Pearls

A new way to think about your pearls......

Pearls are my staple, go to jewelry. They are beautiful, classic and go with everything. I absolutely love them. I wear them with my black yoga pants and t-shirt when I haven’t showered, I wear them with my dress and pumps on a night out with the hubby, I wear them with my cowgirl boots and sweater when I am running errands with my son, and I even wore them with my white gown on my wedding day. 

Now the type of pearls I wear every day are cultured or man-made pearls. There are many types of pearls that can be bought today. Some are really not pearls at all and are considered imitation pearls because they look like pearls but are made out of some other material. Then there are the pearls that are man-made or farmed. These are the most common type of pearls sold in jewelry today. The rarest and most valuable type of pearl is a natural pearl, one that is wild and has grown on its own with absolutely no human intervention. 

In Biblical times the only kind of pearl that existed was natural pearls. The only way to find a pearl was by digging up hundreds or even thousands of mollusks and clams , opening them up (which killed them), and then seeing if they contained a pearl. It was very rare to find one and therefore they were considered one of the highest priced gemstones. Pearls are mentioned numerous times in the Bible, but there are two verses that really stand out for they explain the most important concept about Heaven. 

For this verse we go to Matthew chapter 13 verses 44-45 where Jesus tells the parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl merchant. “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. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it”. 

Let’s look at these parables a little closer. In the first parable a farmer sold everything he owned to buy a field and got a treasure for free. Similarly, the kingdom of heaven is the most valuable thing in existence and God gives it to us for free when we give our life to Him (Matthew 13:44). In the second parable the pearl merchant sold everything he owned to buy the precious pearl that he found. Similarly, God pays the ultimate price to bring us to heaven (Matthew 12:45). He sends his one and only son to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven (John 3:16). 

Spending eternity in heaven with God is more valuable than anything and it is given to us for free because Jesus already paid the price! Hallelujah!

Why not be reminded, humbled, and thankful for this great news every single day? So today or tomorrow when you put on your pearls or see someone else wearing pearls think about Jesus and the price he paid to give us the most precious gemstone of all….Heaven.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross so that we might be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with you. We give our life over to you and know that we are safe in the palm of your hand as we serve you in this fallen world. Guide us as we go through out the rest of our day and fill us with the joy that only you can provide. Amen.