I started polishing the silver earrings that I never get to polishing – they pile up in the bathroom – but I did get a new tub of pink paste (the best and just like my father used, with the nice sponge) so I took the moment to polish. It is good to pause for those little tasks that need to get done at some point – and then find the time.

My silver earrings include these beautiful “Tree of Life” silver medallions, which are reflective of scriptural and sweet and soul-filling solace for God Himself sets that Tree of Life in our lives – and will again… These earrings are from a friend with whom I contemplate that someday we two will be sitting under this Tree of Life and enjoying the fruit of the season – snacking and discussing life and Heaven and everything – causually sitting while in awe that we are there – and in awe that we get to chat.  That is my vision. And the scripture is Revelation 22, beautifully told to John by an angel as the vision of Heaven and the New Jerusalem: “…on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.”

And while polishing (my silver and my life and my thoughts), my ears and mind were filled with thoughts as in those moments, as I was also taking time to listen to a sermon from Pastor Joe Foest of CCPhilly, available online, where I get to understand even MORE about how the Old Testament and New Testament secure a message that is to hit our ears – just right – to contemplate our faith and to be beautifully blessed by the sacrifice of Jesus to save us.

Today’s sermon was about Moses and the Burning Bush in Exodus 3 – and these things stuck me: Moses was not a shepherd trained from birth as he was in the egyptian pharoh’s household and had to learn to work – yes – and he had to learn to be a shephard and do so at an old age, and so Moses had to learn someting new – we too… Moses was called aside and the burning bush caught his attention – so what are the things that God uses to call us to His attention?  Moses was told by God to take off his shoes it was holy ground – and that is that Moses like us are human and that God Himself takes us the rest of the way with His Grace and covering our sins. And that Jesus spoke the “I AM” speech to the pharasees who spoke of God in the past – and Jesus was reinforcing and meaning God is God and IS – still in the present – God is the God of “I AM”.  Yeah….  

Pastor Joe said we all need those times to listen to when God says: “turn aside” and pay attention to me. And then God blesses us with His Grace and Mercy.

Yes, let us let the small stuff go and don’t worry so much about earthly things – yes comply and make right – but for the grievences, it is like turning the other cheek from hurt and wanting to retaliate (as Jesus said) – then turn aside and pay attention to God, Who wants to bless us. Yeah I LOVE to learn and to contemplate and polish my scriptures and thoughts of my situation with getting the tarnish off… Yeah…

I believe that we are to be polishing the silver in our lives – we need to knock off the tarnish and then ask the Lord to go deep in the cracks. We are still worth it and worthy and actually more valuable made of such a precious metal – made from dust by God which is more precious than little sparrows and more precious than silver and gold because we are made wonderfully by the Craftsman Himself. We sometimes just need a little polishing of the silver of our situations.

Take time this day to contemplate where to trim where to hone where to rest – and where to simply BE. Most of all, thank the Lord for His care and insight – and for helping us be us – most beautifully. We need to shake the earthly dust off of us – and turn aside to listen to God. God wants our attention and He means it. Thank God.

Amen

—

The sermon is posted here: 31MAY, Exodus 3

https://resources.ccphilly.org/current.asp

Revelation 22 NKJV

The River of Life
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Time Is Near
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”

Jesus Testifies to the Churches
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

A Warning
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

I Am Coming Quickly
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

—

Exodus 3:1-8
King James Version
Moses at the Burning Bush
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.