Pearls of Great Price

~~~ Jeremiah 10:15, 16-21 ~~~ Psalm 59 ~~~ Matthew 13: 44-46

A pearl of great price.

"When he finds a pearl of great price,
he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

As  a woman I have always been partial to this scripture analogy.

In fact I have written other material on the pearl and how they are formed in nature.

Simply put a pearl is formed over time inside the protective shell

because of tiny pieces of grit trapped inside.

The actual pearl, we so admire, draws its luster and beauty from the animal's

 trying to protect itself. The little animal secretes a substance that coats the grain of sand

often to no avail; it continues to be irritated.

In Jeremiah we also have a "pearl" of great price...the words of the Lord.

"When I found your words, I devoured them;
they became my joy and the happiness of my heart..."

When I discovered just how much I cherished the words of scripture

it was indeed like finding a great treasure.

I wanted to incorporate them into my being much like the

grain of sand inside the shell.

Every day I find a precious pearl of wisdom that I can devour.

Devour is a very strong word. When you devour something you consume it

with a great deal of passion. You consume it quickly as if

 it were going to disappear soon.

The words of the Lord can also be an irritant for our heart and our spirit.

Many times the message contained in the words of the Lord are harsh.

God does not mince words...he tells it like it is.

We find ways to accept them and eventually come to understand the

beauty they can create in our souls.

The beauty of the pearl takes time and involves some pain.

Sometimes I want life to be easy. but in the end it is often

the irritants that give us the luster we desire,

I invite you to sit with the words of the Lord especially when they

seem to make you feel uncomfortable.

Do not just dismiss them, but look carefully at what they might be

saying to you.

They can bring you joy and happiness.