On What Are You Focused?
I’ve always admired those little “smart cars” and have longed to drive
one. They remind me of the old-fashioned bumper cars
I used to ride at the amusement park when I was a child.
So when a friend of mine got a smart car, I longingly looked inside,
admired it, and secretly wished I could get one.
I’ve often thought it would be really fun to own some land—
a few acres . . . or even one acre . . . a place where my dogs Obie
and Amos could just go crazy. When a friend of mine moved onto 40
acres and built a new home, I found myself wanting that as well.
I’ve wondered what it would be like to have a padded bank account
and be free from the concern of meticulous budgeting. And when my
friend’s husband got a promotion and began bringing in six figures,
I dreamed of what that would be like.
God tells us in Exodus 20:17 that we’re not to covet.
What exactly does it mean to covet?
According to the dictionary:
“to desire wrongfully, inordinately,
or without due regard for the rights of others.”
Although I wasn’t exactly coveting these things I’ve mentioned,
I’ve recently felt checked by the Holy Spirit about even desiring
things that others have, because it takes my focus off of God.
Jesus was having an all-important conversation with Peter.
He was actually pulling back the curtain to Peter’s future and
revealing the life, ministry and death Peter would experience.
But Peter, looking around, saw John and asked about him.
“Peter asked Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ “
(John 21:21 New Living Translation)
It may be natural to compare our lives with others—
but it’s not God’s will. His desire is that we remain
clearly focused on Him.
I confess I sometimes look at the ministry someone else has
and wonder why the ministry God has given me doesn’t
look like that.
Or I wish I had a spiritual gift I see in another.
But God is teaching me to keep my eyes on Him and to be grateful
for the specific ministry He has given me.
Dear Jesus, help me to be grateful for what I have remain
solely focused on You.
Thoughts?
I’d appreciate your prayers as I speak in Sharpsburg, IN
this weekend.
The Brickyard
The book of Exodus highlights amazing highs
and devastating lows for God’s people, the Israelites.
In a nutshell:
They quit listening to God and were held in bondage
as Pharaoh’s slaves for 430 years.
They turned back to God, and He rescued them from
slavery and led them to the Promised Land.
One of their lowest times was when Pharaoh forced them to
make bricks—and then he stopped providing the straw needed
to make them. This forced the Israelites to get their own straw,
but they had to continue making the same amount of bricks each day.
How do you even make a brick with straw?
Here’s the recipe:
Mix soil and water into a thick mud.
Add some sand, then mix in the straw.
Next, pour the mixture into your molds.
Bake bricks in sunshine for at least five days.
That’s a lot of work. Hard work.
Especially in the hot sun.
With limited water and breaks.
And being beaten with whips by the Egyptians.
But the good news is that God RESCUED His people
from the brickyard!
And guess what—
He still rescues us from the brickyard.
But many of us are still hanging back . . .
baking bricks . . .
because that’s what we’ve become accustomed to doing.
We’re comfortable with the routine.
And though changing what we’re doing would bring freedom,
change is hard—
even good change can be difficult.
What’s the bottom line?
No one is destined for the brickyards.
Thoughts?
Please pray for me this weekend as I speak in Fortville, Ind.
Alaskan Cruise – Spiritual Renewal!
Imagine . . . spiritual revival with praise and worship, I’ll be sharing some powerful messages God has given me, amazing times together—as well as relaxing time alone—free room service, amazing food, incredible views of tremendous country all wrapped up in the Holland America Alaska Cruise I’ve put together through Susie Shellenberger Ministries.
I really really really really want to experience this with YOU!
The dates are June 1-8, 2019.
There are still a couple of weeks to get on board.
In other words . . . there’s still time . . . but not MUCH time!
Please pray now about joining me in Alaska for a tremendous vacation and an unforgettable spiritual renewal get-away.
Call or email my friend and travel agent Carla right now for all the details!
carlaray@aol.com
251-423-0900
We’ll leave out of Seattle, and rooms are extremely reasonably priced for an Alaskan cruise on a ship like this!
Take advantage of it NOW, and let’s spend some time together in Alaska!
Love,
Susie