Pondering

"Our praises become the layers of nacre that transform peril into pearls. It is through this intentional act of worship that we can experience the beauty and triumph that comes from overcoming adversity."

Peril to Pearls speaks about triumph over hardship, about how we can look this life straight in the eyes with steadfast assurance and live a vibrant life, no matter what is thrown at us.

If you look at a pearl, it is smooth, iridescent, strong, beautiful, but the process involved in creating this pearl is not smooth nor is it comfortable. A pearl is formed when a toxic substance uninvitedly enters an oyster. When this happens, the toxicity has the potential to create chaos and destruction, but the oyster won’t allow it. Instead the oyster creates a counter substance called nacre or mother of pearl and wraps layer upon layer around this toxic irritation until a pearl is formed.

Life can be filled with challenges and difficulties, often those things can threaten to bring us down or sometimes even destroy us. This corresponds with the toxic substance that enters an oyster. At this stage, when something uninvited enters into our lives, we must decide how to react.  Will we give in to fear of the invasion and allow destruction, or will we rather choose to wrap it in faith-layers of nacre and turn this irritation into a triumph?

By faith-layers I mean the ability to keep on proclaiming the goodness of God in every circumstance. But how do we practically do that? To keep on dancing in the storm is easier said than done. It is easy to praise in good times, but when you already feel defeated or numbed, it may feel counter-intuitive. And that is absolutely normal.

As this image of a woman with a string of pearls around her neck hovered over my thoughts, I felt the Holy Spirit whispering that we are His beloved and just as he cared about the people of Jerusalem, he deeply cares about every one of us. I felt inspired to read about Jerusalem. What I found significant is that Just like a pearl, Jerusalem has an inner core where the action happens in the city itself, walls of protection around it, like the layers of protective nacre and gates that provide access.

Consider the metaphor of a pearl when reading these verses about Jerusalem:

Isaiah 60:18:

 

"Violence shall no more be heard in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.”

Another verse about the gates, this time of the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21:21:

"The twelve gates are twelve pearls—each gate made of one pearl."

Lastly, there  is a verse in  Zechariah 2:5 (ESV) that reads:

"And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.'"

In essence I felt the Lord was proclaiming over us that we have walls of Salvation and protection around us and we have access to glory through gates of Praise. Interesting that the gates of the new Jerusalem are each made of a single pearl. Perhaps because uncomfortable processes are involved. Again, it is not easy to praise when a storm wages. By entering through gates of praise, we activate the nacre and His glory within us outshines any harmful situation.

In other words, we have a choice to oppose what our broken spirit tends to do. We can decide not to give up, but rather to keep on declaring His word, His love, His grace, His goodness over our lives - even if it is through tired tears. Then layer upon layer of His love and grace will wrap around you like layers of nacre until you will stand victorious in strength, iridescent with His Light and with a lasting hope that everything that was meant for your destruction, will be turned into pearls of triumph.

As the woman in the painting emits, may you face this life with steadfast assurance, because of His presence and strength within you and surrounding you. Regardless of the challenges facing you or your loved ones, may you always choose to glorify your magnificent God until you stand firm in victory, wearing a string of pearls around your neck.