1893….or…the little things of note.

today at work i came across a penny. Yeah, it’s just a penny, but i feel like there is a lot more to this story. 1893. 114 years ago the penny in my hand was minted and became a tool for purchasing. I wonder how much one could get with a penny. A paper? A loaf of bread? A sandwhich? I wonder. It blows my mind to think about how many hands this coin went through, how many times it was dropped and found, or dropped and left because it was tails side up. Either way, today I am reminded of two things…

1. You don’t know the value of a penny (a dollar by today’s standards) until you don’t have one

2. You don’t know the value of a minute until you are out of time.

What are you, what am I, doing right now to snatch people from the fire?

What am I willing to do?

How far will I go?

Andy

insight.unsight.

Today I spent three hours in an eye clinic  with Dr. Timothy J. Schrot. What was he doing? Scanning my retinas of course! 3 Hours, Gasp! Fortunately, I had the day off work. So After taking Pastor Chilly and Ji to the airport, I made a quick starbucks run and then began the day in the eyeglass store. It is times like these where I remember what true sight is.

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.  Heb. 11.27

Moses KEPT right on going,

because…

Moses KEPT his eye on the One.

It’s not that we don’t have faith. It’s not that I dont’ see what’s past the field of physical vision. It’s just that I don’t KEEP them there continually. In order to go through that crazy stuff Moses went through, in order to have that adventure of faith them I must learn to keep them there.

How?

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re
in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was
headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God … go over that story again, item by item, that
long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline
into your souls!  Heb. 12

I must get there. I must stay there. I will.

Andy

the voice

At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.

Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.

After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice.

When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.Job 37:1-5

Every where i turn there is a call to Listen. In this chapter Elihu challenges Job to listen to the roar that is God’s voice. He says “His voice thunders in marvelous ways.” To this I pause and think. I feel closer to David saying, “What is man that you take notice of him.” God speaks! Can you even begin to fathom it? I can’t. How in the world could it be that God spoke and men hardened their hearts against Him? How can it be that I have done the same thing? I strain, as Paul would say, to fulfill the purpose God has for this life and yet am reminded today that my obedience will directly affect the destiny planned for me. OBEDIENCE. Listening to God. Following through to the end God wills. “Today if he speaks, do not harden your hearts.”
I am called out again, LISTEN. Take to heart what God says and then do that!

After all the things Solomon says in Ecclesiasties he ends up with two things. Fear God. Do what he tells you.

And yet, here I find myself again in direct opposition to myself, to do what he tells me. (Ah what a great place to be.)

I refuse to live my life struggling to listen. You know, the ups and downs by periods of passionate listening and other times being stone deaf. I want to see how far listening will get me. Steady, persistant listening. How obedient can I be? How well can I know His voice? He is always speaking! His voice thunders in marvelous ways! Why pursue anything else?

Andy

strong as death

For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy as enduring as the grave.
Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame. Songs 8.6

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalms 18:3-6

What a crazy awesome verse.

love paints a gruesome picture…

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

love.
love.
love. love.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.<.b>