when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

– Matthew 7:2-5 (MSG)

 

For to him who has shown no mercy the judgment [will be] merciless, but mercy [full of glad confidence] exults victoriously over judgment.

– James 2:13 (AMP)

 

Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive His approval.

– Romans 14:4 (NLT)

 

Do you judge others? Is it easy for you to find fault with those around you? Then beware: Your spiritual life is in danger.

A critical attitude can hinder your walk with God and distract you from God’s purposes for your life.

We judge because of our own selfish interests. For example, we sometimes become critical when comparing ourselves to those around us. We try to find fault in others to prove that we are smarter, better looking, happier or wealthier. But these are selfish reasons. We simply want to feel better about ourselves. We also get critical when others fail to do what we ask, or do not do what we think is right. Often, it is a family member, friend or co-worker who fails to meet our expectations. Our expectations lead to a judgmental attitude.

Even our own frustrations can lead to a critical attitude. If life is not turning out the way we desire, we hide our own frustrations by finding fault with others…

Remember, it’s easy to be critical. The faults of others are often very obvious to us. During these times we need to make sure we give grace instead. Thank God for those people and ask the Lord to bless them and reveal His will to them.

It’s really quite simple: God has granted you mercy. He has paid the debt for your sins. Now, the only debt you owe is to offer His love and mercy to others, for “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13; NASB).

– CBN.com

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Does He KNOW You?

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

You know that you are going to stand before Him,

right?

 

You will stand before the God of the Universe,

alone

 

And the eyes you look into

will either hold joy

or sorrow

 

And the just Judge

will know

if you’ve known Him

 

He will know if you chose Him

and His grace

 

Or if you chose the world

and your sin

 

And I can’t emphasize enough

the importance of knowing Him NOW

 

For when you stand before Him,

and you will,

He will either welcome you into His Kingdom of Life

 

or He won’t

 

And when you realize that all you had to do

here on earth

was accept grace and love

 

You will forever be in regret

 

that you didn’t know Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

– Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)

 

Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with Me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what My Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use Me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress Me one bit. You’re out of here.

– Matthew 7:21-23 (MSG)

 

So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, His choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

– 2 Peter 1:10,11 (MSG)

 

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)

 

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by My Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why: I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink, I was homeless and you gave Me a room, I was shivering and you gave Me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to Me.’

– Matthew 25:35-36 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Kingdom

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Show me, God,

how it looks

to seek first

the Kingdom of God

 

Show me

how to lay aside

anything that distracts

 

Show me

how to live here

and seek You there

 

Show me

how to be about

what You are about

 

Show me

how to be disciplined

and to be free

in this pursuit

 

Show me

how to keep my gaze

on YOU

above all else

 

Show me, God,

Your Kingdom here on earth

 

– Susie Stewart

 

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

– Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

 

So don’t worry and don’t keep saying, “What shall we eat, what shall we drink or what shall we wear?!” That is what pagans are always looking for; your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart on the kingdom and His goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course.

– Matthew 6:32-34 (AMP)

 

But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

– Matthew 6:33 (AMP)

 

What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what He wants you to do. Then He will give you all these other things you need.

– Matthew 6:33 (ERV)

 

But first, be concerned about His kingdom and what has His approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.

– Matthew 6:33 (GW)

 

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think He’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do His best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.Matthew 6:32-34 (MSG)

 

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

– Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Neighbor

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

I found writing

all man-scribbled

on the white board

 

And it took me a moment

to figure it out

 

Husband had jotted

the names of our neighbors

 

Those on one side of our house

and the other side

and across the street

 

And it made me smile

 

A deliberate action

to know people

 

To honor his neighbors

and remember their names

 

And it is further evidence

to me

of a man after God’s own heart

 

Loving the Lord

and loving people

 

And I am thankful

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

– Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)

 

Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.

– Leviticus 19:18 (MSG)

 

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.

– Romans 13:8-10 (NLT)

 

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.

– Romans 15:2 (NIV)

 

I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.

– Acts 13:22 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Comfort Overflowing

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

Comfort

envelops

with tender love

 

It encourages

and speaks softly

 

when bodies

and hearts

are broken

 

And You, God,

are the God of all comfort

 

It all originates

in Your heart

 

And once I knew Your comfort

for myself

 

I brought Your heart of comfort, Lord,

to another one hurting

 

And I am fulfilled

 

and overflowing

 

Because You are the Father with

ALL the

Comfort

 

And I am Your child

 

– Susie Stewart

 

God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3

 

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of His healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (MSG)

 

God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

– Matthew 5:4 (NLT)

 

He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

– Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Unity

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Jesus was about

breaking down walls

 

His desire was

and is

 

Unity

 

One heart

one purpose

 

All is grace

 

And who do we think we are

when we coddle a grudge

 

stacking up those walls

that Christ intended to topple?

 

And who do we think we are

when we lash out with words bitter

 

cutting people with gossip

and abusing verbally?

 

And who do we think we are

thinking our reason is valid

 

for destroying unity

in the mighty name of self?

 

Christ’s desires and intentions for us

must be first in our minds

 

and the more we know Him

the more we will know

 

His beating heart

for unity

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The Measure of harmony you have with every believer will depend on your experience of Christ’s life as your own.

– BSF

 

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)

 

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

– Ephesians 4:1,2 (NIV)

 

The apostle tells us to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit….Some Christian fellowships are marred by rivalries between individuals or groups which have been allowed to fester for years.  How can we possibly condone such things?  We need to be “eager” for love, unity and peace, and more active in seeking it.

– John Stott

 

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were all called to pursue one hope. There is one Lord Jesus, one living faith, one ceremonial washing through baptism, and one God—the Father over all who is above all, through all, and in all. This God has given to each of us grace in full measure according to the Anointed’s gift

– Ephesians 4:4-7 (VOICE)

 

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

– Romans 12:18 (NIV)

 

But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

– Matthew 6:15 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart