Grandpa's Pearl Knife of Great Price

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So he gave them what they asked for..." Psalm 106:14, 15

When I was twelve I begged my mother to give me my grandpa's pearl-handled pocket knife, which she'd been saving for me. But she insisted, "Not until you're older. Otherwise you may lose it, and this is our only memory of Grandpa." Mom said this because she knew better than me that, like most youth, I did lose everything--and some things cannot be replaced. But I had to have that knife.

Getting what we ask for. "Mom, it's my knife," I argued. "You said so! Besides, I'm almost a teen now!" (Teens are, after all, the epitome of wisdom and caution). Eventually mom gave me the knife, after extracting my solemn promise to be careful with it--and the next day I lost it on the beach.

Lost and Found I searched for hours, and days, but never found it. How I wept, and to this day the memory of Grandfather's knife rusting on the beach hurts, but in losing the knife I found something greater.

My mom gave me Grandpa's knife even though she well knew I'd lose it because she knew that in losing the knife I would find wisdom. I learned the hard way (which is the only way we really learn) 3 lessons:

1. To take care of what I already have. Jesus said that those who are faithful with a few things will be given more, and those who are not faithful will have even the little they have taken away from them. (Matt. 25:23).

2. To never ask for or expect more than I can handle. Many lottery winners have learned that wealth quickly earned is quickly burned. In the same way, if we "name it and claim it" before we're ready for it, we will not only be poor stewards but we will also receive far less than our Father wants to give us if we wait until we're mature enough not to lose Grandpa's pearl-handled knife in the sand.

3. To pray to be made ready to accept more. Hudson Taylor famously prayed not to be used but to be made usable. Our Father loves this prayer because He wants to give us far more than we can imagine--provided we are mature enough to accept it responsibly. So I don't pray for more, but to be made ready to receive more. But especially in today's age of instant gratification, the worst four letter word for most people is "WAIT."

No Money Down. Like the Israelites in the desert, we want our inheritance today--and our society has obliged. A car purchase used to require a large down payment, but dealers now finance 100% of the car, and then pay the buyer a several thousand dollar cash rebate right up front. To short-sighted folks, this is like getting a car (or a $5,000 plasma TV, or a backyard pool) for "free", and then being paid for buying it.

Our society has lived life "on time," as if everyone had won the lottery, but now that "time" has come for everyone from Wall Street to skid row, and Uncle Sam (which is us) is borrowing billions to dole out to everyone so we can spend our way out of debt and--I doubt that even Bush or Obama could intelligently finish this sentence.

An Apple or an Orchard? We've hated the 4-letter word "WAIT" ever since Adam and Eve ignored the tree of life (to our regret) and ate the only fruit that was forbidden. They did gain knowledge of a sort, but what a price to pay. They gave up the entire planet for one tree. How much more would they have learned had they continued to walk daily with our Father and Teacher?

Today's Deserts. The Israelites grumbled in the desert because they had forgotten God's promises, no longer trusted Him to fulfill them, and above all did not want to wait. Today, many of us are also in the desert, and we want out of it now. But it is in wandering amongst the desert sands, or in losing Grandpa's knife in the sands off Virginia, that we learn how to take possession of our Father's inheritance. And it is in the desert that our Father weeds out those who would not only lose the Pearl Knife in the sands but also trample the Pearl of Great Price beneath ungrateful feet.
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