Job 28:18 “Coral and crystal are
not to be mentioned: And the
acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls."(NAS)
The ‘holy tap’ on the shoulder came
early this morning. My alarm had gone off and I was still snuggled in that
comfy spot so hard to leave thanking the Lord for all He has blessed me with
and the new day to move forward. It was then the ‘tap’ and I ‘saw’ a line of
pearls on my shoulder. With a head still fuzzy from sleep it took a second for
me to recognize they were pearls but at second glance, they were strung
together like a fine necklace of valuable pearls. Now I’m wide awake!
I love pearls, real pearls, though I’ve
never had any… but one day…that however was not where the Lord was going with
that. I tried to do my regular Bible reading and study but could not; the
pearls would not leave my mind. So I researched how pearls were referenced in
scripture. They were considered one of the finest and most valuable jewels in
Biblical days.
In the beginning chapter 28 Job is describing the treasures found in the earth and how men seek them out…for example: iron is taken from the dust (:2); copper is smelted from rock (:2); rocks are a source for sapphires(:6); dust contains gold….BUT…where can wisdom be found? (:12) It’s as though Job is saying…pearls are the most valuable, sought after gem…but wisdom is even more precious.
Matthew 13:45-46
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and
bought it.”
Matthew
is using a variety of similes for the kingdom of heaven…a pearl is a perfect
simile because a ‘fine pearl’ is
a valuable treasure that needs no polishing or cutting by man. It comes to us
complete and lustrous created by God through nature, as is the kingdom of
heaven, which only God could create and perfect.
All that good stuff and more on pearls
can be found in scripture but it just didn’t seem to be what I was suppose to ‘get’
out of the Lord showing it to me. I went back and thought about the timing of
it all. I was lying in bed thanking the Lord for my blessings…ah, here it is. I
had to smile when it hit me because only God…
A pearl is created inside a ‘wound’ of a pearl oyster. The formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritates the mantle. It's kind of like the oyster getting a splinter. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of the same nacre substance that is used to create the shell. This eventually forms a pearl.
We all have ‘wounds’ in our lives. As believers, we have the blood of Jesus Christ covering our wounds and sins, over and over again. When we hurt it is hard to imagine that anything of beauty and worth can come from it but given time, His timing, all our wounds are healed and covered by the blood and are used for His greater glory. People, most especially family, can wound us yet they are still blessings we are given. Over time those wounds make little pearls which become big pearls when we leave the process to the one created by our Creator.
I believe that string of pearls I saw during the ‘holy tap on the shoulder’ this morning was God showing me how my blessings, wounds and all, are still a thing of beauty and value I can wear proudly as I move forward in following Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment