A Precious Pearl
By Susan Klein
“A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.”
Proverbs 18:16
Several years ago, I received a very special gift: a pair of Mikimoto pearl earrings. Kokichi Mikimoto is credited with producing some of the finest cultured pearls in the world. He was once quoted as saying, "I would like to adorn the necks of all the women of the world with pears." He recognized the beauty and value of the pearl. By Susan Klein
“A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.”
Proverbs 18:16
At the time, however, I was too young and naïve to appreciate how special the gift was, and how generous the giver of the gift had been. A genuine pearl, harvested from the sea, is formed inside of a clam or oyster. As the mollusk opens its shell to take in food, a small particle of organic material may enter and act as a painful irritant. Its natural reaction is to secrete a substance called nacre that covers the irritant. As several layers of this nacre build up, the pearl grows in size and takes on an incredible iridescent brilliance! Then comes the ultimate sacrifice. The mollusk must die as it is pried open by human hands to receive the precious pearl inside. (Cultured pearls go through the same process, but the irritant is injected into the tissue of the mollusk.)
Now that I’m older, and hopefully wiser, I am filled with gratitude every time I wear my pearl earrings. It also serves to remind me of another, even more precious gift that I was given many years ago. The Giver of this Gift was more generous than the giver of the earrings. He had offered me the Gift many times, but I was, again, too young and naïve to appreciate this Gift, so I didn’t accept it at first. Fortunately, He didn’t give up on me! Like the pearl-producing mollusk, this Gift also had to endure pain, suffering and death before it could be given to me. And it was much more valuable than any gemstone.
This Gift was Jesus Christ. The Giver was God. The cost was great! A sacrifice of life was made on my behalf so that I might receive the most valuable gift ever known to man—Heaven. The Giver is so generous that He has made this Gift available to everyone, and He would like to adorn the lives of all the women of the world with His very precious Pearl! Have you received this gift yet?
GOING DEEPER:
1. If you have accepted this Gift from God, thank Him for adorning your life with Himself.
2. If you’ve not, are you able to articulate why? If not, commit this week to trying to discern your reasons and weigh them against the value of the Gift.
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 13: 44-45; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8; James 1:17
Susan is a wife and mother of two. She leads a small group and teaches for Tuesday a.m. Bible Study.
