pearls.

“Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.'” Acts 8:29

This verse made me think about a story that I was recently reminded of.

Once there was a little girl, who always wore a string of plastic pearls around her neck. Even though they were fake, they were her most treasured possession. She never left home without them. One day, her father was putting her to sleep, when he asked her to give him her plastic pearls. She looked very troubled, and shook her head. He continued to do this every day, until finally his daughter asked him, “Daddy why? Don't you love me? Why do you want to take my pearls away from me?” To this he responded, “My darling daughter, you know that I love you. Why don't you trust me?” The little girl burst into sobs. She wanted to trust her father, but her plastic pearls were just far too precious. Finally, she looked up at him through teary eyes, took off her pearls, and handed them to her dad. She then cried herself to sleep.

The next morning when she woke up, the first person she saw was her father. He was standing outside of her room waiting for her, with a string of beautiful, authentic and real pearls in his hand. He looked at his little girl and said, “If you only had trusted me all along, you would have known that I had something far better for you. I love you more than you know.” She smiled, hugged her father, and he put the pearls around her neck.

At first, I wasn't sure why this story came to mind when I read the passage in Acts 8. However, as I looked at the words in verse 29, it became so clear.

The Spirit said to Philip, “Go! Get up!” God could have put a divine roadblock up to stoop the chariot for him. Instead, He told Philip to get up and go.

The Father in the story could have simply given his daughter the real pearls. However, he wanted his little girl to trust him and act.

Our God is the same today. We like to have everything lined up, and ask Him to do it for us. Yet our Father calls us to action. He knows the greater joy that lies ahead, whether it is the salvation of a eunuch of priceless pearls.

How often do I wait for God to line everything up before I go? Why do I wait for the chariot to stop instead of running after it? How many plastic treasures am I clinging to, instead of the handing them over to my Father?

I need to go where the Spirit leads. I will run after my Jesus, seeking the lost for His glory. I will cling to the cross, and let all else go.

When nothing makes sense, I will look to my Father and trust, knowing that a greater joy lies ahead.

Hebrews 12:1-2

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross...”

August 1, 2011