Penny in His Pocket
The stage was set, the lights were on and I sat amongst the crowd, listening. Wasn’t sure I agreed with everything the man was sharing. My whole life I had grown up believing something that later I found out my Dad did not believe. So how was I to believe this man? Was he telling me the truth? Could I trust him?
Sermon after sermon I would try to prove his words wrong but the scriptures came alive. Truth began to be birthed and a hunger grew deep in my soul. Everyone I spoke with I wanted to share this new found faith.
Life took its toil and the fire was tested, I still had a deep passion but would the next season keep the fire alive? I got married and tried to continue pursuing this passion but after graduating from college and no job prospects depression overtook me. I continued to pursue the Lord and cried out to Him regularly but I could feel there was a Spiritual war going on that I did not fully understand at the time.
A little bit later and I was hit hard with devastating news. A spiral of events took place and my marriage began to crumble. I was faced with a choice and all the crying out to the Lord came to a head. Was He going to show up?
During this season one specific sermon hit me hard when the Lord spoke clearly through Pastor Steve Schell, “Will you be a penny in my pocket to spend wherever I desire?”
Wow, would I be God’s penny? Would I truly allow Him to use me however He saw fit? Could He be trusted? Could I fully surrender my desires? My heart? My future?
The years went by and after 7 1/2 years my first marriage ended in divorce. I had done all that God had asked me to but when my first husband got remarried to someone else God released me from standing for a man that didn’t want me. So much heartache in that season yet as I allowed God to spend me as His penny day after day I had renewed strength. I felt His pleasure. Worshipping the King of the Universe became so intimate!
Now after 15 years of marriage to an incredible man (read our story here) God is asking me the same question. Will I continue to be a “penny” in His pocket? So often I want to make sense of the world and the journey we are on but the Bible states in 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
We are but clay and He has every right to mold us however He sees fit. The choice is ours. Will we jump off the table and try to make our own vessel? Or will we allow Him to make the masterpiece He desires?
In 2024 please join me in being God’s “penny”! Let us become His vessel allowing Him to spend and mold us however He desires. For His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. They are far better, even when we don’t think they make much sense.
Imagine by Darlene Cupp (she was inspired by the same sermon as I was and drew this picture after listening to the sermon).
