Boiled in Salt
Ever eaten a salt potato?
Syracuse salt potatoes are boiled with so much salt,
they come out covered in white crust.
By adding a really really really large amount of salt (two cups of salt
for every eight cups of water) cooks in central NY create a white-
crusted creamy potato.
It’s easy to take salt for granted.
But during Roman times, salt was so valuable soldiers were paid with
salt. It was extremely valued.
In fact, that’s where the saying, “Are you worth your salt?” came from.
Having salt was considered a sign of wealth.
We get the word salary from salt.
Jesus knew the importance of salt, and He referred to it in His
sermon on the mount:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again?” (Matthew 5:13 NIV)
Let’s look at this same Scripture from The Message paraphrase:
“Let me tell you why you are here.
You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors
of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste
godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the
garbage.
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing
out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.
We’re going public with this.” (Matthew 5:13-16 The Message)
Our heavenly Father wants to use US to bring out His God-flavors
and His God-colors!
Wouldn’t it be great—if like the potatoes boiled in so much salt that
they come out white-crusted—WE would be so saturated with the
Holy Spirit that we are God-crusted each day?
In other words, we abandon ourselves in such a way to Him,
that after spending time with Jesus,
we come out drenched in Him . . .
ooozing His Spirit . . .
saturated in God-colors . . .
acting and reacting in God-flavors to those around us!
Thoughts?
I just finished speaking at a non-denominational ladies conference in
Cannon Beach, Ore., and God truly blessed our services. Thank you
so much for your prayers. He is so faithful!
An Unexpected Surprise
In many German restaurants you can find what may look like an
unusual item on the menu: Spaghettini.
Chefs create it to look like a plate of spaghetti, but it’s actually
an ice-cream delicacy.
Vanilla ice-cream is served in thin strands that resemble
spaghetti noodles, and strawberry puree is poured on top that looks
like marinara sauce. You’ll even find coconut flakes on top to mimic
parmesan cheese!
May I state the obvious?
Although it looks like one thing on the outside, it’s completely
different once you taste it.
The same is often true of us, isn’t it?
We profess Christ on the outside.
We easily lift our hands in praise on Sunday mornings.
But when someone cuts in front of us on the road . . . do our
insides match our outsides?
Aren’t you grateful that God is patient with us?
Each one of us is still a work in progress.
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to copycat our heavenly Father:
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do. . . .” (NLT)
Let’s continue to allow God to break us and reshape us in His
holy image as we walk with Him.
Thoughts?
I just returned from speaking to pastors and wives at a state-
wide ministers retreat in Alaska. God was faithful and blessed in
wonderful ways. I’m excited about speaking in Alaska again June 1-8,
2019 on the Susie Shellenberger Ministries cruise. I’d LOVE for you
to join me! This will be an amazing spiritual retreat complete with the
adventure and wonder of Alaska’s beauty! If you’d like more
information, please send me an email (not on this website, but
through my email address): susieshell@comcast.net
Behind the Scenes
Back story: Before Elijah defeated the 450 false prophets of the
false god of Baal, he told wicked King Ahab that God would withhold
rain from the land. God made good on His Word, and the result was a
severe famine.
King Ahab summoned Obadiah (who was in charge of his
palace (and also a devout believer in Jehovah God).
Ahab had said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the
springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the
horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals”
(1 Kings 18:5 NIV).
They split up, and King Ahab went one way while Obadiah
headed the other direction. Meanwhile, evil Queen Jezebel was busy
killing God’s prophets.
Elijah is thinking he’s the only Jehovah-follower left. The Queen
had already killed so many godly people. The country was in horrible
shape due to the famine, and Elijah knew he’d have to face King
Ahab and take on the 450 prophets of Baal.
But as Obadiah was searching for grass to feed the king’s
animals, Elijah crossed paths with him. Imagine Elijah’s surprise to
discover that while Jezebel was killing off God’s prophets, Obadiah
had taken 100 godly prophets and hidden them in two caves—50 in
each cave. Obadiah had kept them safe and provided them with food
and water in the middle of the famine!
When things looked like they couldn’t get any worse, God was
working quietly behind the scenes.
You may remember the godly priest Eli of Israel. He was the
one who mentored Samuel. Eli had two wicked sons: Hophni and
Phinehas. These two men were serving as temple priests but they
didn’t have a relationship with God. They took advantage of the
people who brought sacrifices, became sexually involved with women
around the temple, and were extremely dishonest.
People wondered why God didn’t do something to stop this
horrific situation. But what they didn’t know was that God was quietly
working behind the scenes. He was allowing the Philistine army to
gain strength. Pushing the fast-forward button, we see that a few
years later, the Philistines defeated the Israelites—and killed
Phinehas and Hophni.
What does this mean for us?
We can know that our God never stops working.
He never sleeps, goes on vacation or puts us on hold.
When our situation seems horrific and we wonder why He
hasn’t moved, it may be that He’s working quietly behind the scenes.
Sometimes we see Him explosively arrive in full detail. Other
times He simply works quietly behind the scenes.
So we can rest in God’s peace. And what kind of peace does
He give? “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And
the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t
be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 LB).
If you’re facing a wall and wondering why God isn’t moving on
your behalf . . . it could be that He IS, but He’s simply working quietly
behind the scenes right now.
In His perfect timing, He will reveal Himself.
He always does.
Thoughts?