A Simple Penny

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalms 139:17-18)

What kind of intimate moments do you share with Christ? Are there little things in your life that make you look up and realize that He has been watching over and protecting you ever day? It is a great blessing to be a child of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. It is not something that is just written on paper, but it is a living reality. He is so gracious to speak in the small moments of our lives. I heard a story about a preacher a few years ago who made a deal with God. This was the simple deal that he made in his heart with the Lord. Every time he saw a penny on the ground whether it was on heads or tails, he would pick it up and think about the innumerable thoughts that God thinks toward His children everyday.

One day, the old preacher was getting a little tired and weary and needed a good boost. Of course if you are a true child of God born from above by the Spirit of God, we must realize that our Lord Jesus will give us the sustaining grace that we need for every moment of every day. The old preacher needed a little reminder, and as he was shaking hands with the congregation one Sunday outside the church, he came to a little girl who had found a penny on the ground and wanted to share it with her pastor. The old preacher was elated by that little penny, because it had more worth than a cent and pointed him to the eternal truths of God’s holy word. God’s thoughts toward us are deeper than the oceans, higher than the sky and vast as the grains of sand of the earth. Isaiah 26:3-4 reminds us, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”

Over the past few years, I have used this same reminder in my own life. Every time I find a simple penny that has been dropped, thrown by the wayside, or buried in dirt, I pick it up and remind myself that my Heavenly Father is watching over me and caring for me as His son. I realize not everyone will understand what it means to be a child of God. It comes through repentance of sins and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, was buried and was raised to complete the work of redemption. It is not enough to know the facts but actually know Christ personally. I was born by God’s Spirit on April 7, 2003 in my bedroom one night when my heart was convicted and condemned by my sin. That night I found peace for my troubled soul. Ever since then, I have tried to walk with the Lord though failing often. A simple penny reminds me of God’s abundant grace to pardon guilty and common sinners like you and me.

I am learning more and more that Christ is concerned with every area of our lives and truly is Lord and Savior. Recently, I have been trying to find a different car for my wife. With gas prices going up, we wanted to get into a more economical one. After much prayer on when, where and what to buy, I found one that would fit our needs. Of course, I had to go through all of the talks with the sales managers to get a fixed price. We went back and forth a few times, and finally, I gave them my final offer. The salesman went to talk with his manager and came back with a smile and bad news. He told me that they couldn’t reach my final price no matter how they worked it. He said, “every time we put the numbers in the computer, we were left with a one cent difference.” He placed a penny on the desk, and I laughed inside when I told him I would take the car. What a wonderful joy to have a Lord and Savior so near!