Truth

Love That Lasts

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

Has there been love in your life

that didn’t last?

 

It would seem that covenant

secured your love

 

but it wasted away

and crumbled to apathy and regret?

 

And it made you wonder

whether there was such a thing

 

as forever love?

 

Your heart grew cold

to love

 

And why wouldn’t God

be just like all the rest?

 

BUT HE ISN’T

 

He is the only one

who keeps His covenants

 

and can be trusted

with your heart

 

Jesus,

Groom,

fills empty hearts

 

with relationship

with Himself

 

He holds tender hearts

with care

 

and mends the deep places

that ache

 

But in order to KNOW

this love

 

you must take His hand

and walk forward in love

 

promised

and surrendered

 

to Love that lasts

 

Love that is not

like the rest

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For your Creator will be your husband; the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is His name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

– Isaiah 54:5 (NLT)

 

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The Lord gives righteousness
    and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

He revealed His character to Moses
    and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
    nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
    He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to His children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.
For He knows how weak we are;
    He remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear Him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
    of those who are faithful to his covenant,
    of those who obey His commandments!

The Lord has made the heavens His throne;
    from there He rules over everything.

Praise the Lord, you angels,
    you mighty ones who carry out His plans,
    listening for each of His commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
    who serve Him and do His will!
Praise the Lord, everything He has created,
    everything in all His kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

– Psalm 103 (NLT)

 

…He will say to them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.”

– Jeremiah 31:3 (NET)

 

Photo by Gracie Oertli

 

Happily Ever After

/ Susie Stewart / 3 Comments

When you were young

did you dream

of your Happily Ever After?

 

Did you imagine your life

would look different

than the reality that has unfolded?

 

Your road has been

so much bumpier

than you wanted, hasn’t it?

 

And happily ever after

seems only a dream…

 

It is true

that in this life

you will have many troubles

 

You are a survivor

in a broken world

wrought with battles unseen

 

But, friend, your joy in between

is unmistakeable

 

For the beautiful parts of your life

are attributed to Him

who created that beauty

 

And you walk in His presence

in the midst of the turmoil

and the disappointment

 

You trust His promises

and you cling to His robe

for dear life

 

He is the Rock

the Fortress

the Shelter you need

 

And you know

without a shred of doubt

 

that your happily ever after

is coming

 

and it will be eternally yours

forever

and

ever

 

– Susie Stewart

 

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.

It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

– Ephesians 1:11-14 (MSG)

 

 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, He saved us from all that. It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

– Titus 3:3-8 (MSG)

 

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have Him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

– 1 Peter 1:3-7 (MSG)

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creation Speaks

/ Susie Stewart / 1 Comment

The morning sings joy

and mercy

 

Do you hear it?

 

The noonday sun radiates righteousness

and truth

 

Do you see it?

 

The moon and stars whisper peace

and wisdom

 

Do you perceive it?

 

The whole earth

and all of creation

speak of Divinity

 

Listen well

and walk

in the morning joy,

the noonday truth,

and the nighttime peace

 

with your Creator

 

– Susie Stewart

 

 

The whole earth is filled with awe at Your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    You call forth songs of joy.

– Psalm 65:8 (NIV)

 

He will spread out righteousness for you as a sunrise spreads radiance over the land; He will deliver justice for you into the light of the high sun.

– Psalm 37:6 (VOICE)

 

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

– Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who alone does mighty miracles.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who made the heavens so skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who placed the earth among the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to Him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.

the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.

and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever.

– Psalm 136:1-9 (NLT)

 

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 (NIV)

 

At every time and in every place— from the moment the sun rises to the moment the sun sets— may the name of the Eternal be high in the hearts of His people.

– Psalm 113:3 (VOICE)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

Investor

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

 

If you were to have the title

of Life Investor

 

hired by God

in the here and now

 

What would He observe

about your investment practices

and priorities?

 

Would He say

that He observes you investing your life

in the valuable?

 

Or would He say

that He observes you investing your life

in that which doesn’t last?

 

Is all your energy spent on yourself

and getting ahead

in worldly success

and mindless pursuits?

 

Or is it invested in people

in your relationship with your Creator

in glorifying Him

and in the deeper things of life?

 

Is your life invested in bigger, better, and prestigious

or

in the smallest, poor and broken?

 

Do you know which one God prioritizes?

 

He is the authority

on what matters

 

We are given only one life

to invest in the eternal

and in the things He values

 

May we invest wisely

for we never know

when God will retire our position

 

for the afterlife

 

– Susie Stewart

 

The kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a trip. He called his servants and entrusted some money to them.  He gave one man ten thousand dollars, another four thousand dollars, and another two thousand dollars. Each was given money based on his ability. Then the man went on his trip.

The one who received ten thousand dollars invested the money at once and doubled his money. The one who had four thousand dollars did the same and also doubled his money. But the one who received two thousand dollars went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who received ten thousand dollars brought the additional ten thousand. He said, “Sir, you gave me ten thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.”

His master replied, “Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

The one who received four thousand dollars came and said, “Sir, you gave me four thousand dollars. I’ve doubled the amount.”

His master replied, “Good job! You’re a good and faithful servant! You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount. I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

Then the one who received two thousand dollars came and said, “Sir, I knew that you are a hard person to please. You harvest where you haven’t planted and gather where you haven’t scattered any seeds. I was afraid. So I hid your two thousand dollars in the ground. Here’s your money!”

His master responded, “You evil and lazy servant! If you knew that I harvest where I haven’t planted and gather where I haven’t scattered, then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest. Take the two thousand dollars away from him! Give it to the one who has the ten thousand! To all who have, more will be given, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have much.…

– Matthew 25:14-30 (GW)

 

Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

– Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)

 

This is my last gift to you, this example of a way of life: a life of hard work, a life of helping the weak, a life that echoes every day those words of Jesus our King, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

– Acts 20:35 (VOICE)

 

…if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
    He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.

– Isaiah 58:10,11 (NIV)

 

Photo By Susie Stewart

 

 

 

 

 

Bully

/ Susie Stewart / 5 Comments

There’s this bird,

I call him Eustace

 

And he spends a lot of time

in our backyard

 

When he’s here

he consistently plays the part of the bully

 

He chases away all other birds

with rude squawks and aggression

 

But the strangest thing about Eustace

is this

 

He bullies our cat Rodney

 

Little Eustace taunts Big Rodney

as if roles were reversed

 

We’ve seen Rodney running from Eustace across the yard

as if his life depended on it

 

And when Rodney perches atop the platform on our porch

Eustace flies at him, squawking protests loudly

 

But the truth is, this is Rodney’s territory,

he belongs here

 

Eustace is an outsider

 

And all of this got me to thinking

about Christ Followers

 

We are often bullied

by our spiritual enemy

 

He loves to make us think

he is larger than he really is

 

The reality though

is that God is infinitely bigger and more powerful

than the devil

 

So, friend, know your identity

as a child of God!

 

When the enemy squawks and bullys

stand firm, resist and tell him how powerful your Protector is

 

And let him know

this is not his territory

 

Don’t cower before this snake

KNOW the power that resides in you

 

Get lost, Eustace

 

– Susie Stewart

 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 (NLT)

 

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.

– Ephesians 1:19,20 (NLT)

 

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

– Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

As For Me

/ Susie Stewart / 5 Comments

Everyone around me

may be going one way

 

But as for me

I will go the way You show me

 

They may invent new “truth”

and follow their own broken hearts

 

But as for me

I will stand solidly on Your timeless wisdom

 

All may bow to the world

and its ways

 

But as for me

I bow only to You, Lord

 

I will not be swayed

by a crowd mentality

by expendable truth

by waves of cultural norms

by popular opinion

 

As for me

I am with You, God

 

My commitment to You

clings to who You’ve promised

Yourself to be

 

On the love

that You gave me

proved so beautifully

 

As for me

I follow You

 

– Susie Stewart

 

As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.

– Psalm 55:16 (NIV)

 

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

– Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

 

But as for me, I trust in You.

– Psalm 55:23 (NIV)

 

Photo by Maggie Oertli

 

Death Underfoot

/ Susie Stewart / 2 Comments

You walked right out!

 

Out of that dark

stagnant

death

tomb!

 

You were laid there

by those who thought you were gone for good

 

but Joseph’s tomb

was only borrowed

 

You rolled the heavy stone away,

it could not keep You from us

 

And You walked right out!

 

You conquered

You defeated

You smashed

 

Death

 

Sin’s curse

Death’s grip

Oppression’s hold

 

are finished

 

Light

walked right out

of darkness

 

My Savior is alive!

 

– Susie Stewart

 

For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was His plan from before the beginning of time—to show us His grace through Christ Jesus. And now He has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

– 2 Timothy 1:9,10 (NLT)

 

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

– Hebrews 2:14,15 (NLT)

 

When I saw Him, I fell at is feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living One. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”

– Revelation 1:17,18 (NLT)

 

God promised this Good News long ago through His prophets in the holy Scriptures. The Good News is about His Son. In His earthly life He was born into King David’s family line, and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

– Romans 1:2-4 (NLT) 

Gifts Multiplied

/ Susie Stewart / Leave a comment

For those who have accepted

the beautiful gift of grace

 

our words should be gracious

 

For those who have accepted

the unmerited gift of mercy

 

our actions should be merciful

 

For those who have accepted

perfect love unconditional

 

our love should should come without strings

 

For those who have accepted

redemption from darkness impenetrable

 

our attitudes should reflect intense light

 

What precious gifts, these!

 

Who we are in Christ should be a gift

to those we come into contact with

 

– Susie Stewart

 

Whoever loves a pure heart and whoever speaks graciously has a king as his friend.

– Proverbs 22:11 (GW)

 

Pleasant words are like honey from a honeycomb— sweet to the spirit and healthy for the body.

-Proverbs 16:24 (GW)

 

Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!

– Luke 12:48 (MSG)

 

Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand Him better.

– Colossians 3:10 (CEV)

 

Photo by Susie Stewart

 

 

Is Your Truth Relative To Your Culture?

/ 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