Susie Stewart

Less & More

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Can we speak of God’s power only after we’ve been healed or after we survive the struggle we find ourselves in?  Why are testimonies of how awesome God is typically announced after the fact?  Is there not testimony of His saving grace in the midst of my crumbling?  Can I only proclaim His goodness in the absence of disease?  Doesn’t He speak of who He IS in the agony of my brokenness?  Is He less when I am less?  NO.  He is my ALL in ALL.  I have to stand on the solid rock of Jesus.  He is my Sustainer and Redeemer in my weakness.  He knows what it is like to be broken.  He alone understands why I can’t stand up.  I know nothing, save His power.  Maybe that is how I glorify Him:  recognizing I need nothings else, not even my health.

– Valerie (last name unknown), suffering from ongoing, debilitating physical pain

 

My Less Than

never diminishes

Your Greater Than

 

My weakness

and failures

and instability

 

Do not reflect You

 

In fact,

Your power is made

Perfect

in my weakness

 

I realize how much I need You

in these less than places

 

And that is where I need to be

 

Dependent on my

Greater Than God

 

– Susie Stewart

 

A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.

– C.S. Lewis

 

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

– 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Thy Will Be Done

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“In all things,

our family says,

‘Thy will be done'”

 

I looked up at her on her porch

from my trailside fence position

 

My friend Becky

had just gone to see her brother

 

Stage 4 cancer

and things looking bleak

 

I told her I was sorry

and she gave a small smile

with the reply,

 

“In all things our family says,

‘Thy will be done'”

 

It wasn’t a typical response

to looming death

 

It wasn’t what I expected to hear

from grieving sister

 

And it impacted me

right down to the dirt I was standing on

 

It made me think

about You, Jesus,

 

Bowing Your will

to the plan of Your Father

 

Bowing Your fears

Bowing Your wants

 

In the face of pain

and death

 

“Not my will, but Yours be done”

 

May that be the simple sentence

that permeates my life

 

For there are times

when Your will

does not match mine

 

But I bow

everything

to You

 

Thy will be done

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.”

– Matthew 22:42 (NIV)

 

…Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

– Matthew 6:10 (NIV)

 

Our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes.

– Psalm 115:3 (NIV)

 

Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood—
may He equip you with all you need
for doing His will.
May He produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to Him.
All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.

– Hebrews 13:20,21 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

 

Despair

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Despair

can tempt you

 

It can entice you

to embrace the complete loss

of hope

 

And you feel yourself slipping

into its clutches

 

But then you remember

 

You know that despair

is not an option

 

for one

deep in hope

 

And you remember

to cast your cares

your anxieties

your pain

your agony

your confusion

 

on Him

for He cares for you

 

And the slippery slope of despair

develops footholds

to climb right out

 

into the wide open space

of hope

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
He protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

– Psalm 34:17-20 (NIV)

 

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!

– 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 (MSG)

 

Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.

– 1 Peter 5:7 (VOICE)

 

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

– Romans 15:13 (NLT)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

Truth

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Truth

It’s a hard commodity to come by

these days

 

It is cheapened

and disrespected

and soiled

 

And it’s hard to decipher

truth

because of the lack of it

 

Jesus is Truth

He stands for Truth

He brings Truth

 

And He tells us

that if we are willing to listen to Him

He WILL

bring the Truth to us

 

He will speak it

into our lives

into our hearts

into our minds

 

Listen for Truth

and

Be the Truth

in this world

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.”

– John 18:37 (NIV)

 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

– John 14:6 (NIV)

 

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”

– John 8:31-32 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Temptation

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God has provided a way out for you

He always does

 

Temptation is NOT your master

 

Well,

it can be

if God is not truly your Master

 

We are all tempted

 

What you experience is nothing new

 

But the Lord’s faithfulness

will not allow

more temptation than you can stand

 

He will show you your exit

from that which will pull you down

 

He was tempted

and understands

 

Don’t be ruled by something

that will lead you away from Him

and only end in death

 

Let His Spirit lead you

out

 

– Susie Stewart

 

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

– 1 Corinthians 10:12,13 (NLT)

 

Here’s my instruction: walk in the Spirit, and let the Spirit bring order to your life. If you do, you will never give in to your selfish and sinful cravings.

– Galatians 5:16 (VOICE)

 

Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

– Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

 

A man must not say when he is tempted, “God is tempting me.” For God has no dealings with evil, and does not himself tempt anyone. No, a man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive. His own desire takes hold of him, and that produces sin. And sin in the long run means death—make no mistake about that, brothers of mine!

– James 1:13-16 (PHILLIPS)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

The Sound

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

Have you heard the sound?

 

The thunderous, ear-splitting, mighty

sound?

 

It’s the sound of enormous Jericho walls

tumbling to the dust

 

The sound of heavy prison gates

clashing to the stone floor

 

The sound of mighty Red Sea waters

piling high

 

The sound of two million of God’s people

running through the desert away from Egypt

 

The sound of a giant of a man

crashing down under the blow of one small stone

 

The sound of solid rock tons

rolled away from the deathly tomb

 

It’s the power

the glorious power

of God Almighty!

 

Who longs to bring the thunderous sound

of freedom and power

to you

 

 

Have you heard the sound?

 

The sound of a tear

falling to the earth

as Love gave His life

for you?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

…The Lord sets prisoners free.

