Psalm

Embraced

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You

are wrapped in Light

 

You who trust God

 

He promises

to surround you

with Himself

 

And if you could but see

 

the Lord

with His arms wrapped

lovingly

 

around you

 

fear would be dispelled

and loneliness would fade

 

Trust Him

 

and know that His angels

also encamp about you

 

Know the enveloping

of True Love

 

Know your protection

in Him

 

Know your position of embrace,

beloved child of perfect God

 

KNOW

you are surrounded

by Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.

– Psalm 34:7 (NIV)

 

You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me, and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder.

– Psalm 139:5 (VOICE)

 

In a desert land He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of His eye,

– Deuteronomy 32:10 (NIV)

 

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)

 

Just as the mountains around Jerusalem embrace her, the Eternal, too, wraps around those who belong to Him— for this moment and for every moment to come.

– Psalm 125:2 (VOICE)

 

For the Eternal One says, “Instead of a wall of stone, I will be a wall of fire protecting her all around, and I will be the shining glory within her.”

– Zechariah 2:5 (VOICE)

 

For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with Your shield of love.

– Psalm 5:12 (NLT)

 

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness.

– Psalm 32:10 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Wandering Sheep

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

The sheep

sometimes wander

 

and instead of following

the Shepherd’s leading

 

they follow nothing

in particular

 

wandering here

and wandering there

 

The sheep know the Shepherd,

they’re within the flock

 

but with choices poor

they meander aimlessly

 

And it may be so subtle

that the sheep doesn’t even realize

 

but then finds himself

in unfamiliar territory

 

lost

and alone

 

But the Shepherd knows

 

and searches for this

lost one

 

enfolding brokenness

with love

 

carrying

and caring

 

back close

to His heart

 

You know Jesus, friend,

and you have been acting

like you don’t

 

He sees you

and wants to bring you back

 

Find safety

in His will for you

 

find security

in Truth and boundaries

 

Stay close

to your Shepherd

 

You are forever His

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.

– Ezekiel 34:11 (NIV)

 

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

– Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

 

…should I wander off like a lost sheep—seek me! I’ll recognize the sound of Your voice.

– Psalm 119:176 (MSG)

 

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me.

– John 10:27,28 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Tears

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

I had a good cry this morning

 

Because of fatigue

and chronic pain

and sadness over small stuff

 

And after all the tears

and pouring out my heart

to husband listening

 

I felt better

 

Not wonderful,

but better

 

And then I read a post

from my friend Sandy

about tears

 

And it got me to thinking….

 

About emotion

and expression

and pain in this life

 

And I think

that tears are a gift

 

They cleanse

and show depth

and express

 

the heart

 

And I also thought

of how we not only cry

when sad or in pain

 

but with joy

 

How closely related

pain and joy

really are

 

How water flows

out of the windows

to the soul

 

and that is how

we deeply show

the pains and the joys

of life here

 

But when we arrive

in heaven

all those tears will be gone

 

The pain will be gone

death will be gone

sadness will be gone

 

And even our tears of joy

will be gone

 

For all will be contentment

all of the time

 

No need for moments

of sheer joy

 

ALL will be joy

 

But for now

tears are a gift

 

A show

of what is

heart-deep

 

A river

of pain and joy

 

– Susie Stewart

 

On the subject of tears: God gave us the ability to cry for a reason — so if you feel sad and feel like crying — do so and do so as long as you can —- let every last tear fall – don’t repress them —- tears are the way God heals our hearts —- and afterwards you feel very refreshed — kind of like a good rain after a long dry spell. Oh, and never ever tell someone not to cry — so damaging to the spirit!  And don’t say “I am sorry you are sad” —- sadness is a natural human emotion and nothing to feel shame about!
I had a good cry on Thursday and I felt so good and joyful afterward. I will be missing my Drew coming down from Boulder this Thanksgiving —- He can not come down from heaven but I can go up — and what a glorious day that will be!
Psalm 126:8 Those who sow in tears will reap songs of joy —– and that is exactly what happened!

– Sandy Marthaler 

 

Thank you, Sandy, for your beautiful post!  ❤

 

Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth, for the first Heaven and the first earth had disappeared and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride dressed in beauty for her husband. Then I heard a great voice from the throne crying, “See! The home of God is with men, and He will live among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death shall be no more, and never again shall there be sorrow or crying or pain. For all those former things are past and gone.”

– Revelation 21:3-5 (PHILLIPS)

 

Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.

– Psalm 126:5 (NLT)

 

Jesus burst into tears.

– John 11:35 (ISV)

 

David got up from his hiding place beside the boulder, then fell on his face to the ground—three times prostrating himself! And then they kissed one another and wept, friend over friend, David weeping especially hard.

Jonathan said, “Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God’s name, saying, ‘God will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!’”

– 1 Samuel 20:41,42 (MSG)

 

I Am Yours

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Whomever You have created,

God,

has had a choice

 

To Follow You

or to turn away from You

 

Even the angels

 

For Lucifer

a beautiful angel in Your courts

 

Chose to despise You

instead of love You

 

And he took with him

others of beauty who made the choice

 

And all is death

and downhill

without You

 

I, God,

choose You

 

I will forever

be Yours

 

Your created

loves her Creator

 

and I’m so glad

for the choice

 

I

choose

You

 

I am Yours

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Today I have given you a choice between life and death, success and disaster.

– Deuteronomy 30:15 (ERV)

 

But maybe you don’t want to serve the Lord. You must choose for yourselves today. Today you must decide who you will serve. Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River? Or will you serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land? You must choose for yourselves. But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

-Joshua 24:15 (ERV)

 

I have decided to take the path of faith; I have focused my eyes on Your regulations.

– Psalm 119:30 (VOICE)

 

 

I love those who love Me, and those who look for Me will find Me.

-Proverbs 8:17 (ERV)

 

Photo by Kitty Keefer

 

He Knows

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Has no one noticed your sorrow,

Friend?

 

Does your anguish

fall on deaf ears?

 

Feeling unseen

and unheard

causes an ache deep

 

But I want you to know

that nothing escapes

the watchful eye of God

 

He hears the thunderous drop

of your silent tears

 

He is wide awake aware

of your pain

 

And you can have unique joy

right in the middle of your sorrow

 

for Perfection

loves you

right in this place

 

And you don’t need to feel

unseen and unheard

 

because there is not a single person

on this earth

 

whose attention on you

 

matters more

than the attention of Eternal God

 

He knows

 

– Susie Stewart

 

I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,
for You have seen my troubles,
and You care about the anguish of my soul.

– Psalm 31:7 (NIV)

 

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.

– Psalm 56:8 (NLT)

 

Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight, my groans an old story to You. My heart’s about to break; I’m a burned-out case. Cataracts blind me to God and good; old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back. My competitors blacken my name, devoutly they pray for my ruin. But I’m deaf and mute to it all, ears shut, mouth shut. I don’t hear a word they say, don’t speak a word in response. What I do, God, is wait for You, wait for my Lord, my God—You will answer! I wait and pray so they won’t laugh me off, won’t smugly strut off when I stumble.

– Psalm 38:8-10 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Dark House

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Worry

Anxiety

Angst

Fear

 

Words that grip

and grasp

and strangle

 

And we, the Free,

choose not to dwell

 

in that dark house

 

We breathe in

and breathe out

 

Light

 

The Light of the World

 

And the reason we don’t live

in that dark house

 

is because we dwell

and we abide

and we exist

 

with God

 

He calms

and strengthens

and shows us

 

that we don’t have to be chained

by fear

worry

angst

anxiety

 

He sets the prisoner free

 

Minds gripped by their circumstances

are bound by this world

 

Walk in your freedom

walk in your Light

 

You may have once been a prisoner

but Jesus set you free

 

Be fearless

because you are held in His arms

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

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 4:6,7 (MSG)

 

Later, Jesus spoke to the people again and said, “I am the light of the world. The man who follows me will never walk in the dark but will live his life in the light.”

– John 8:12 (PHILLIPS)

 

But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

– John 14:26-28 (NLT)

 

…The Lord sets prisoners free.

– Psalm 146:7 (NIV)

 

Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light.

– Ephesians 5:8 (GW)

 

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

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

 

 

Penetrating Darkness

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

This is my heart this morning.  It is heavy with the state of relationships, of our nation and of our world.  Jesus, You are my always hope.

 

We are desperate for You

and for Your light, Lord

 

This world feels dark

and heavy

and cold

 

Everyone believes themselves

to be right

and entitled

and stubborn

 

We so need Your graciousness

in our hearts, God

 

We long for Light

 

If we could

thirst

for Light,

we would

 

For darkness

threatens to overtake

 

But there You are

in the stillness leading

us to the banks of calm

and peace

 

To the waters of Your sweet love

 

Such a sweet Love

 

And the darkness that threatens

to overtake us

 

Is washed with the water

of Light

 

And eyes are awake once again

to goodness

and blessings

and most of all

 

to You

 

The Light in the darkness

 

The hope of all nations

 

The hope for each individual

that thirsts for Light

 

I love Your Light, my precious Jesus,

I love Your Light

 

– Susie Stewart

 

I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.

– John 8:12 (AMP)

 

A light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazes through murky bottoms. It cannot and will not be quenched.

– John 1:5 (VOICE)

 

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)

 

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

– Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

 

The unfolding of Your [glorious] words give light; Their unfolding gives understanding to the simple (childlike).

– Psalm 119:130 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Thunder

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Your voice will not be denied,

God of Heaven and earth

 

It thunders,

for Your power rumbles great

 

And we should all be

extremely grateful

that our God of Thunder

 

does not pour out His holy wrath

every time we rebel against You

 

For Your power is staggering

and Your voice immense

 

My heart listens for Your quiet voice

knowing Your thunderous voice is coming

 

when holiness brings judgment

with a loud and deafening clap

 

And there are those who hide in Your shelter

and those who stand exposed

 

I will be sheltered

by my Jesus’ sacrificial love

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The Lord thundered from heaven. The Most High made His voice heard.

– 2 Samuel 22:14 (GW)

 

Whenever this happens, my heart stops—
I’m stunned, I can’t catch my breath.
Listen to it! Listen to His thunder,
the rolling, rumbling thunder of His voice.
He lets loose His lightnings from horizon to horizon,
lighting up the earth from pole to pole.
In their wake, the thunder echoes His voice,
powerful and majestic.
He lets out all the stops, He holds nothing back.
No one can mistake that voice—
His word thundering so wondrously,
His mighty acts staggering our understanding.

– Job 37:1-5 (MSG)

 

For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.

– Psalm 27:5 (NIV)

 

The blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered with a voice that rumbled like thunder.

– Exodus 19:19 (VOICE)

 

The Eternal thundered in the heavens; the Highest spoke; His voice rumbled [in the midst of hail and lightning].

– Psalm 18:13 (VOICE)

 

I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!—a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea.

– Revelation 4:4-6 (MSG)

 

After the fire, there was a still small voice.

 – 1 Kings 19:12 (WEB)

 

“Pagosa Springs” sung by my brother, Danny Oertli