Philippians

Live Today

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Life is a choice

for you today

 

Blessings are a choice

for you today

 

For you can choose a death day

or a life day

 

And I think you know what I mean

 

For truly living

is a choice

 

Blessings toward others

are a choice

 

 

“Come follow Me,”

Jesus says

 

And following Him today

will open your eyes

 

to His goodness

His blessings

His love

His plans for you

 

this day

 

Choose to follow

and choose to LIVE

 

For a daily death is a slow

and sad

way to exist

 

Choose to Live

 

And look Up

 

to find the beauty

and the reason to truly live

 

– Susie Stewart

 

I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to Him, firmly embracing Him. Oh yes, He is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

– Deuteronomy 30:19 (MSG)

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.

– Philippians 4:8 (VOICE)

 

…choose today whom you will serve.

– Joshua 24:15 (NLT)

 

As a prisoner of the Lord, I urge you: Live a life that is worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to you.

– Ephesians 4:1 (VOICE)

 

…I came to give life with joy and abundance.

– John 10:10 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Control

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

That

out

of

control

feeling you have

 

It’s not meant

to send you into a panic

 

It is meant

to drive you to God

 

Stand still

before Him

in your spirit

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you….

That’s right. Because I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, “Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you.”

– Isaiah 41:10, 13  (MSG)

 

Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.

– Philippians 4:6 (AMP)

 

Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.

– Psalm 46:10 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Content

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

So,

if you got

that bigger house

that nicer car

that thinner body

those better roommates

that more compatible spouse

 

that thing that you really hope for

 

Then would you be content?

 

Or would you, like me,

find another reason to be discontent

once you got it?

 

Honestly, it would never be enough

 

So what do we do with our discontent hearts,

our longing for more

of what we don’t have?

 

We take our discontent thoughts captive

putting them in check

 

We develop more gratitude

 

And we live in the moment,

in the mess (sometimes)

 

and we tell ourselves

“This is enough”

 

And we find that it is enough

because

Christ is our enough

 

He fulfills our need

 

Everything else

will fade

pass away

fall apart

 

But God’s Word STANDS

when all else falls away

 

And His Word says,

the secret to being content

is

 

I can do ALL THINGS through Christ

who strengthens me

 

And that means

 

that I can live in the here and now

with all it’s annoyances and problems

 

And I can BE content

in Christ

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

– Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

 

Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?

– Hebrews 13:5,6 (MSG)

 

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

– 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Gratitude Attitude

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

 

This morning when I woke up

I had a choice

 

Either to be grateful

or not

 

And sadly, I chose not

 

You see, I was bothered

by this

and that

 

And this person

and that person

 

And this hurt

and that was sore

 

and

and

and

 

Until I got to the point

where I realized

 

that the joy was just gone

out of my day

 

My prideful

ungrateful

entitled

attitude

 

was not at all

what I wanted

or what God wanted

 

And one would think

that I was really

stuck

 

right there in myself

 

But with God

you never have to be stuck

 

What a beautiful thing

 

And I set my mind

on things to be grateful for

 

I thanked God

for this

and for that

 

and more

 

And my self-pity

dissipated

 

God’s Spirit

could communicate with me

 

For I was no longer road-blocking

Spirit whispers

 

with a hand up

shutting out joy

 

A heart of gratitude

and a heart of hope

 

is always stronger

than the heart

that tries to protect itself

 

An open heart of joy

is strengthened by Almighty God

 

to weather this world

and to stand in contentment

 

Gratitude

effects

fortitude

effects

courage

effects

hope

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

– Colossians 3:15 (NLT)

 

The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right.

– Author Unknown

 

He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment….

– Ecclesiastes 6:6 (NLT)

 

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

– Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Enough

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

If the people in your life

don’t seem to be Enough

 

Do enough

Give enough

Understand enough

Be enough

 

It’s because they aren’t

 

Love them anyway

 

Only God can be your ENOUGH

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

– Philippians 4:19 (NLT)

 
I could lose everything in life. There’s not anything I have here on earth that is guaranteed. If I lost it all though, I’d be okay because no one can take away my identity in Christ. Whether I live in a mansion on a hill or a shack in the swamp, I have my Jesus. Whether the world is for me or against me, I have my Jesus. When I am knocked down, I get on my knees and there I find my Jesus. His Word is planted deep in my heart and I believe it all.
– Melissa Taylor

 

His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of the One who called us by His glory and virtue.

– 2 Peter 1:3 (VOICE)

 

For us, there is one God, the Father who is the ultimate source of all things and the goal of our lives. And there is one Lord—Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King; through Him all things were created, and by Him we are redeemed.

– 1 Corinthians 8:6 (VOICE)

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

 

Drop It

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What is it you need to drop?

 

What grips your heart

and hurts you deep?

 

What stirs ungodly anger

and entitled resentment?

 

Don’t you know

that holding that thing tight

holds you tight?

