Susie Stewart

Rain

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Rain down on us

sweet Jesus

 

Living Water, flood us

with Your love

 

We long for Your refreshment

in a dry and weary land

 

Cover us

Drench us

 

With Your kindness

Your forgiveness

Your acceptance

Your joy

Your Light

 

With YOU

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

A song of David while in the wilderness of Judah. O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust. I seek You with every fiber of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You. My body aches for You, for Your presence.

– Psalm 63:1 (VOICE)

 

Skies above, open up and let the clouds rain down righteousness! Let the earth below sprout triumph and justice. For I, the Eternal, have created them.

– Isaiah 45:8 (VOICE)

 

His voice thunders through the heavens, and the waters gush from the sky; He summons the clouds to build up over the earth. As the rain falls, the lightning flashes at His command; the wind rushes in from where He alone can store it.

– Jeremiah 10:13 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Your Number

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

No matter what you do

or where you go

or who you come into contact with

the Lord has chosen the number of your days

 

You can’t grit your teeth

and will

one extra day

out of life

 

He is the Author,

you are the created

 

He gets to choose

 

And we often don’t understand

why some have 1 day

and some have a 100 years

 

But we trust

 

And we know

that He will fulfill His purposes

for each of our lives

 

– Susie Stewart

 

You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.

– Job 14:5 (NLT)

 

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

– Psalm 138:8 (ESV)

 

You see all things; You saw me growing, changing in my mother’s womb; Every detail of my life was already written in Your book; You established the length of my life before I ever tasted the sweetness of it.

– Psalm 139:16 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Words

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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

– Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

 

Did my words

encourage today?

 

Were they chosen carefully?

 

Did they build people up?

 

Did they affirm

and bring glory to God?

 

Were my words

reflective of the faith I profess?

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (AMP)

 

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

– Hebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)

 

Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and He’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

– 1 Peter 4:8-11 (MSG)

 

Don’t say anything that would hurt another person. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.

– Ephesians 4:29 (GW)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Surrender

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

Surrender

is so sweet

 

It is a free fall into the arms

of Abba

 

It is a breath of fresh air

after holding it for too long

 

It is the white flag

changed from black control

 

It is tight fists

released and open-palmed

 

It is the bowing of all

for God’s purposes

 

Acknowledgement

of sovereignty Divine

 

Surrender is necessary

for peace and joy

 

Surrender

is so sweet

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

– Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

 

The Eternal made everything for a reason. Even wrongdoers fit in His plans; troubled times await them.

– Proverbs 16:4 (VOICE)

 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

– Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

 

Peter: Master, we have left behind everything we had to follow You.

– Mark 10:28 (VOICE)

 

For any one of you who wants to be rescued will lose your life, but any one of you who loses your life for My sake and for the sake of this good news will be liberated.

– Mark 8:35 (VOICE)

 

Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship.

– Romans 12:1 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

Moldable

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Would I rather stay a lump of clay,

or be molded

into something beautiful?

 

Would I rather be safe?

Or would I rather experience life

in abundance?

 

Would I rather God grow me through the tough stuff

or stay unchanged,

stagnant?

 

He uses all for my good,

and I can rely on this promise

 

I trust Him to mold me

with His loving hands

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Still, Eternal One, You are our Father.

We are just clay, and You are the potter.
We are the product of Your creative action, shaped and formed into something of worth.

– Isaiah 64:8 (VOICE)

 

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.

– Romans 8:28 (VOICE)

 

Every man’s character remains as it is, or continues in the direction in which it is going, until it is compelled by IMPRESSED FORCES to change that state. Our failure has been the failure to put ourselves in the way of the impressed forces. There is a clay, and there is a Potter; we have tried to get the clay to mould the clay.

– Henry Drummond

 

What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’

– Isaiah 45:9 (NLT)

 

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Unmerited

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Who else

in all the universe

can make you feel completely

unworthy,

and yet also feel completely

loved?

 

God is the only One

 

Utterly unmerited –

so it must be true love

 

– Susie Stewart

 

This is the embodiment of true love: not that we have loved God first, but that He loved us and sent His unique Son on a special mission to become an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

– 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

 

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

– Ephesians 3:18-21 (MSG)

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

All His

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The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to Him.

For He laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.

– Psalm 24:1-2 (NLT)

 

You established all of it, God

 

You created it all, every thing and every person

 

and even though some do not acknowledge You

or they shake their fists at You

 

it’s still all Yours

and always will be

 

You spoke

and it all appeared

 

You created in love and power

 

God, You sustain us

and I am so grateful

 

that the One who spoke life into

oceans and galaxies and babies and whales

 

loves me

and I am Yours

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are Mine.

When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.

For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior….

…you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you.

– Isaiah43:1-4 (NLT)

 

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them.

