God’s Gift

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I mentioned in an earlier blog that I had to say goodbye to my
little gray Schnauzer, Obie, on April 30 of this year. God definitely
helped Amos (my other Schnauzer) and I through the grieving
process.

Aren’t you grateful that God cares deeply about every area in
our lives? When we hurt, He hurts with us.

He is so faithful!

Amos and I now have a new member of our family.
Meet Bentley Shellenberger.
He’s sweet,
curious,
mellow,
and a bundle of softness!

We’re growing together through the newness of a puppy.
New commands for Bentley to learn.

New boundaries.
New sights and sounds and discoveries.
Oh, the joy of new life.
I can’t help but wonder how deeply God rejoices
when new life is found in Him!
Scripture tells us that all of heaven rejoices (see Luke 15:7).

Sure, a new puppy is exciting, and Bentley has definitely brought
newness to our home. But nothing can ever compare to the new life
we find in Christ when we submit to Him. Let us never take for
granted the new life we have in Jesus our LORD.

Thoughts?

Good Choice or Best Choice?

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When the time came for Lot and his uncle Abraham to part ways
(their families, animals, servants, etc. had become so numerous the
land could no longer support them), Abraham gave Lot first choice.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Take your choice of any section
of the land you want, and we will separate If you want that part
over there to the east, then I’ll stay here in the western section.
Or, if you want the west, then I’ll go over there to the east”
(Genesis 13:9 LB).

Lot looked around and chose the land of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The land was fertile and well-watered. “The whole section
was like the Garden of Eden” (Genesis 13:10 LB).

Through human eyes, this may have seemed like a good choice.
He could be successful at growing anything, because of the fertile
land. But a good choice doesn’t always equal the best choice!
Though the ground itself was fantastic, the people living there were extremely wicked:
“The men of this area were unusually wicked, and sinned greatly against
Jehovah” (Genesis 13:13 LB).

Many of us miss God’s best simply because we’re focused on
the good. Check out what Oswald Chambers says about good
choices: “The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin
but good choices which are not quite good enough, The good is
always the enemy of the best.”

We don’t want the good.
We want God’s best, right?

So when tempted to quickly make a good choice,
let’s stop—
and pray—
and be willing to WAIT—
until God reveals His BEST for us!

Reading further in Genesis, we see the sad results of Lot’s choice.
God eventually destroyed that entire area of Sodom and Gomorrah
with fire from heaven.
The wicked may prosper for a season, but God’s righteousness

will eventually prevail.

This week as you’re making choices—
don’t be so quick to make what looks like a good choice.
Surrender your right to choose, and submit to God’s best choices
for your life.

Thoughts?

Please pray for me as I speak at the Missouri District Family Camp next week in Fredricktown, MO.

My Right . . . or God’s Will?

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Abraham and his nephew Lot had numerous animals,
servants,
family members
and crops.
In fact, the area became so crowded the land
could no longer support them.
It was time to split.
Abraham gave Lot first choice.

“I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Take your choice of any section of the
land you want, and we will separate. If you want that part over
there to the east, then I’ll stay here in the western section. Or, if
you want the west, then I’ll go over there to the east” (Genesis
13:9 LB).

Abraham had the “right” to choose first.
To give that right seemed foolish to those around him.
But Abraham was more focused on surrender to God
than demanding his rights.

We can cling to our rights . . . but we’ll forfeit God’s blessings.
I love what Oswald Chambers says about rights:

“Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our
lives, it dulls our spiritual insight.”

You see, by choosing to focus on our rights . . . what’s mine, what
should happen, me first, my title, my position, my status . . . we miss
the joy of total surrender to God’s holy will.
And isn’t this what sanctification is all about?
Yielding to HIS will.
Being fitted with HIS yoke.
Living in HIS choices for my life.

THIS is true freedom.

Thoughts?

Can you help?

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Hey, friends!

Once in a while, I use this site to share something personal.
And I want to do that today.

Many of you know that each summer for the past 20 years, I’ve taken
students and adults on two-week mission trips to Central and South
America.

(If you’re interested in joining me NEXT summer, let me know!)
But this summer we’re headed to Ecuador and are $2,000 short in
funds.

Would you pray about making a donation?
Because Susie Shellenberger Ministries is a 501-C 3 non-profit
organization, I can send you a receipt for tax purposes (just like when
you tithe to your church). But don’t send me your tithe! Give that to
your church.

