MusicScribe Devotions: The Pearl Of Great Price

by | Oct 29, 2017 | Commentary & Observations

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45-46

This scripture has been rolling around in my mind for the past couple of weeks. I’ve always viewed it as a lesson for us about the value of being in God’s kingdom. Becoming a Christian (being forever saved/born again) is all about selling out everything we have on this earth and turning our lives over to Christ.

Just yesterday, though, I considered it from the other angle. You know…the John 3:16-17 angle. We should value God enough to completely sell out and turn our lives over to Him. Some people do, and some people don’t, but there’s no doubt that God values US like that important pearl. We are so important to Him, He was willing to give His only Son, the first and final Word, for us. He was more than willing, in fact. He actually did it.

At this point, we’re talking about a two-way relationship, so the analogy of the pearl breaks down a bit. An inanimate item like a pearl can’t reciprocate love.

So, let’s consider for a moment this Townes Van Zandt song that Don Williams and Emmy Lou Harris recorded years ago. It’s a love song written from the perspective of one person who is totally committed to the relationship and asking if the other party is equally committed. Although it isn’t a gospel song in the traditional sense of the word, there’s a good lesson in it.

Go ahead and give it a listen:

Now, imagine some of those lyrics are being sung to a lost and dying world by God Himself. We have to ignore the word “if” in the lyric, because there is no “if” when it comes to the question of whether the world needs God’s salvation. We have to modify “would” to “did” as well.

Think of the song’s hook line this way, “You needed Me, and I did come to you.”

Or another line, “And you’ll miss sunrise if you close your eyes, and that would break My heart in two.” That is a beautiful way to consider just how deeply God loves us.

God values us more highly than the pearl of great price!

God is totally committed to us!

God did come to us!

Will we go to Him?

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David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray

David Bruce Murray is a church music director in Ellenboro, NC. He is the author of Murray's Encyclopedia Of Southern Gospel Music and the owner of both SGHistory.com and MusicScribe.com.

1 Comment

  1. Diana Brantley

    I love this. Thanks, David.

    Reply

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