 -Revelation 21:3 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Worthship

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Lord, I feel as if I’m learning

all the time

what worship of You

looks like

 

It is all-encompassing,

a life poured out and in awe of You

 

A wide awake observation

 

It is my everything

bowed to You

expecting and obedient

 

It is surrender

humility

recognition of You

as God of all

 

It is discipline

heart focus

clarity

Light

 

It is words

and listening

singing

speaking

quiet

 

Worship is open eyes

open heart

open mind

open, redeemed, learning soul

 

Worship is gratefulness and reverential wonder

 

You are the object of my worship

Yours is the grace that brings me here

 

– Susie Stewart

 

It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.

– John 4:23-24 (MSG)

 

In prayer we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, but in worship we are totally occupied with God Himself.

– A.P. Gibbs

 

Worship is not a repetitious exercise of rituals and formulas. These create a veil that actually prevents us from enjoying the presence of the Lord. Worship is the heart poured out in gratitude and awe, expressing our appreciation of who He is and what He has done for us by His grace through Jesus Christ.

– Dave Hunt

 

Worship is the path to experiencing the presence of God, the way to face-to-face intimacy.

– Linda Dillow

 

Photo by Arik Stewart

 

 

Squirrel!

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

On my hike this morning….

 

Lord, I love you!  I see Your beauty in these wildflowers!  You are lovely, God.  You are so great and I love You…

 

(Don’t forget to get trash bags at Walmart, oh and potting soil…)

 

And, God, please watch over Colie at camp and Arik in Denver, keep them safe….

 

(These shoes are so good for hiking.  I’m really glad I got them.  My flip flops are wearing out, though, I think I better get some new ones before the old ones break…)

 

Oh yes, God, thank you for a new morning, and for health and strength and for life!

 

(Man, I really loved my time with my Jericho Girls group last night.  What a precious time of sharing…)

 

Lord, I’m sorry….

 

I have the hardest time staying focused sometimes when I’m praying to You.  I want to

 

(Squirrel!)

 

I want to keep all my focus on You on these hikes, but I’m so distracted.  I’m just sorry….

 

(Ugh, messed up again….)

 

I love you, child.  I made you a multi-tasker.  I see you trying hard to keep focused on Me.  I made you this way and I use you this way.  You are not messing up.    I’m always here.  

 

God….  I just love You so much.  Thank You.  I will keep trying with Your help.

 

I am just like a friend walking along your side that you jump from topic to topic with.  I delight in you.  

 

Friend, do you struggle with focus when praying?  Boy, I sure do.  But I’m so thankful that God sticks right with me anyway.  And I’m thankful that as I grow to know Him more and more that my communication with Him can flow more and more freely throughout the day.  He is always with me and I can talk to Him any time.  What a precious gift from my Abba Father.  Be encouraged!  God knows we can be flighty.  He is patient with His children. 

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

– Jeremiah 29:12 (NIV)

 

God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.

– Proverbs 15:8 (MSG)

 

Search for the Lord and for His strength;
continually seek Him.

– 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT)

 

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope Je has given to those He called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

– Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

First

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

As a new believer I often said my purpose was to know Him and make Him known.  Too often my emphasis was on making Him known rather than on knowing Him….  My desire to serve God was good, but my priorities were out of order.  God’s Word clearly says that the first and most important thing is this:  to love God with all our being (Matthew 22:37-38).  This is the first and greatest commandment.  The second commandment is loving others, which includes ministry or works of service (Matthew 22:39).  I had reversed these two.

It’s so important to be able to say, I am not primarily a worker for God;  I am first and foremost a lover of God.  This is who I am.

…When our priorities become turned around, and we place more emphasis on loving others than on loving God, we are headed for spiritual and physical exhaustion.

– Linda Dillow

 

All of us need to be lovers who work rather than workers who love.

– Bob Sorge

 

 

You first, God

 

All others –

people

work

recreation

ministry…..

 

Second

 

And not just in theory

but in Truth

 

I love You, Lord!

I delight in You

worship You

adore You

 

and I find my grounding here

find my purpose here

 

Loving You

 

And finding more reasons to love You

increases my delight in You

increases my awe of You

makes me want to love You more

 

For You loved me first

and drew me to Yourself

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

O True God, You are my God, the One whom I trust.
I seek You with every fiber of my being.
In this dry and weary land with no water in sight,
my soul is dry and longs for You.
My body aches for You, for Your presence.

– Psalm 63:1 (VOICE)

 

I have loved you with an everlasting love—
out of faithfulness I have drawn you close.

– Jeremiah 31:3 (VOICE)

 

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

– Psalm 27:4 (NIV)

 

Come, let us worship Him. Everyone bow down;
kneel before the Eternal who made us.

-Psalm 95:6 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart