You are a Pearl of Great Price

I had an amazing weekend. I was supposed to be going to the Karitos conference this weekend but due to Covid concerns that was canceled. So instead a few wonderful ladies of God and I met at a beautiful park in Shipshewana, Indiana to create and talk and walk and pray. When we all arrived together one of the ladies a wonderful writer, mentor and friend Rose Calkins, reminded us that we are all daughters of God and “pearls of great price.” Prompted by the Holy Spirit She gave us each a pearl bracelet she had be wearing. I had traveled with a close friend who had received a pearl necklace that morning when she opened her amazon package that contained her outfit for the day. That was gifted to our other friend an amazing visual artist and teacher.

We talked a little about Matthew 13 verses 45-46 which reads in the amplified version, “Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

I always thought this was a commandment of God to us. To give all we have for the pearl of Jesus. But friends it goes both ways. We are Jesus’s pearls of great price. He gave his life so that we could live forever with him. Within the lifetime we spend with him He creates us into a beautiful, priceless pearl.

According to Bing website “Natural Pearls form when an irritant – usually a parasite and not the proverbial grain of sand – works its way into an oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense mechanism, a fluid is used to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating, called ‘nacre’, is deposited until a lustrous pearl is formed.”

Pearls are formed out of adversity. An irritant, a grain of sand or even a parasite. Works its way into the life of the clam. As a defense it is covered with a fluid that hardens and forms the pearl. That’s a perfect example of how the Holy Spirit can work in us.

Life happens, Anxiety, trouble, stressful situations. These grains of sand or parasites could destroy us. But if we allow the Holy Spirit in us to work that irritant begins to make us tougher and we flourish through adversity. We become beautiful because we make it though our pain.

Joel Osteen says in his YouTube video ” Invite God into your Difficulties” that instead of praying our way out of our troubles we should invite God to be with us in and through them.

God uses our troubles to shape and molds us. In John 15 verses 1-7 Jesus talks about how he is the vine and we are the branches. God prunes off the branches who do not bear fruit. He choice of pruning shears is often problems, trouble, uncomfortable and painful situations. He uses these situations to shape and mold us to be healthy branches, just like adversity shapes the pearl.

If you are struggling today, take heart. God will use these situations to make you better, stronger and braver if you invite him into them today.