Do You Want The Best?
There once was a little girl who saved her allowance until she had enough money to buy a pretty plastic pearl necklace. She loved that necklace so much that she wore them every day; only taking them off to take a bath.
One day her daddy asked her, “Do you love me?” She replied, “Oh yes daddy, you know I love you.” Daddy replied, “Then will you give me your pretty pearls?” The little girl said, “No not my pearls! But you can have my teddy bear. Daddy said, “That’s okay, I love you.”
A week later her daddy asked his daughter again, “Do you love me?” His little girl said, “Daddy, you know I love you!” Daddy repeated again, “Then will you give me your beloved pearls?” “No daddy, not my pearls! But I will give you my tea set”. Daddy replied, “That’s okay, precious daughter, I love you.”
This same routine continued over and over again for weeks until one day the little girl began to wonder, “If daddy loves me, why does he want to take away something I love?”
Then one day, with tears in her eyes, the little girl walked up to her daddy with those cherished plastic pearls in her hand and said, “Here, daddy. This is for you.”
Her daddy reached out a hand to take the plastic pearl necklace, and then with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful case. Inside that case was a strand of genuine pearls that he had chosen special for his daughter many weeks before. He had been waiting for his precious daughter to give up what she had treasured so that he could give her something even better.
The little girl in the above story had treasured something – but she was willing to give it up to her loving father. She did not understand why he kept asking her to give up what she treasured in her heart, but she came to realize that she loved her daddy more than her precious pearls and with a broken contrite heart she was willing to give them to her beloved daddy.
This story made me ponder; is there something or someone in my life that I am not willing to give up for my Heavenly Father? Is there anything taking God’s place in my heart? Does my busy schedule, TV time, social media, phone, shopping, you name it – keep me from having my daily personal time of fellowship with my Lord through prayer and bible study? In 1 John 5:20-21 (NLT) we read, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your heart.”
Is there something that God is asking you to give up and you are trying to justify why you want to “keep it”?
Dear Lord, I ask that you search my heart, and if there is anything that is taking Your place in my heart, may I be willing to remove it so that I can receive the best that You have to offer – true fellowship with You!
I love this story, Michele. Just what I needed to read today.
Thank you. A simple message but one I for one do not always like to hear.
What a great reminder today that we may be withholding blessings because we won’t give something up.
Thank you Laurie. Something the Lord reminds me of often.
Thank you for the wonderful reminder to get rid of the unnecessary stuff in our life.
Love this… Thank~you!
Blessings,
Frances