Come
Throughout the Bible, God’s message is crystal clear: “Come.”
He so years for us to come to Him, that He repeats this invitation in a
variety of ways:
“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever
comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37 NIV).
The most important way we can come is for salvation. Have you
come to God for this most important gift you’ll ever receive?
“ ’Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD: ‘though your
sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are
red like crimson, they shall become like wool’ ” (Isaiah 1:18 ESV).
We can truly REJOICE in the fact that when God forgives our sins,
He completely cleanses us inside. As the above Scripture declares,
we become transformed from dirty sinners to cleansed children of
God.
“Come to me and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28 LB).
The above verse reflects our Father’s great care. He knows how easy
it is for us to become beaten down by the daily grind. He knows our
hearts are fragile. When we’re burdened, weary or confused, the best
thing we can do is go to God and allow Him to breathe comfort,
strength and renewal into our souls.
Ask the Holy Spirit to draw you to the Father not only on a daily basis
. . . but several times throughout your day! You’ll be amazed at the
difference this will make.
Thoughts?
I appreciate your prayers as I speak in Waxahachie, TX this
weekend.
It’s still not too late to sign up for the Susie Shellenberger Ministries
cruise to Alaska June 1-8. This will be an incredible way to come
away for the spiritual retreat and adventure you’re yearning for.
Contact my friend and travel agent, Carla Pryor, who can accept
passengers through mid-March: carlaray@aol.com
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.