– Psalm 146:7 (GW)

 

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

– Ephesians 1:19-21 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Fight!

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

What battle are you fighting?

 

There always is one

right?

 

A battle in your mind for purity

A battle in your home for peace

A battle at work for your witness

A battle in your heart for trust

A battle in your family for unity

 

And on and on…

 

And we often forget,

that at the root,

the battle is not with the people

 

The real battle is fought in the spiritual realm

 

 

The weapons we fight with

look like

 

Vigilance of mind

Prayer

Truth-seeking

Readiness

Faith

Steadiness

and

Standing firm

 

And too often

Jesus Followers surrender

 

We give in

when we need to fight!

 

There is an unseen world

swirling all around us

 

The battle is fierce!

 

And we approach it with

niceness

excuses

depression

cowering

apathy

fear

anxiety

defeat

 

The stance is casual and weak

in this intense battle

 

There is a clash of swords unseen

Light and darkness having it out

 

A struggle

between good and evil

 

And in the physical world

it feels like silence,

Deafening silence

 

But KNOW that all is not silent

It is unearthly LOUD

 

Our apathy

our surrender to evil

our cowardice

 

cause us to walk in limbo

or defeat

instead of victory

 

Let us stand up and fight, Warriors!

 

Better yet, let us get down on our knees

and fight

 

Fight for our purity!

Fight for our families!

Fight for our friendships!

Fight for our peace of mind!

Fight for our trust in God!

 

And may we not stand down

in our witness

 

For the battle belongs to the Lord

 

– Susie Stewart

 

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

– 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NLT)

 

This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.

– Ephesians 6:12 (GW)

 

David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and battle-ax. I come at you in the name of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel’s troops, whom you curse and mock. This very day God is handing you over to me. I’m about to kill you, cut off your head, and serve up your body and the bodies of your Philistine buddies to the crows and coyotes. The whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. And everyone gathered here will learn that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear. The battle belongs to God—He’s handing you to us on a platter!”

– 1 Samuel 17:46-48 (MSG)

 

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

– Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)

 

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

– Exodus 14:13,14 (NIV)

 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

– Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

A New Day

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

God can give you

a new day

 

in the middle of your moment

in the middle of your day

in the middle of your life

 

He’s all about new

 

He refreshes

He restarts

He renews

He begins

 

What was broken

can be repaired

 

What was torn apart

can be mended

 

What is tired

can be made alive

 

Jesus

can bring anything

to new life

 

After all,

He specializes

in death to life

 

You can count on Him

for a new day

 

But you’ve got to turn to Him

in humility

for all things new

 

 

We can be stuck

and stubborn

and unrelenting

 

preventing new

 

He wants us free

He wants to bring new

 

We need to let Him

 

– Susie Stewart

 

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

– 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

 

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.

– Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

 

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

– Lamentations 3:22,23 (NLT)

 

…You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.

– Ephesians 4:20-24 (MSG)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

What They Need

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

You desire to give of yourself

to the people in your life

 

You want to make sure you provide

what they need

 

You want to be everything you can

for them

 

But what they need more than anything

is for you

to spend time

with Jesus

 

Nothing will enable you to be

what they need

more

than being with Him

 

So guard your time with Jesus

talking to Him

listening to Him

learning from Him

repenting before Him

soaking in His love

being open with Him

processing the Word with Him

Worshiping Him

 

Being

with

Him

 

Then the radiance of Jesus

will be evident to all those people

who need you

 

And they will have

what they need –

 

Jesus

 

– Susie Stewart

 

* I was inspired to write this after hearing my friend Nicole Rowell speak on this subject.  Thank you, Nicole!  I am blessed by your time with Jesus.

 

Moses told God —  If it is true that You look favorably on me, let me know Your ways so I may understand You more fully and continue to enjoy Your favor.

– Exodus 33:13 (NLT)

 

…the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

– Exodus 33:11 (NLT)

 

When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.

– Exodus 34:29 (NLT)

 

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

– Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

 

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 6:33 (MSG)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

 

 

Beauty

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I think it’s interesting that so many who are confronted with extremely difficult circumstances – cancer, loss of a spouse or child, a natural disaster, imprisonment in a railcar – seem to find wonder in the simplest things. And those of us in seasons of comfort and ease seem to have such a hard time seeing the beauty around us.
– Matt Heard

 
When we experience beauty, we feel called. The Beautiful stirs passion and urgency in us and calls us forth from aloneness into the warmth and wonder of an eternal embrace. It unites us again with the neglected and forgotten grandeur of life.
– Elaine Scarry

 
From Mount Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines in glorious radiance.
– Psalm 50:2 (NLT)

 
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display His craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make Him known.
– Psalm 19:1,2 (NIV)

 
Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
– Luke 12:27 (NLT)

 
… I fight to nourish my mind and heart with beauty. Yes, it’s a fight, because the world is fallen. But it’s still a world that has its Creator’s fingerprints all over it, so I open the eyes of my heart and behold His beauty. And the greatest reward of the journey is growing closer to the Author of all the beauty….My intense hope for you – and me – is that we’ll start uttering, ‘That’s beautiful,’ more often and more deeply than we ever have before. And that we, as men and women created in the image of the Creator Himself, will experience the freedom of using our unique and creative abilities, whether we call ourselves artists or not, to generate more beauty on the canvas of our relationships, our careers, our stories, and our culture.
– Matt Heard

 

 

Photo by Arik Stewart