While I was sitting on a bench in the park, I noticed the penny on the pathway.

SEE THE PENNY

As people hurried by, no one gave that penny a second glance. It was, after all, only a penny–small and insignificant and not worth the time to stop and pick it up.

Staring at the penny, I thought, By the world’s standards, I am not much different than that penny. To the government, I am known as a social security number. To the merchant and service companies, I am known only by an account number. I’m known as an account and a credit score to the credit card company. It’s the same with most of the places I go. Most of the people I meet don’t know me by name. In the hurried pace of life, even if I shared my name with them, they probably wouldn’t remember it.

This may be true of how the world sees us, but it is not how God sees us. The God of the universe calls us His children. Let me say that again—we are His children. In God’s economy, He knows His creation and each of the stars. He knows our names too. In fact, He knows everything about us, and He values us dearly.

SEE GOD’S LOVE

Your earthly father wouldn’t call you by a number. He wouldn’t sit at the dinner table and say, “Hey, 219685, how was your day?” Our fathers call us by the name they gave us at birth. It’s the same with God but on a grander scale. He calls us by our name, not by some number. To him, we’re significant and created purposely for His Kingdom. Most of all, God counted us significant enough to send His one and only Son to die on the cross to forgive our sins and let us become His children.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

~1 John 3:1a NIV

So, the next time you see a penny lying on the ground, think of the significance it represents. It is significant to the one who chooses to value it. And if we look closely enough, that tiny little penny has some big words on it: “In God We Trust.”

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. ~John 1:12 NLT

What do the words, “In God We Trust” mean to you? How much does God value you?

Heavenly Father, I trust You and believe I have supreme value. Therefore, remind me that You know me by name and sent Your Son Jesus as proof of Your extravagant love for me. Amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2019: The Penny: Sandra Stein: All Rights Reserved