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17 Every good action and every perfect gift is from
God. These good gifts come down from the Creator
of the sun, moon, and stars. God does not change
like their shifting shadows.
James 1:17 (ICB)
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The Matchless Pearl
A secret presented at an opportune time...
A
heavy splash was followed by many ripples and then the water
below the pier was still. An American businessman crouched
on the low Indian pier. His eyes were riveted to the water,
straining to see his Indian friend swimming in the deep.
In a moment a
dark head appeared. Then the old Indian pearl diver clambered
on to the dock, grinning as he shook off the water.
“This will
be a good one,” said Rambhau, handing a large oyster
to Morris.
Prying open the
shell, Morris exclaimed, “Have you ever seen a better
pearl! It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
“There
are better pearls, much better. Why, I have one that...”
Rambhau’s voice trailed off. “See this—the
black speck here, and that tiny dent. It’s just as you
say about your God. People look perfect to themselves, but
God sees all the imperfections.”
As the two men
started down the road, another man walked far ahead of them.
“Do you
see that man over there?” asked Rambhau. “He’s
a pilgrim going perhaps to Bombay or Calcutta. He walks barefooted
and picks the sharpest stones—and see,” he pointed,
“every few blocks he kneels down and kisses the road.
That is good. The first day of the New Year I also will begin
my pilgrimage to Delhi. I will suffer but it will be sweet,
for it will purchase Heaven for me.”
“Rambhau!”
said Morris. “You can’t purchase Heaven! Jesus
Christ died to provide Heaven for you!” But the conversation
seemed useless. The old man could not understand.
One afternoon
not long afterwards, Morris answered a knock on his door and
found Rambhau standing there.
“Will you
come to my house for a short time?” asked the diver.
“I have something to show you.”
Morris followed
him to his home. Once they were there, Rambhau brought out
a small but heavy strongbox. “I have had this box for
years,” he said. “I keep only one thing in it.”
The old man drew
a carefully wrapped package out of the box. Gently he folded
back layers of cloth. Uncovering a brilliant pearl, he placed
it carefully in Morris’s hands.
The pearl glowed
with a luster Morris had never seen. It would have brought
a fabulous sum in any market.
“Now I
will tell you about it,” Rambhau said. “Once I
had a son.”
“A son?”
Morris interrupted. “You’ve never said a word
about him!”
“No. I
couldn’t. But now I must tell you. My son was the best
pearl diver on the coasts of India. What joy he brought me!
He always dreamed of finding a pearl beyond all that had ever
been found. One day he found it. But finding that pearl cost
him his life.
“All these
years I’ve kept this pearl,” Rambhau continued.
“And now I want to give this pearl to you, because you
are my best friend.”
Morris looked
up excitedly. “Rambhau, you can’t give me the
pearl. How can I accept this priceless gift? Let me buy it
from you. I will give you all I can.”
“What are
you saying?” The old diver was stunned. “You don’t
understand, my friend. Don’t you see? My only son gave
his life to get this pearl. I cannot sell it. But I want to
give it to you because of my love for you.”
Morris could
not speak. He gripped his old friend’s hand. “Rambhau,
don’t you see? That is just what you have been saying
to God all these years.”
Rambhau stared
at Morris for a long time. But slowly he began to understand.
“You have
tried to buy salvation from God. But God is offering salvation
to you as a free gift,” Morris explained. “It
is so great and priceless that no man on earth could buy it,
and no man is good enough to deserve it. It cost God the lifeblood
of His only Son, so that you could enter into Heaven. All
you can do is to accept God’s gift because of His great
love for you.”
Tears were rolling
down the old man’s cheeks. “Now I understand,”
he said. “Some things are too priceless to be bought.
I will accept God’s salvation.”
Rambhau bowed
his head in prayer to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior.
After he had prayed, Morris took a small Bible from his pocket
and read aloud:
“For when
we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for
the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;
yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But
God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
“And this
is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John
5:11-12).
“By grace
are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it
is the gift of God—not of works, lest any man should
boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
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