If God leads you to do this, we need it as soon as possible.
You can make your check to Susie Shellenberger Ministries and mail
it to: 7012 N. Lake Front Drive, Warr Acres, OK 73132.

Any amount will be greatly appreciated!
And I’ll mail you a receipt for taxes.

Love,
Susie Shellenberger

Sorrow Into Joy

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On April 30 of this year, I had to say goodbye
to my little four-footed furry friend Obie.
This little gray Schnauzer had seen me through a lot—
a major career change,
two moves,
the death of my 95-year-old aunt,
the death of my 93-year-old dad,
and many more life events.
Amos (my other little Schnauzer) and I were forced
to find our “new normal.”
And God was so very, very faithful.
He walked us through the grief and helped us smile again.

I LOVE Psalm 34:18 from the Living Bible:
“The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking.”

I attended two funerals this week.
Moms of two of my dear friends passed away recently.
And I was reminded once again that:
“The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking.”

Whether it’s a mom, a spouse, a friend . . . or even a pet . . .
God understands our hurt.
I’m so grateful for a Savior who truly cares about
every
single
detail
in
our
lives!
Only GOD has the ability to turn our sorrow into joy.
“ . . . weeping may stay for the night,
     but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NIV).

Take Possession!

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Joshua asked the Israelites an all-important question
In Joshua 18:3. Let’s take a quick peek:

“How long will you wait before you begin to take
possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your
ancestors, has given you?” (NIV)

Seven tribes still hadn’t taken possession of the amazing land
God had given them! This amazing gift of land filled with “milk
and honey”—fertile land that produced HUGE crops . . .
was sitting right in front of them, but they still hadn’t possessed it!

Does that make you scratch your head?
Why would anyone procrastinate possessing such a terrific gift?

Let’s dig a bit deeper.
The Israelites had been nomads for years.
And they had become extremely comfortable with their
nomadic lifestyle. To move inside the Promised Land
would mean several changes:
• They’d no longer live in tents; they’d have to build houses.
• Roads would need to be created.
• Inhabitants would have to be driven out.
• Eventually it would be amazing . . .
but first there would be a lot of work involved.

Do you sometimes think the Christian life is a lot of work?
Don’t be discouraged!
The gifts God gives us are
superb,
perfect,
excellent
and pure.
And any work He asks us to,
we do in His strength
and
with His equipping.

So why not possess EVERYTHING God wants you to have?

Thoughts?

A Gift?

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In Numbers 13:2 we see that God had brought the Israelites to the
edge of the Promised Land. He was giving it to them.
But His gift would require something of the recipients.

Sometimes we mistakenly assume that when God gives us
something, all we have to do is receive and He’ll do the rest.

For example, the gift of salvation is free for the asking.
But we have a responsibility of actually living it out.
We can’t expect God to magically fill our minds with His Word.
We have to read it, absorb it, memorize it and live it.

This is what it means to “work out” our salvation.

“. . . continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling”
(Philippians 2:12 NIV).

Let’s look at that same verse in a different version:

“Work hard to show the results of your salvation,
obeying God with deep reverence and fear”
(Philippians 2:12 NLT).

The Israelites got the gift of the Promised Land,
but it wasn’t without having to battle giants,
clear the land,
tear down walls
and do a lot of reconstruction.

What might God want to be giving you,
but you’ve resisted because there’s work involved?

Thoughts?

I’d sure appreciate your prayers this weekend as I speak
at the Virginia District Ladies retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Not Even a Piece of Peace

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Oftentimes we try to discern God’s will in a specific situation
by asking Him to give us peace—
or to help us feel good about it.
If we feel those things, we assume it’s God’s will.
And if not? Oh, well. Must not be His will.

But why should we allow feelings to determine God’s will?
Especially since we’re told in Jeremiah 17:9 that
“the heart is deceitful above all things.”

Feelings can mislead us!

I don’t hear Abraham singing
“I’ve got peace like a river” in Genesis 12:1
when God told him to leave his homeland
and go to . . . well, actually God didn’t even
give him a destination . . . he just said, “Go.”

And in Genesis 22:1-19 when God told him to sacrifice his son, Isaac,
I don’t think Abraham’s heart was exploding with joy.
It was probably just exploding.

Even though God instructed the Israelites—His chosen people—
to cross the Red Sea, Exodus 14:10 shows us they were
horrifically frightened as they approached the water.

Yes, God DID part the sea (Exodus 14:21) when Moses stretched out
his hand, but the choir wasn’t singing “It Is Well With my Soul.”
They were scared spitless.

I’m guessing David’s heart skipped a few beats when he saw
what a beast Goliath was. If he’d waited until he felt good about it,
or peaceful about facing a monster . . .
he may never have approached the enemy.

And the Israelites may never have crossed the Red Sea.
Abraham probably would have stayed home.
Joseph may not have risked taking Mary and Jesus
during the night to Egypt.

Paul would’ve never preached to the Gentiles.
Stephen would not have preached before being killed.
Timothy would have stayed with his grandma instead of pastoring a church.

Esther would not have risked approaching the king to save the Jews.
Joshua probably wouldn’t have used marching around a wall as
a war strategy.
And Mary may not have said “yes.”

I’m guessing none of these people felt the calm of peace.
Probably every single one of them were frightened,
unsure
and
nervous.

So what moved them forward?
Faith.

Abraham believed, and it was credited to him as righteousness
(see Romans 4:3).

David. Paul. Joseph. Stephen. Esther. Moses.
Mary. Joshua. Timothy. Stephen.
All were nervous.
But they responded in faith and moved forward.

So what does this mean for us?
We can’t trust our feelings.

We CAN trust our Savior.

Thoughts?

Please pray for me this weekend as I speak in Parkersburg, WV.

Ask Yourself This!

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First off, let me say this devotion isn’t my own.
I read it from author Gail Burton Purath and enjoyed it so much,
I wanted to share part of it with you.

Here we go:

God’s Word is designed for dummies.
I use “dummies” in the dearest sense here,
meaning we’re incapable of fully understanding
our all-knowing, all-wise God.

We’re finite, limited beings, still “putting off” our sinful nature
(see Ephesians 4:22-24 ). 

God is infinite, unlimited, and perfect (see Romans 11:33 ).

We’ll never fully understand God.
He’s too big. We’re too small.
We’ll always have some questions.

That’s where faith comes in (see Hebrews 11:1 ):

1. Do I trust God’s character ( Psalm 145:17 )?
2. Do I trust Him with my unanswered questions ( Job 38 )?
3. Do I trust that He’s given me all the understanding I need
( 2 Peter 1:3 )?

I do.

Do you?

Thoughts?

I’d appreciate your prayers this weekend as I speak in
Annandale, VA.

What’s the Big Deal About Easter?

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It doesn’t get as much splash as other holidays, but it can hold its
own!

We need to give Easter a little help. Bless its heart. It just
doesn’t measure up to Christmas. Of course, how can you compete
with lighted trees surrounded by brightly wrapped gift packages?

If we surveyed everyone in North America, they’d probably
place Easter behind Halloween. While Easter gives us a few
chocolate bunnies, Halloween gives us entire sack loads of candy.
And for those who choose not to participate in the world’s custom of
trick-or- treating, churches open their parking lots, malls extend their
hours and people can still get all the candy they want without ever
having to mutter “Trick or treat.”

And Valentine’s day captures our hearts. It’s the time for
romance, and the opportunity to share love with friends and family members.
The day is filled with the smell of roses, boxes of chocolate
hearts, candy hearts, exquisite cards—all declaring love.
But Easter?
No tree. No parties. Not many decorations.
What do we get at Easter?
A sermon.
And sometimes even that’s a little flat!

A Little Help, Please

So maybe we should spruce Easter up a bit. If we could get
some really cool celebrities to get behind it, Easter might mean more.
It seems whenever we have a devastating tornado, tsunami or
earthquake that takes out a city, the celebrities rush to get involved
and make a difference.

So maybe we could get the celebrities to promote Easter on
television ads!

That would be a great start, but we’d still need a good
marketing plan. Maybe we bring the fashion industry into this. Put a
few models in some super cool T-shirts that boast “Easter Is Cool,”
“Vote Easter Best Holiday,” “Easter Is #1,” “Easter Rocks!”

Yes. If we can get the celebs, the athletes, the models and a
creative marketing plan, Easter might have a chance!

Wrong Plan

I’m glad it’s not up to us to make Easter popular. Easter was
never created to be popular.
Why?
Because it’s the message of the Cross.
And the Cross is an ugly message.
The Cross means death. And death doesn’t sell well.
You see, even if we could get the celebs to promote Easter . . .
if the celebs haven’t experienced and embraced the Cross the way
Christ did, what good would it do?

The truth is: God doesn’t need any celebs to take on Easter. He
doesn’t need help promoting it. He doesn’t even want help promoting
it. He doesn’t want people embracing Easter for the wrong reasons.
He wants true followers.

The God of color and rhythm and the Grand Canyon and
kangaroos and gravity and Niagara Falls and sound and lightening
and donkeys who talk and hyenas that laugh could have created an
amazing marketing strategy to promote Easter. But He’s not into
marketing. He doesn’t think strategy. He thinks love.

The Truth

The message of the Cross is an invitation to die. “Wanna follow
Me?” Jesus asks. “Then pick up your cross. We’re going over there.
It’s a hill called Golgotha. We’re going to die.”
How do you market this?
How can you make this sound glamorous?
You don’t. You can’t. If you try . . . you’ll miss the meaning.
But the truth behind Easter is dying with Jesus.
Why would anyone do that? They wouldn’t.
Unless—they’ve experienced first-hand the death of Jesus for
their own sins.

You see, once a sinner realizes that Jesus willingly picked up
the Cross and died in her place, she’s overcome with joy and love for
her Father. She wants to live for Him, obey Him, serve Him, follow
Him, die with Him.

A High Price Tag

Jesus told everyone to count the cost before deciding to follow
Him. (See Luke 14:25-30.) He reminds us that a contractor doesn’t
start to build a house without first counting the cost of all the
materials. If he doesn’t do this, he may only build half a house and
run out of money.

What does it cost to follow Jesus?
It costs a lot.
It costs everything.
You see, Jesus isn’t looking for half-hearted followers. He’s not
interested in being the next big fad. He doesn’t recruit with a polished
benefits package. That’s not the way He works. He’d rather have 12
sold-out disciples than an entire world that’s only talk.
So why would anyone want to follow Jesus?
Because of love.
No one loves like He does.
And forgiveness.
No one else has offered to pay for our sins.
And eternal life.
The only way to God (and to live forever in heaven) is through
Jesus (see John 10:10).

And peace. And purpose. And meaning. And joy. And real life!

They Don’t Compare

If you stack Jesus against all the other gods, none of them even
compare with Him! Think about it: In all other religions, you have to
work really hard to reach your god. You have to pray so many times a
day, or sacrifice so much, or travel thus far, or. …

All other religions show man reaching up to their god. ONLY
Christianity shows God reaching down to man! Wow. Read that
again, because it’s mega-powerful. ONLY Christianity shows God
reaching down to man!

Christianity is the only religion that offers free salvation. You
don’t have to earn it. You can’t pay for it. You’ll never be good
enough to deserve it. So God reaches down to YOU by sending His
only Son wrapped in human flesh to die an ugly death on the Cross
for YOUR sins.
That’s love!
And He invited you to participate.

Make This YOUR Easter

Many of you reading this have already accepted Christ as your
Savior. You’ve already asked Him to forgive your sins. (If you haven’t
done this, you can do it right now. You can tell Him you’re sorry for
disobeying Him, ask Him to forgive you and place your faith in Him.)
But many of you reading this right now really want to go deeper in
your relationship with Christ. We call this sanctification.
If you desire to give Christ your all, you can pray this prayer.
No, it’s not a bunch of magic words. You really have to mean it. And
God will know if it’s genuine.
Dear Jesus:
Thank You for forgiving my sins. I’m so grateful that You
died for me. I love being a Christian. But I want to go
deeper. I want to give You everything! So right now, I’m
choosing to die. I’m dying to my will, my dreams, my way,
“me first,” my future. I want You to be LORD of every area
in my life. I’m moving to the back seat; You’re now in the
driver’s seat. You’re in complete control. Please release
the power of Your Holy Spirit within me and enable me to
live a holy life pleasing to You. I love You, Jesus. Amen.

New Plan

If you prayed that prayer and meant it, this Easter will become
something brand-new to you. More than a second-rate holiday, it will
be your love response to a God who’s crazy about you. He doesn’t
need a few celebs; He needs YOU.
You are His marketing plan.
YOU . . . simply loving one person at a time to Him.
You . . . dying to yourself and coming into new life through Him.
You . . . celebrating His resurrection from death.
You . . . living forever with Him.
This is Easter.