“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.” Matthew 13:45-46
In Matthew 13:44, we learned that the kingdom of heaven is a treasure. (Please see previous blog entitled “Where is Your Treasure?”.) In the subsequent verses in Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus is discussing a similar theme: how the kingdom of heaven is the most valuable commodity. Just like the merchant in these verses who sold everything he had to purchase this treasured pearl, we, too, need to value the kingdom of heaven above all else. That kingdom of heaven here on earth is our relationship with Jesus.
After hearing a recent sermon on these verses, I felt God speaking these verses into my life again. Only this time, the “pearl” wasn’t the Gospel or kingdom of heaven, but rather a place in my heart that needed healing.
Sometimes we look to our fellow humans to fulfill a need we have. Perhaps we crave validation, acceptance, or love, and we search for it through relationships. When those relationships fail, end, or just disappoint, we feel lost. We’ve somehow managed to put all our proverbial “eggs” in the basket of human relationships.
Sometimes we look for other solutions to meet our deepest longings. Material possessions are often what we pursue. Perhaps we feel if we just purchase this or we have “X” amount of money in the bank, we will feel satisfied, even happy. We will feel like we’ve “made it” and will have the respect or acceptance from other people that we are looking for. We may even feel safe and secure.
What is your “pearl”? What is the deepest longing of your heart? What is it that you would give everything for? Is your pearl acceptance, love, or wholeness? Is it feeling special, worthy, or complete? Or is your pearl the feeling of being safe and secure? What is it that you would give everything for?
The truth is God created us with a vacuum in our hearts, a longing that only He can fill. God uses the emptiness in our hearts to draw us closer to Him, not to other people or to material possessions. While community has its place and God may bring friends and family, even strangers, into your life to teach you and to be His hands and feet, it is God Himself and He alone who can heal you and make you complete. Stay with those places in your heart. Allow God’s love and grace to fill the vacuum. When you value your relationship with Jesus above all else, He will take your pearl and fill the places in your heart full to the brim with His love and grace. You will find what you were longing for and realize it was worth everything to find.
Lord, You are my Pearl, what I would give everything for. Thank you for filling the places in my heart that need filling with Your love and grace. Keep me pursuing You rather than running after other things that only fill my heart temporarily. You alone are worthy. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
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Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Bleeding Heart flowers from Drumlanrig Castle, Thornhill, Scotland.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
In Matthew 13:44, we learned that the kingdom of heaven is a treasure. (Please see previous blog entitled “Where is Your Treasure?”.) In the subsequent verses in Matthew 13:45-46, Jesus is discussing a similar theme: how the kingdom of heaven is the most valuable commodity. Just like the merchant in these verses who sold everything he had to purchase this treasured pearl, we, too, need to value the kingdom of heaven above all else. That kingdom of heaven here on earth is our relationship with Jesus.
After hearing a recent sermon on these verses, I felt God speaking these verses into my life again. Only this time, the “pearl” wasn’t the Gospel or kingdom of heaven, but rather a place in my heart that needed healing.
Sometimes we look to our fellow humans to fulfill a need we have. Perhaps we crave validation, acceptance, or love, and we search for it through relationships. When those relationships fail, end, or just disappoint, we feel lost. We’ve somehow managed to put all our proverbial “eggs” in the basket of human relationships.
Sometimes we look for other solutions to meet our deepest longings. Material possessions are often what we pursue. Perhaps we feel if we just purchase this or we have “X” amount of money in the bank, we will feel satisfied, even happy. We will feel like we’ve “made it” and will have the respect or acceptance from other people that we are looking for. We may even feel safe and secure.
What is your “pearl”? What is the deepest longing of your heart? What is it that you would give everything for? Is your pearl acceptance, love, or wholeness? Is it feeling special, worthy, or complete? Or is your pearl the feeling of being safe and secure? What is it that you would give everything for?
The truth is God created us with a vacuum in our hearts, a longing that only He can fill. God uses the emptiness in our hearts to draw us closer to Him, not to other people or to material possessions. While community has its place and God may bring friends and family, even strangers, into your life to teach you and to be His hands and feet, it is God Himself and He alone who can heal you and make you complete. Stay with those places in your heart. Allow God’s love and grace to fill the vacuum. When you value your relationship with Jesus above all else, He will take your pearl and fill the places in your heart full to the brim with His love and grace. You will find what you were longing for and realize it was worth everything to find.
Lord, You are my Pearl, what I would give everything for. Thank you for filling the places in my heart that need filling with Your love and grace. Keep me pursuing You rather than running after other things that only fill my heart temporarily. You alone are worthy. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photo copyright © 2016 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Bleeding Heart flowers from Drumlanrig Castle, Thornhill, Scotland.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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