The greater the trial the bigger the pearl by Ruth Johnson

“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." Matt.44-46

God recently highlighted to me the above verses.  Jesus knew that the treasure of the Kingdom was hidden, and that the Kingdom was like a merchant who was looking for pearls.   What a beautiful picture of Jesus the servant, merchant King, looking for those pearls, those people created in the image of God, who He so values and gave up His life for. 

As I sat before Him and considered those hidden pearls I came to believe there are still many hidden that He desires to unearth.  Are they those who have known Him, but turned away, perhaps hurt by Christians they trusted, or that the world seemed a better place?   Are they those held in captivity:  physically, mentally or spiritually? 

When we believe Jesus is the Son of God we receive life, but many like the oyster in the hard shell of life have remained hidden. Sometimes man’s hand stops us opening up, or a lack of understanding and opportunity has prevented us from knowing who we are in Him, and who He is in us.  

It’s the oyster’s continual irritation of sand in its shell that produces the pearl covering substance.  The Father uses the trials of life to release the covering of His love.  When we groan His love is grown in our hearts to trust and believe that through Jesus all things work together for good.  That turns our negatives to positives, and as we, like the oyster, die to our will, and desire His Will, we become one of those fine pearls stored in His treasure chest = the Kingdom of God.

I sense the Father is digging His field and Jesus is seeking for those precious pearls whose value and worth needs unearthing.  There has never been such a time as this when the Lord needs to find and release the pearls of His Kingdom to shine with His love, light and truth. 

In two days time we need to look, see and know which box God wants us to place His cross to seal the fate of our nation.  Whatever the outcome, God will still be with us.   His hand is so clearly upon us along with His plans and purposes to be outworked in our land.  Many years ago I felt the Lord said we may have lost the Great from Britain, but He had renamed us.  And the plan for the United Kingdom was that we would be united by, and for our God, and He would command the blessing over us.  

“I’m no longer a slave to fear,  I am a child of God.”