November 18, 2018

CHRIST the NOURISHER and CHERISHER: “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Eph 5:29). A.C. Price, in his book Fifty Sermons (p 97), tells of a gentleman who visited a renowned jewelry store owned by a friend. His friend showed him magnificent diamonds and other splendid stones. Among these stones, his eye lighted on one that seemed quite lustreless. Pointing to it, he said, “That has no beauty at all.” But his friend put it in the hollow of his hand, and shut his hand, and then in a few moments opened it again. What a surprise! The entire stone gleamed with all the splendors of the rainbow. “What have you done to it?” asked the astonished gazer. His friend answered, “This is an opal. It is what we call the sympathetic jewel. It only needs to be gripped with the human hand to bring out its wonderful beauty.” The Lord will never lose His grip on you, dear believer, and surely brings His beauty out in us!