"The Almighty who blesses you with blessings  . . . of the deep that lies below" (Genesis 49:25).

Several years ago a good friend called out of the blue to say hello and to see how I was doing. During the course of our conversation he gave me an insight about God’s purposes in allowing us to go through hard times. “If you want to find pearls, you’ve got to go deep, a lot deeper than most people are willing to go.” Pearls divers know that you can’t find pearls by staying near the surface. Pearls are found by going down deep, all the way to the ocean floor. It’s safer to stay near the surface, but that’s not where the pearls are. “Lots of people, most people in fact, stay near the surface. There’s a lot more pressure and the water is darker, but sometimes the Lord puts us in the deep because that’s where you find the pearls.”

God never sends a trial without some blessing attached. Often we will have to go very deep to find that blessing, the pearl of insight that God has for us. If you are content to stay near the surface, you will have only surface blessings.

How deep are you willing to go?

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com . Click here  to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.