Have you ever wondered what was going through the mind of the first person to scoop an oyster out of the ocean and slurp out the insides? Ewww. I have questions.

At what point did someone come along and discover pearls hidden inside, remove them from the organism living there and determine pearls to have significant value?

Biblical history would point us way back to Job 28:18 stating “the price of wisdom is above pearls.” Later, in the New Testament, the comparison is made between the kingdom of heaven and the search and acquisition of a valuable pearl (Matthew 13:45).

I can’t begin to explain the consumption of the oysters, but the value of the pearl makes sense considering how a pearl is formed and harvested.

In my limited understanding of mulluscs, it seems that all it really takes is an irritant or a wound to form a pearl. A foreign substance gets lodged inside the shell and the oyster will produce nacre (the same substance that makes the inside of the shell so beautiful) which will coat the irritant and a protective layer is formed.

Here’s the beautiful reality: pearls are formed as part of a healing process. They are the product of pain. It’s been said that “a pearl is a healed wound.” (author unknown). Something beautiful and of great value develops as the result of an unpleasant experience.

It’s not difficult to see how this might be working in our own lives. A situation occurs, perhaps a lie from the enemy that you’re not good enough, and you let it get to you; it gets “under your skin.” Left unattended that little irritant can cause all kinds of havoc. The way you think about yourself shifts, you doubt your decisions, question your worth, and stop living in the promises and potential that God has given you.

What if, instead of leaving that irritant there and focusing on the pain it’s causing, you began to surround that lie and encase it in truth? Not focusing on it’s ability to cause pain and damage but intentionally wrapping it in the beautiful things that bring life and joy.

Choosing to praise God for who He is, thanking Him for the opportunities you have, remembering that you are a son or daughter of the Most High God, running to your Heavenly Father and asking him to give you wisdom and truth are just a few ways you can add those protective layers over that lie until it’s not even recognizable anymore.

The result?

You build a deeper relationship with the Lord than before, you find your true value in Him as his child, you walk in freedom and confidence in your relationships with others, and you have something to offer that’s of great value. The Kingdom of God at work in your life becomes a precious treasure to be sought after.

What lie from the enemy, offence that you’re holding onto, or disappointment do you need to let Jesus surround and let the beauty of the Kingdom of God shine through? There are pearls of great value to be formed from those wounds when you invite Jesus into the process. Will you let him in?