Devotionals
Matthew: 13:44-46 (NIV) "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE we can make in our own lives and in the lives of others when we seek to discover solutions to our own problems. No one need tell us that we will have irritants in our lives like the sand scratching its way into the oyster's life.
Someone once said, "If you want the world to beat a path to your door, try taking a nap on a Sunday afernoon." Or, "Hurry up and sit down to dinner, so the telemarketers can get on with their calls."
I am reminded of the parable of the pearl. The pearl of which I am referring is a genuine aftermath of what began as an irritant in the shell of the oyster. Talk about "grating on nerves," the oyster can relate.
Unlike the crawfish, the oyster moved forward to rid itself from disturbances created by the outside forces of the sea, such as sand particles. A special solution was used to coat the grain of sand, over and over again. This episode in the life of the oyster required effort. Certainly, it did not happen overnight.
With appropriate nurturing and components, the oyster was removed of its irritants. VOILA, the sand had been transformed into a beautiful pearl.
Had the oyster been stagnant, the sand would have destroyed it completely. The great alternative was of tremendous value--a beautiful pearl, esteemed by the world.
This sound parable in the 13th chapter of Matthew tells us that the Kingdom of God is like the pearl of great price. A man went and sold everything he had so he could obtain that pearl.
As we internalize this Bible story, most of us can quickly visualize the irritations that crescendo in our own lives. There are such traits lying dormant in our human condition, waiting to explode if we do not seek self-control.
Thankfully, there is more to the story. When irritants are placed in our lives, God affords us free will. To move forward it is indeed important that we consider a solution to what is disturbing our hearts. Without doing so, ever-so-small annoyances will build into one irritant after another. If we do not take charge of our situation, these irritants can become dangerous and monstrous.
In fact, resentment will follow, tearing us up, disrupting any ounce of serenity that was awaiting us. If we continue to ignore these irritations, the potential of growing bitter toward life and everyone in our life increases. We are allowing those grains to scratch away at our spiritual condition and emotional well-being.
My life has a pearl in it. And your life has a pearl, too. We all have one, or more. We have grains of sand, too. But we can be overjoyed that God has given us a solution to our irritations.
When unpleasant interruptions in life, annoyances, and irritations scratch below our surface, over and over again, what is the solution?
Very simple--drawing even closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord. There is no such thing as getting too close, you know.
***
Prayer: We are grateful, God, that You shower us time and again with love, compassion, joy, and grace--Your solution, God. We thank You for being the Solution, and for being in our corner--not just in times of need but in days of joy as well. Keep us close to You and guide us to find Your solution so that we can be the best that we can be when interrupted by outside forces of the world. Help us to give away that precious pearl You so generously placed within the soul of each and every one of us. Amen
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1602 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Beverly Murrelle or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1602 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.