Heaven’s Exchange Rate
This past August I had the privilege of traveling to the country of Jordan to teach a seminar to students and pastors at the Jordanian Church’s Bible School (hello to my Brothers and Sisters in Jordan!). When I arrived in Jordan the law required that I purchase a visa as soon as I got off of the plane. However, before I could purchase a visa I had to exchange my U.S. dollars for Jordanian Dollars (J.D.). The visa cost about $15.00 JDs, but in order for me to obtain the $15.00 JDs, I had to give them $20.00 U.S. dollars. The exchange rate was obviously not in my favor.
This morning, I want to remind you about heaven’s exchange rate. Unlike the exchange rate of U.S. to JDs, heaven’s exchange rate is much more in your favor. Isaiah tells us that God will give us “beauty” for our “ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (61:3). That is what I call a very favorable exchange rate!
Think about it, God invites you to give him the ashes, the mourning, and the despair of your life and in exchange he will give to you his beauty, his gladness, and a garment that will adorn you with praise. Does that should like an exchange in your favor? I think in today’s vernacular we could call that a “no-brainer.”
God invites you today to turn all of your difficulties, your troubles, your heartaches, your sadness, your grief, your pains, your sicknesses, and your questions over to him. In exchange, God will give you back his peace, his joy, his hope, and his strength. Just as I was required to make an immediate exchange in that Jordanian airport, so you can make an immediate exchange this morning. Just say, “Lord, I give to you all of my sorrows, in exchange please give to me your peace.”
God bless,
Pastor Gary
