Pebbles to Pearls Larry Alverio W e have all experienced a time or two that we have found a pebble in our shoe. This can be very irritating and painful while we are walking. Sooner or later, we have to stop and remove that pebble before it becomes a major pain! Ouch! Growing up in Hawaii it was a pebble in our “flip-flops” which often occurred while strolling along the beach. It was either the hot sand or a pebble! Neither choice was comfortable. From time to time we will all encounter irritating situ- ations. How do we handle them when they occur? The children of Israel had to learn some hard lessons be- cause of disobedience. In Judges 2:3: “Therefore, I also said I will not drive them out before your; but they shall be thorns on your side and their gods shall be a snare to you.” Notice how God allowed them to have a thorn, a very annoying situation. This was a great pebble in their sandals! We see that Paul also had a thorn in his flesh which he called “a messenger of Satan.” He went before God three times asking for help and healing. The Bible re- cords how God answered him. In II Cor. 12:7-9 it states, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul was not healed at that time. Sometimes God allows us to go through irritating times in order to perfect us. Irritations can become a beautiful pearl. Oysters make pearls in response to an irritant, such as a grain of sand or another object. When any irritant makes its way between a mollusk’s shell and mantle the creature produces nacre, a protective coating that helps reduce irritation. Nacre is also referred to as mother- of-pearl; it’s made of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, which also lines the interior of the mollusk’s shell. Layers of nacre coat the irritant, eventually form- ing an iridescent gem, “the pearl.” Occasionally God allows irritating situations to perfect us so we can become a beautiful pearl.
Continued from page 5 And in verse 19, He further states:
If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Being chosen as an ambassador may be a point of pride for a worldly politician, but for true Christians, it should be humbling to think that God Himself saw something in us. As ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Christians represent a different way of life. Our job is to advance the position of the government we represent. That gov- ernment is selfless, kind, patient and perfect from top to bottom. It can be a difficult task to fulfill but we can and we must with God’s help. Proverbs 13:17 records, “A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful ambassador brings health.” Christians must always faithfully represent and allow God to plead through us the most wonderful message of healing, peace, safety and abundance - His coming Kingdom- wherever we travel.
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