 

It’s talons sink deep into your soul

 

Open your fist

and let it drop to the ground

 

then walk away

and don’t pick it up again

 

 

Find the freedom

of dropping the heavy

 

and clinging to God

with open hands

and open heart

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Banish bitterness, rage and anger, shouting and slander, and any and all malicious thoughts—these are poison.  Instead, be kind and compassionate. Graciously forgive one another just as God has forgiven you through the Anointed, our Liberating King.

– Ephesians 4:31-32 (VOICE)

 

I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am charging on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go.  Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission.  I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed.

– Philippians 3:12-14 (VOICE)

 

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

– 1 Corinthians 10:13 (MSG)

 

 

 

All In

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Many Christ-ones merely want involvement – and a small piece of it at that – in Christianity.  God wants total commitment.  He wants us to be wholehearted.  Sold out.  Willing to pay the price of being disciples.

The purpose of our lives is to know God…This means commitment to God and to His Word with our whole being.  It has been said that the Christian life is one big YES and a lot of little uh-huh’s – YES when we ask Christ into our lives to be our Savior and uh-huh in the multitude of lordship decisions we make through the years.

– Carole Mayhall

 

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death…

– Philippians 3:10 (AMPC)

 

More than once Jesus deliberately addressed certain issues that quickly diminished the number of onlookers. It was commitment that thinned the ranks.

– Chuck Swindoll

 

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

– Romans 12:1,2 (PHILLIPS)

 

If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don’t begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.

– Kay Arthur
Photo by Susie Stewart

Enough

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Through promises fulfilled and promises given in Scripture, I discovered the answer was always the same when I asked: “God, are You enough?”
Yes, He is.
Nothing here on earth is guaranteed, except for one thing: Jesus is with us always. And when we understand who He is, our doubts begin to disappear.
The Bible tells us Jesus is sufficient; He’s enough. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (NIV 1984). I discovered this to be true. Every need, every doubt, every inadequacy, every fear was met, answered and removed by Jesus.
If I lost everything, I’d be okay because no one can take away my Jesus. Whether I live in a mansion on a hill or in a tent on the side of a swamp, I have my Jesus. Whether the world is for me or against me, I have my Jesus. When I am knocked down, I get on my knees and find my Jesus.
When life becomes more than you think you can handle, don’t quit. And certainly don’t believe the lie God is not enough. Instead, ask yourself, “God, are You enough for me?” Then plant His Word deep in your heart so you’ll always have the ready answer, that yes He is. He is enough for me, for you.

– Melissa Taylor

 

Know this: my God will also fill every need you have according to His glorious riches in Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King.

– Philippians 4:19 (VOICE)

 

For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

– 2 Peter 1:3 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Let Go of Control

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

 

A curious and continuous pursuit of our good God opens doors for us to experience all possibility beyond what we could imagine for ourselves.

I don’t know about you, but if I’m picking what is good for my life, then it’s probably going to feel good, look good, taste good, smell good, and be visibly good to anyone who sees it.

But the truth is, even some of the things that have looked “bad” from the outside have turned out to be good for me.

Because, while the currency of God’s goodness looks different from my own, it is infinitely more valuable.

Hard things make us dig deep within ourselves to find strength we didn’t know we had.

Loss teaches us to appreciate blessings that surround us.

And while I don’t want to minimize the depth of any pain and the years it can take to overcome the brokenness we experience in this life, there is good to be found, even in the hard and even through the bad.

As we embrace a curious faith, we exchange the currency of our control for the wealth of God’s possibility.

Maybe sometimes we do think we can control the way things go. To some extent we have the capacity to define our own paths and make decisions that shape the way we live.

We can direct behaviors and events, but when we allow that thinking to rule the way we live, we also lose the capacity to be curious about things unknown and outside of our own plans, outside of our limited view.

Control robs us of curiosity and puts a ceiling on our allowance of God’s possibility in our lives. Because after all, you can’t be curious about something you control.

I’ve heard it said, “Blessed are the curious … for they shall have adventures.” And, friend, when we try to control our lives, we miss out on the adventure of faith.

 

Release control…

be curious, and rediscover hope in the God of possibility.

– Logan Wolfram

 

Anxiety is a funny thing. We hoard up worries the way we hoard money and material goods. In some eras and cultures, people live hand-to-mouth and rely on each growing season to make it another year. I’m grateful not to live in a culture like that, yet I realize we’ve lost a certain perspective it fosters: our eyes no longer look to God to provide for daily needs. Instead, we take bread for granted and borrow trouble ahead of schedule, focusing on the adequacies and inadequacies of our insurance policies and savings accounts. We have so much less to worry about but worry about so much more! We get distracted by the constant barrage of media headlines about random violence, obscure medical anomalies, aberrant weather patterns, and the economic downturn. Suddenly, we’re a mess, worrying about our health and safety and families and careers and possessions. How can we possibly feel secure?

The answer is simple and yet such a hard thing to do: give up control and trust in the Lord with all my heart. God says over and over again to trust Him with fears and anxieties.

– Sharri Bockheim Steen

 

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

– 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

 

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.

– Philippians 4:5-7 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart