Is Your Truth Relative To Your Culture?

February 18, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Is your morality

a hodgepodge

of your own autonomous ideas?

Does your truth change?

Many people today

are picking and choosing

their own “truth”

They are like ships

tossed about

by the waves of societal trends

They embrace relativism

like trying to grasp an ever-moving object

in a culture going downhill

How confusing it must be

to choose your own truth

But you don’t have to!

God has laid the foundation

in His Word

He never changes

and His Words to us never change

Solid Truth

Security

is what you feel

when your foundation for Truth is secure

You will never feel secure

when your finite and fallible brain

gets to decide

I stand on Biblical truth

– Susie Stewart

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

– Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)

The grass withers, the flower fades; nothing lasts except the word of our God. It will stand forever.

– Isaiah 40:8 (VOICE)

What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that’s what You ordered—You set the earth going. If Your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I’ll never forget the advice You gave me; You saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I’m all Yours. I look high and low for Your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I’m only concerned with Your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain Your commands!

– Psalm 119:89-96 (MSG)

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your teachings are reliable.

– Psalm 119:142 (GW)

“My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874
1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Photo by Susie Stewart

This Man

February 5, 2017February 5, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 10 Comments

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word.

– Psalm 119:9 (ESV)

I knew a young man

who loved Jesus

He sought to ground his life

on biblical truth

He was unique from others,

different from those who followed the crowd

A young man to be respected

because of his integrity

So I married this young man

He wasn’t perfect

but was set apart

Grounded

Honest

Kind

Faithful

A man after God’s heart

Every morning I would find him

with his breakfast and his Bible

And when we had our first child

a son to call our own

I was grateful that my man was a man

my boy could be proud of

and was a support to the boys

who didn’t have that example

As our young boy grew to be a young man

I saw in him his father

Grounded

Honest

Kind

Faithful

Every morning he had seen his dad

breakfast and Bible before him

It made an impression

For that had been

and would continue to be

the foundation of my man’s day

The foundation of his life

Living according to God’s Word

How does a young man

and his dad keep their way pure?

By living according to God’s Word

– Susie Stewart

…do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth.

– 2 Timothy 2:15 (VOICE)

Photos by Todd Versaw, Bob Karraker, and Susie Stewart

Pride’s Barb

February 3, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

When it comes to pride

there are two sides

to the coin

One side

is arrogant

self-reliant

bold

The other side

is self-depricating

self-loathing

apathetic

BOTH are centered on SELF

And when it comes to God’s grace

freely given to all

Pride sets itself up

against it

You either think

you don’t need God

and rely on who you think you are

Or you see yourself

as a worthless failure

never able to approach Him

Both reject grace

missing the point of it

completely

and walk away

from God’s extended hand.

This need not be

Grace draws in

those who would humble themselves

before God’s divine,

sacrificial love

Grace is free

but you must lay down your pride

and accept it

– Susie Stewart

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

– Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

– Ephesians 2:7-10 (MSG)

And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

– Romans 11:6 (NLT)

And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

– James 4:6 (NLT)

Photo by Arik Stewart

Invisible

February 2, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

My beautiful

Invisible

God

Sometimes I long

to see Your face

and Your invisibility

appears as a barrier

between You and me

But it doesn’t have to be

that way

There really is

no barrier

Only Jesus,

as the Way

Invisible God

You see me

right through to my core

And,

Invisible God,

you see the invisible people

among us

None escape Your sight

And while I still long

to see You,

Jesus

It doesn’t need to be a barrier

For You have made a Way

Communication with You

Creation Divine and serene

Your Word powerful and life-changing

Relationships beautiful

Love overwhelming

Life abundant

They show me You,

my invisible God ❤

– Susie Stewart

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, He organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

– Colossians 1:15-18 (MSG)

We all live off His generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made Him plain as day.

– John 1:16-18 (MSG)

But you may not look directly at My face, for no one may see Me and live.

– Exodus 33:20 (NLT)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

– 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV)

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.

– 1 John 4:12 (NLT)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

– Romans 1:20 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Around Me

January 31, 2017February 2, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

It’s good for me

to reflect on what it’s like

to be with me

I think so much

about what people do and say

and how they affect my life

But what about

how I affect them?

Does being with me

drain you

refresh you?

When I am around

are you affirmed

or torn down?

Do I make you

feel loved

or rejected?

And most importantly,

do people see Jesus

or self-focus?

All people

It’s good to reflect…

– Susie Stewart

…whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

– Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with Him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (MSG)

So then, let us pursue [with enthusiasm] the things which make for peace and the building up of one another [things which lead to spiritual growth].

– Romans 14:19 (AMP)

Photo by Andy Stewart

Dark Pit

January 29, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

How dark is your pit?

How deep your valley?

How far down have you gone?

Into sin

Into grief

Into regret

That hole of darkness,

is it so all-encompassing

that you think

you’ll never see the light of day

again?

Even there

God will come for you

As long as you are alive

here on planet earth

you will never be so low

that Jesus’ light cannot penetrate your darkness

This darkness,

it blinds

Wake up

to White Light

And He will bring you out

of that pit

– Susie Stewart

I am Light that has come into the world so that all who believe in Me won’t have to stay any longer in the dark.

– John 12:46 (MSG)

Everything was created through Him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without Him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.

– John 1:3-5 (MSG)

I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in Me.

– Acts 26:17, 18 (MSG)

Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.

– Luke 1:79 (MSG)

Photo by Arik Stewart

Steady in the Flow

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017 / Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You, Lord,

are unpredictable

in many things

But Your love

is sure

Even when we don’t understand

Your ways,

We rest in who You are

Variable in how You answer

wise in Your sovereignty

steadfast in Your compassion

All-knowing

ever mindful

of all circumstances

The definition of Love

acting

Ebb and flow life

Solid God

– Susie Stewart

To say that God is faithful or consistent is not to imply, however, that He is predictable. Much bitterness toward God results from a misconception of this. Too often we speculate and try to guess the actions of God and, therefore, develop expectations. Through our limited and often perverted reasoning, we determine the “best” for our lives and then consider God’s only reasonable response to be one of quick and complete fulfillment.

– Bob LaForge

…God is love.

– 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

God keeps His word even when the whole world is lying through its teeth. Scripture says the same:

“Your words stand fast and true;
Rejection doesn’t faze You.”

– Romans 3:4 (MSG)

Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give Him advice or teach Him?

– Isaiah 40:13 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

The Real Love

January 23, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

Love

gets exhausted

when it is always expecting something in return

Love

gets amnesia

when it remembers only wrongs

Love

gets disappointed

when it always keeps score

Love

is meant

to give

with giving in mind

Love

freely

Love

unconditionally

Love

like Jesus

– Susie Stewart

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (MSG)

We have experienced and we have entrusted our lives to the love of God in us. God is love. Anyone who lives faithfully in love also lives faithfully in God, and God lives in Him.

– 1 John 4:16 (VOICE)

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

– Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)

Photo by Susie Stewart

Minority

January 22, 2017January 22, 2017 / 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)

The Depth of You

January 21, 2017 / Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

I’m standing next to you

as you talk to our friend

listening to your sweet voice

watching your expressions

gazing at your lovely profile

and I feel depth

and hear a Bible verse in my mind

at the same time

“You knit me together

in my mother’s womb…”

And in the standing

and the socializing

and the regular life

I gasp inside

anew

at the miracle that is you

You

were knit together by God

inside of me

You

this lovely young woman

were designed purposefully

lovingly

and I was the vessel

gratefully used to bring you here

You have no idea

I’m thinking any of these thoughts

that I am reflecting in wonder

at who you are

profoundly impacted

by truth once again

that you

are a part of me

and we are created

by Him

– Susie Stewart

For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with You.