Search For Silver But Finding Gold

Searching for Silver but Finding Gold

Sunday, April 17, 2016

By Rev. James May

Yesterday was an unusual day here at Victory Temple. Many of you know that we had a memorial service for someone who had only visited our church one time. Just a short time ago, she came into our midst, sat on the back rows with a few other people. Most of you probably noticed her and you may have even spoken to her and welcomed her to the church.

I know that we try to make everyone feel welcome, all of the time. We all realize that those who come, each come with their own set of hurts; their own problems and often with a lot of questions about God; about life and about how God might move in their lives. It’s our purpose to hope, pray and believe that by coming to this church, many of those hurts and questions can be solved as they come to Jesus.

It is incredible to think that we have an opportunity to really make a difference for someone just by having a moment of time to share their concerns and to minister to them. I am humbled and astounded that any of us, including myself, can be used to make a powerful impact upon someone else because of the presence of God in our midst. The anointing that we carry with us is a very real anointing, and because of that anointing; that unction; that leading, guiding and empowering presence of the Holy Ghost, great things can come of what seems to us to be a small thing.

In that brief encounter, as her soul sailed through the seas of time and into the port of Victory Temple, where she found herself dropping anchor at an altar of prayer, this young woman found Jesus. She didn’t shout the aisle or speak in tongues or even dance in the Spirit; but her heart was changed and she began a walk with God.

I knew she was very ill; having been stricken with cancer; but none of us knew how soon she would be going home to be with the Lord.

I can only say that she came to our church looking for silver, but before she left this altar she had found gold!

What do I mean by that? It’s simply this; she came down with sadness, sorrow, pain and suffering. She was looking at death in the face, and all she could think about was that there was soon coming a judgment day when she would have to answer for a lifetime of rejecting God, denying his very existence and claiming that there was no God. What a fearsome thought that is! She had come to the point where she realized that there was truly a God in Heaven, but she didn’t know him. All she could do is fear him, because it was unimaginable that he could love her after all that she had done.

Now, I’m saying all of this; not to put down upon this woman who had come to the altar. I’m saying this to let you know that we all have come short of the glory of God. We all like sheep have gone astray. We all either have come to that same point in our lives; or that time is coming when we will.

We come into the presence of God full of shame and disgrace. We come before him with nothing worthy to offer; and we can only come before him, casting ourselves before him and pray for mercy.

All we can truly expect is God’s judgment for sin. That’s what we know we deserve. But when we call upon his name, we don’t find the silver, we find gold!

Silver is quite often used as a symbol of judgment in the Bible, just as gold is often a symbol of God’s holiness and his presence.

In the eyes of men, both silver and gold are called precious metals, rare and highly desirable. I wouldn’t mind finding or having more of either one.

I want you to know that in the eyes of the Lord both God’s judgments and His Holy presence are very valuable too.

Interwoven within God’s judgments we always find grace and mercy. Mingled with the hard part of judgments we will discover there are veins of God’s love, and his hand ever reaching out to deliver those who will take his hand and turn to him in repentance.

When this woman came forth, bowed her head and her heart before God, and finally found the faith to confess her sin and ask Jesus into her heart, she found Gold, for the Holy Ghost came upon her, the blood of the Lamb cleansed her from sin, and she was Born Again. Where there had been only an expectation of silver in the form of God’s anger and judgment; she found gold in the form of God’s grace, mercy and love! She was looking for silver but found a gold mine!