Trials

Trial Perspective

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

You are right in the middle of it,

and it is painful

 

It hurts

and it pulls downward

 

Your trial threatens

your heart

your mind

your faith

 

But friend

look UP

 

Recognize what is happening

 

This time

this moment

this circumstance

 

God wants to use it!

 

Please don’t miss that

 

Your growth

your strengthening

your unexplainable peace

 

is yours for the taking

 

Don’t turn your back

on the One who blessed you

with easier times

 

He is close

 

And His Spirit-help is there

for those who turn their eyes to Him

 

HE

is your strength

is your peace

is your joy

 

IS the One who feels the deepest

about your situation

 

He is kind, you see

 

Walk with HIM

when you need Him most

 

and KNOW

God-strength

in the middle of it all

 

– Susie Stewart

 

In his kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.

– 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT)

 

If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

– Proverbs 24:10 (NIV)

 

Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.  If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.

– James 1:2-5 (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)

 

You will keep the peace, a perfect peace, for all who trust in You,
        for those who dedicate their hearts and minds to You.
     So trust in the Eternal One forever,
        for He is like a great Rock—strong, stable, trustworthy, and lasting.

– Isaiah 26:3,4 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Glory Through The Darkness

/ Susie Stewart / 22 Comments

So here we are again

five years after the first time,

 

cancer has made its ugly appearance

in my body yet again

 

And people wonder how I’m doing…

 

The news felt like a rude sucker punch

mixed with a river of sorrow

 

and yet

I had a feeling that was the diagnosis I would hear

 

Once again my husband and I held one another

and cried

and have stayed close to one another since the news came

 

Our children were told

and they were stunned,

sorrowful,

and older and braver than last time

 

My parents

supported with such love

and tenderness

and words deep

 

My brother and his wife

came right over

with food love

and flowers sweet

and listening ears

 

Phone calls were made

and friends were told

and they offered up unbelievable support and love

endless

 

And people wonder

how am I feeling?

 

I feel

sad

and  I feel thankful

and I feel strong

in my sorrow

 

And I am keenly aware

once again

that all the people care,

 

but my deepest need

is for my Jesus

 

In all of this

I can’t get my mind off of the One

who is my Rock

my Comfort

my Everything

 

And it’s me

and it’s Him

eyes locked on one another

 

My good

and His glory

are

ALWAYS

His intent

 

And I walk forward

taking one day at a time

just like we all do

 

yet

with a sharper focus

on every

little

thing

 

I pray with all my might

that healing would be mine

 

and I know He’s heard every word

 

And the sentiments I penned

one day before diagnosis

are true in the valley of the shadow ~

 

“My relationship

with the Lord of the Universe

is new

freeing

and vibrant”

 

Cancer is ugly

God is my freedom

 

His unchanging character

did not flinch

 

when I was diagnosed with cancer

once again

 

and I can’t imagine

walking this road

without Him

 

My life is still

for HIM,

not for me

 

Not what He does

for me

 

This is such a broken world, friends

 

And you hear and experience bad news

every

single

day

 

The signs are pointing

to the earth groaning

in preparation

for Jesus’ return

 

Be ready

 

And don’t get hung up

on whether God is good or not

when bad things happen

 

tossed and turned in your faith

by bad news

 

God warned us

of trials

and tribulations

and pain

 

and attacks from our circling

and preying

and vicious enemy

 

Stay with God

and do not be swayed by your feelings

about why He lets certain things happen

 

What kind of God would He be

if He claimed to be Love

and claimed to be good

and claimed to be just

and claimed to be ALL the things He claimed to be

 

and then forfeited it all

by allowing trials in a Christ-Follower’s life?

 

It’s not possible

 

He is perfect

and His ways are right

 

And what a patient and amazing God

to reach into our broken world

 

and provide salvation from it?

 

I choose to rest in Him

in this cancer journey

 

And believe what you will,

but I have been singing His praises with joy

since I got up this morning

 

– Susie Stewart

 

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

– Romans 8:22, 23 (NIV)

 

Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

– Hebrews 13:8 (AMP)

 

But as for me, I will sing about Your power.
    Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love.
For You have been my refuge,
    a place of safety when I am in distress.

– Psalm 59:16 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

 

CircumSTANCE

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What is your stance

on your circumstance?

 

Do you only feel God is good

when life is trouble-free?

 

Do you only draw near to Him

when you think He is making things easier?

 

Or do you cling to

His faithfulness

His constant love

His unchanging nature

 

His holiness

 

in this imperfect life?

 

You see, He has warned all of us

that life here will not be easy

 

and that trials will pile up

upon trials

 

He

warned

us

 

And then

He made a promise

 

“I will never leave you.”

