Gold, Diamonds, Silver, Rubies, Emerald, all precious gems and metals come from lifeless, cold sources. Those items of great monetary value are mined out of the dark recesses of the earth. Except for one! Only one gem , to my knowledge, comes from living flesh, the Pearl.
A foreign object, an irritant, somehow enters the shell of a mollusk, usually an oyster. And in a protective reaction to the ‘pain’ the shell fish begins to form a coating of ‘nacre’ around the irritant, i.e. a grain of sand, a tiny piece of shell, food particle, etc. The ‘nacre’ creates the luster of the forming Pearl. It becomes a beautiful and valued gem. Natural pearls – as opposed to man-made, may take from one to 7 years. The longer the time from irritant entrance to harvest produces a larger pearl.
In this earthly flesh we encounter many irritants that bring pain. For the Christian these irritants become God’s way of making a Pearl! We struggle to protect ourselves, and our loved ones, from trials, suffering…any pain or discomfort. Yet, the Word teaches us that these very painful occurrences God will take and make something beautiful and valuable in our lives a gem.
James wrote (1:2-3) that we should consider ‘trials’ and ‘suffering’…’of many kinds’… with ‘joy’! Why? How? It is because God is creating a thing of beauty in our life. James continues, “…the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.” Ahh, a thing of beauty from a time of trial.
Paul penned that we should ‘rejoice in our sufferings’! These ‘sufferings’ – irritants – work to God’s purpose and glory in our lives! He continues, “because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us….”(Rom 5:3-5). Another of God’s Pearls!
I’m like you….I resist, fight against, wrestle with, struggle, pray, complain, cry, brood, and question ‘Why?’, ‘Why?’… etc., etc., at the painful irritants in my life. I just need to keep my focus on what I don’t see during the ‘spiritual’ nacre process…and that is the finished gem God is creating within me. I just wish…and pray…He wouldn’t take so long! But, that’s not my call.
Hey! One day I’ll be a shining, valuable gem! Now, that’ll be an improvement!
On Wings of Eagles 