458 - Coin Face

Dear Lord, this morning you have taken to a scripture that is a bit confusing for me. But I think we can work through it and bring some kind of understanding to my brain. First of all I want to thank you for the rain we received last night - that is a sign of getting older, isn't it - when you are concerned about it raining or not. ha ha! But we needed it really bad if for nothing else to get the dust to settle and help people's allergies. So thank you! 2 bits of news - 1) I gave my resignation at my job on Friday. I just could not do it. It was not a stressful job by any means and I really liked the work, but I just could not do everything else. That is where the stress was coming in. I will work until not this Friday, but next Friday and then on to the next adventure. 2) It is a lllllllllooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg ordeal and I am still not sure how much I can say that is correct, but the cruise that I was speaking on has been cancelled. I was bummed at first, but now I am very concerned all those people will not get their money back! It was promised back weeks and weeks ago. It is getting very tense!! Lord, please control all that and get back to those what is rightfully theirs! Of course You are in control! I don't have to ask!

So - Mark 12:17 says "Give to Caesar's what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." At first Lord, I had relook at the passage and then the reference just to make sure I was in the right place. I was not thinking coins had anything to do with reflection of our Lord or images either. But then He began to lay it on me. The only way I am going to know that a coin is Caesar's is to look at it and see the imprint of the image on it. If what I see is Caesar, specifically according to this verse, then I am to give it to Caesar. So God commands us to give to God what is God's. I have to look at my own life and see if I am imprinted, if you will, with the image of God. If so, then I give my life and everything about it back to Him - lay it and me at His feet. Giving my money is an act of worship and giving my life is an act of worship too. My Bible asks what is rightfully God's? I say everything!!!!!!!!!!!! Even those dreams and hopes. There is nothing that is not His in my life or there is nothing that should not be His!

I am also reminded of a wonderful scripture in Isaiah 43:7 - something that I learned from Kay Arthur. "everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." I am also thinking, but can not located right this very second and I believe it is Isaiah again the scripture about being engraved in the palm of His hands. As a child of God, the Creator made us from His very own image. (Topic possibly for tomorrow.) I mean He hold us so closely and tightly that we are engraved on the palm of His massive and completely protective and gentle hands. Thank you Lord. But why did He create us? What was He looking for? What not is my purpose, but what was His purpose for creating me and bringing me into His world at least for these 34 years. The Isaiah verse above says "whom I created for my glory". That "glory" right there has a very important meaning - it means to give a correct opinion of God. So yes as I have heard over and over - Life is not about me, it is about Him. I am to bring honor and glory to His Name - that is my purpose. But His purpose in creating me was that I give a correct opinion of who He is. That my life would REFLECT His image, characteristics, His faithfulness, His goodness, His gentleness, His awesomeness, His true being - the engravement of His palm that we are so tightly held in!!! So when I give my "coins" back to the Lord and they do not have the image of Himself on there, then I have given to the wrong "person"! The coins that I give to the Lord Jesus should reflect a life of thankfulness, Godliness, righteousness, wholeness, helpfulness, etc. His glory and image.

Oh wow, Lord, You did it again. You showed me some scripture that was quite difficult for 5am and You brought it to life. Oh Lord, thank you!! Thank you for bringing it to life for me. Lord, ministry, sharing what You have taught me over and over again in my own life is all I want to do. I have to be really careful because I could easily crawl into a hole and stay there with my scripture and computer. I would come out every now and then for pizza at Dimaggio's and to speak/teach, but that would be it. I love learning, i love teaching it, I love spending time with Him. I love ministry................but there is so much more to it than just learning from the books. I must walk out that book in everyday life giving people a true reflection and opinion of who He is!!! Wow - that is a great responsibility. Thank you Lord for your Word. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your power!

Lord, there are so many requests on my mind. So many friends have things going on that are near overwhelming if they did not have You. So many things that cause me to hit the floor and seek You even in a greater way - on their behalf, but also in much gratitude. I pause to even mention my own requests - should i or should i not - it really is nothing compared to the others. But Lord, I know You want to speak it all out loud! So Lord, thank you for hearing me! Thank you for responding. Thank you for your mercy. My Savior - I love you!!!