 

And He doesn’t

 

So when you are tempted to take the

“I’m mad at God” stance

in your circumstance

 

Remember

 

that He is the One you need most

at

all

times

 

especially in those trials

 

and that His love

does not shoot arrows

to make your life miserable

 

He is the One

who holds your tears

and provides

just when you need it

 

Your stance

in your circumstance

should be

 

I am confident in His perfection and goodness and love

in the brokenness of earthly life

 

– Susie Stewart

 

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.]

– John 16:33 (AMP)

 

…God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.”

– Hebrews 13:5 (GW)

 

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
    Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
    your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
    give Him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
    your wine vats will brim over.
But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline;
    don’t sulk under His loving correction.
It’s the child He loves that God corrects;
    a father’s delight is behind all this.

– Proverbs 3:5-12 (MSG)

 

My help and glory are in God
    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust Him absolutely, people;
    lay your lives on the line for Him.
    God is a safe place to be.

– Psalm 62:7-8 (MSG)

 

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in people.

– Psalm 118:8 (NLT)

 

For the Eternal will be a shelter for those who know misery, a refuge during troubling times.

– Psalm 9:9 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart taken in the deserts of Israel

 

 

 

 

 

My Will

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

I bow my will

as worship

to you, God

 

I surrender me

my dreams

my desires

 

I worship You

with the bowing

 

I give to You

that which I wish to control

 

For there are things

in this life You’ve given to me

 

that I would not

have chosen

 

They frustrate

and try

and

challenge

 

and I would not have chosen them

 

but You did

 

And I lay it all down

knowing

 

that in You

I have strength for anything

 

in You

I can be more

 

in You

I can stand strong

 

In You

I know nothing is wasted

 

 

And the reason I know this

is because You’ve shown me before

 

that my will bowed

in the midst of hard and trying

 

means deep-set peace

 

and I know that You endured far more

than a mere trial

 

for my sake

 

So here and now

I bow

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

– Hebrews 12:1-3 (MSG)

 

We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because He knew that later on He would be glad He did. Now He is seated at the right side of God’s throne!

– Hebrews 12:2 (CEV)

 

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

– James 1:12 (NLT)

 

…constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength]…

– Romans 12:12 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Pain & Joy

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Isn’t it interesting

that in going through a deep valley

 

where all is stripped away

 

we can learn what true joy is?

 

In the hurt

and the less

and the want

 

we learn to look up

 

and we find that the joy

is not really in the circumstances

 

but in the Savior

 

It’s not in the stuff

but in the Divine relationship

 

always being strengthened

by the reliance on who is in control

 

Isn’t it interesting

how pain and joy can co-exist?

 

That joy doesn’t always look

like happiness?

 

But it does look

content

 

Because of who we lean into

 

– Susie Stewart

 

And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

– Philippians 4:19 (AMP)

 

But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God].

– 1 Timothy 6:6 (AMP)

 

So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].

– 2 Corinthians 12:10 (AMP)

 

…constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength],

– Romans 12:12 (AMP)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Moldable

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

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)

 

Online photo

Consider It

/ Susie Stewart / 4 Comments

CONSIDER it pure joy,

my brothers and sisters,

whenever you face trials of many kinds,

BECAUSE you know that the testing of your faith

produces perseverance.

Let perseverance finish its work

so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

– James 1:2-4 (NIV)

 

My friend Paul, from our Life Group, pointed out to us that this portion of Scripture in James says “consider” it pure joy when you face trials.  It doesn’t say “feel joyful”.  It seems to imply that you mentally consider it.  You make a thinking decision.

When trials come, we don’t usually have a feeling of overflowing joy and happiness.  Trials are hard and draining.  They take a lot out of us.  But we can consider it pure (free of contamination) joy when we face trials BECAUSE we have the assurance that it is producing perseverance in us.

And we need to LET PERSEVERANCE FINISH ITS WORK in us.  There is no hurrying or getting past certain trials.  We need to let the work be completed.

When we do this, we become more mature and we won’t be lacking.  That is encouraging when the trial is a financial one or a loss.  The Lord assures us that we will not be lacking anything when we allow God to work through our trials.  He knows what we need.

Then in verse 12 we see this –

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

There is heavenly reward for those who persevere under trial!  What an encouragement!  And a joyful thought!  The crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

So, my friends, take your thoughts captive when it comes to trials.  It’s tempting to ask “Lord, why are you doing this to me??”  But I encourage you to trust God’s heart for you and to consider joy in the midst.

There is much good going on

during your bad.

– Susie Stewart

 

…we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

 

Photo by Jennifer Macfadyen

 

Endure

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. We must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly.

– A.W. Tozer

 

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

– Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

 

The readiest way to escape from our sufferings is, to be willing they should endure as long as God pleases.

– John Wesley

 

Photo by Susie Stewart