“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” — Matthew 13:45-46
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Corey Ballentine grew up on the small island of Jamaica before attending a small college called Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, to play football. Even though he didn’t go to one of the major universities where many NFL prospects are found, Corey was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Giants in 2019, and is still having a productive career as a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers.
When teams seek talent, they never know all the places the best players will be found. They may even look around the globe for the best athletes as they hope to win championships. It can be a time-consuming process to find a player that will bring value to the team, and still there will be a refining period of training.
When Jesus called His disciples, they didn’t seem like much to be admired. Some people may have laughed at Jesus for choosing a group of unlikely and uneducated men to be the main messengers for the early churches. However, God sees the finished product when we only see the raw materials stacked up before construction. In the beginning, Simon Peter would speak loudly, typically for selfish reasons, but Jesus knew He’d turn him into a great preacher in a few years. Likewise, Peter’s brother Andrew was a good commercial fisherman, but didn’t seem like a great prospect to be an apostle.
Nevertheless, Jesus knew He could get rid of the rough edges in the lives of these men and turn them into diamonds. They left their old occupation, followed Jesus and learned a whole new way of life. “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20). After a few years, the disciples were strong, but learned to deal gently with people to bring them to Christ.
After years of watching and listening to Jesus, the disciples turned into rocks of strength for the spread of the Gospel. Though the authorities tried to hinder the progress of Christianity by threatening the apostles, they kept on preaching about Christ for the rest of their lives. “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4:18-20).
Every believer is of great value to God’s team. Trust Him to do the refining, and watch His Kingdom grow as He uses you in mighty ways.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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