Looking for Pennies from Heaven
Are you looking for pennies from heaven? If so, you need look no further than the Psalms. In it are golden nuggets, words of wisdom, expressions of human emotion, beautiful poetry, all for the taking. All you have to do is open your Bible.
Why Pennies?
Maureen O’Brien, in her post, Pennies from Heaven, talks about picking up pennies whenever she sees one. When I read it, I thought—I’m not the only one who does this! O’Brien saves her pennies in a bowl to give to the American Cancer Society. I use the pennies to pay the tax on my lattes. (I figure it would take me years to get even one dollar’s worth to give to charity.)
As a child, I was always on the look-out for treasures hidden in plain sight. I picked up pop bottles to cash in for pennies—at that time each bottle was worth two cents. And, of course, any coins that appeared at my feet I grabbed. Finding a dime or quarter elicited much excitement, but I never scorned the lowly penny. You’d think my neck would have been permanently bent over from all the time I spent as a child looking for anything that resembled a coin.
Back then, pennies were actually worth something, not like today where there is talk of eliminating the coin.
“Good luck,” I tell my grandsons when I pick one up. They must think their grandmother crazy. Why bother with a penny? “See a penny, pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck,” I tell them.
What are Pennies from Heaven?
Pennies from heaven are gratuitous gifts of God’s grace. They can show up anywhere, at any time. Sometimes they are present in something that on the surface appears worthless, like a penny. Look around you and you will be surprised by how many there are, treasures hidden in plain sight: moments of grace when a baby smiles or a stranger does a random act of kindness. Pennies from heaven are more plentiful than you think.
Pennies from Heaven in the Psalms
While I discovered the Psalms later in life, they have become for me a rich source of spiritual blessing and grace. When saddened by loss, I read: “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (30:5b); “Those who go out weeping, will return with songs of joy.” (126:6) If I struggle to sleep, I remember, “God blesses his people in sleep.” (127:3) If hurt, I remember how God catches our tears, “You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each one of them.” (56:8)
When I am fearful, I think, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people” (125:2), and I feel safe and protected. When downcast I am reminded to look up, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains.” (121:1)
And if that isn’t enough, I can always be inspired by the beautiful nature poetry in the Psalms where rivers clap their hands and mountains sing (98:9). All creation marvels at our God.
When I need words to praise God for all the beauty and good around me, I need only look to the last five psalms of the Psalter where you find an explosion of praise. They are all pennies from heaven, waiting to be picked up.
Are You Looking for Pennies from Heaven?
Are you in need of encouragement? Looking for pennies from heaven – a bit of grace in your life? Within the book of Psalms, you will find treasures hidden in plain sight. Open it today!
What has been your experience with pennies from heaven? I’d love to hear from you.
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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