Pearls of Great Value
When you wear a string of pearls have you ever thought about what it took to create the beautiful round shapes that make up your necklace?
A natural pearl begins its life inside an oyster’s shell when an intruder, such as a grain of sand or bit of floating food, slips in between one of the two shells. In order to protect itself from irritation, the oyster will quickly begin covering the uninvited visitor with layers of nacre, the mineral substance that creates the mollusk’s shells. The nacre, also known as mother-of-pearl, coat the grain of sand until the iridescent gem is formed.
In the same way, God creates a pearl out of every trial or struggle in our lives. How many pearls has He produced in your life? I am sure I have enough to string together many pearl necklaces!
That’s why our ministry is called “Pearls of Promise” and why we are now publishing the Pearls of Promise Devotional, to be released March 18th. Our Pearls Team has experienced many trials in life that God has turned around for good, and we believe everyone has a story that God has transformed into a pearl.
The Pearls of Promise devotional shares pearls from the lives of forty-six different writers from across the country, life experiences we hope will encourage millions of women. There are twelve pearls included: Pearls of Comfort, Encouragement, Faith, Forgiveness, Joy, Love, Peace, Prayer, Praise, Trust, Truth and Wisdom. The book is structured in a way that women can go directly to the “Pearl” they are yearning for. The pearls are inspirationallydeep and hopefully provide a connection to God.
On Saturday, I attended a writing seminar taught by North Texas Christian Writers founder, Frank Ball. He believes stories change the world and said, “Truth is taught only by experience, which is best delivered through well-told stories.” The Pearls of Promise Devotional is full of well-told stories that deliver truth.
What does the Bible say about pearls? There are several references but my favorite is in Matthew 13:45. It says, 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.
It is our hope there is a slice of heaven in each of the devotions in the Pearls of Promise Devotional. Each of the authors have seen God’s hand in their lives and have claimed the pearls He has produced through their life experiences. We hope the stories shared will provide you with a beautiful pearl necklace for encouragement as you learn how the Lord created something of great value in the lives of others.