Biff Hust, Neighbor

My devotions space is called Jewels, Incense, Iron and Pearls. Here is the<strong> Origin and Purpose.</strong>

Genesis 22:11After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.”

Genesis 31:11The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’

Genesis 46:2And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.

Exodus 3:4When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

1 Samuel 3:4Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

Isaiah 6:8Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Acts 9:10Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God.’”

Revelation 3:20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

It has been a while since I’ve written anything.  Two good friends have been telling me to do this but I keep making excuses.  Today I have decided to stop making excuses and follow the lead of the great heroes of the Bible and answer “Here I am, Lord.”With that response I have been flooded with things to say.  

<strong>Jewels</strong>: aligns to my pastor Aaron Henderson of Dwell Chuch&#39;s vision of La Mesa as a hill covered with jewels ready to shine over all of San Diego County

<strong>Isaiah 54:11-14O</strong> &#34;afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls ofprecious stones. All your children will be taught by the LORD, and your children will have unlimited peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.&#34;

<strong>Incense: </strong>At a recent home group a group of us smelled a sweet smelling incense during worship.  I have been blessed with this occurrence a few times in my life. Our worship and prayer is like sweet incense before God.

<strong>Psalm 141:2 &#34;</strong>Let my prayer be accepted as sweet-smelling incense in your presence. Let the lifting up of my hands in prayer be accepted as an evening sacrifice.&#34;

<strong>Iron:</strong> We are all capable or sharpening each other.  In fact that is what is so great about this community.  We all have gifts to offer the others.

<strong>Proverbs 27:17 &#34;</strong>As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.&#34;

<strong>Pearls:</strong> I was watching a documentary about the making of one my favorite albums of all time, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco.  The editor of Rolling Stone described the album by saying, “Pretty stuff, hard stuff, mystery, really sweet tunes and there’s abrasion in there as well, It’s all there, but you have to sit with it, you have to allow yourself the time to get something out of it.”  The abrasion part stuck with me, in fact all of my favorite things have abrasive qualities.  It is in the abrasion that a pearl is created.  Sand and other irritants get into an oyster while it is feeding, in order to deal with the irritant the oyster secretes a thing called ‘nacre’.  The nacre covers and rubs with the irritant and through a long process a pearl is created.  Trials, tribulations, and  testimonies are covered by the blood of jesus, our ‘nacre’, have created pearls in our lives.  Our pearls will lead others to the “nacre”.

<strong>Matthew 13:45-46 &#34;</strong>Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.&#34;