Matthew 13:45-46 NIV “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.
In 1922 Rhea Miller penned these words in a poem that got the attention of the mother of George Beverly Shea. George’s amazing vouce earned him a measure of success singing both in churches and on the radio. When he was just 23 George seriously considered a contract he was being offered to use his talent singing for a secular broadcaster. Then one night George discovered these words left by his mom on his piano.
"I'd rather have Jesus Than silver or gold I'd rather be His Than have riches untold."
Intrigued by those opening lines, George began to put them to music and its message carried the day in his heart. Soon George began singing “I’d rather Have Jesus” everywhere. Later, Billy Graham, hearing of this young man’s commitment, invited him to sing regularly at his crusades.
Now our commitment to following Christ will rarely lead to such dramatic results here on earth, but it will always reap an unfadimg eternal reward. Would you truly trade away all life has to offer for Jesus? Is He the pearl of greatest price to you today?
Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 NKJV
As an average married guy, I used to think of Proverbs 31 as, “The Ladies Chapter.” Though it all sounded sweet and idyllic, it seemed to be filled with advice that had nothing to do with me. But then as I read these verses recently, I noticed that there is not only a Proverbs 31 woman, but there is also a Proverbs 31 guy, (King Lemuel). In fact, King Lemuel wrote this entire chapter, and its first nine verses teach about how a real man and a good king ought to live, and his advice is super relevant for men today. The first seven verses are like a bucket of cold water thrown over our heads. Apparently, King Lemuel had been heading down the wrong path, when his mom showed up at the door saying that he needed to be careful to watch out for the wrong kind of women and stay away from the bar! What I really love about this guy, is that he wasn’t embarrassed to mention that these ideas came from his mom. He then lets us in on the secret that he learned from her that being a good man means listening to a woman, when she speaks the truth. Or as it is told in the lyrics of the song, “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome:
"This is a man's man's world. But it wouldn't be nothin' without a woman or a girl!"
Then King Lemuel goes on to tell us that we need to be more than just a, “I Feel your pain” kind of guy. We are expected to take action. We are called to do more than conquer, consume and celebrate. We are commanded to put on our big-boy pants and speak up for the silent victims of our society, get involved with putting things right in our communities and personally stand up the cause of the poor. The Bible certainly doesn’t call us to be wimps, pushovers or sissies, but it does call us to use our uniquely male strength and abilities to defend the weak and carry the weight of the burdens of others. God is calling us as men to be the framers of a just society, the defenders of the weak and to keep our personal lives pure. All of this sounds a bit overwhelming and a pie-in-the-sky, and it makes me ask “So, where do I begin?” And that’s a perfect question because the rest of the chapter tells me that, I need to start by being faithful to a woman who fears the Lord and teach our children to honor her and publicly give her the praise she deserves! Then, when God is at the center of our family and we are together moving in His design, He will bless us. Throughout the Bible, God promises that as we stay faithful to one another, and serve one another, His joy and peace will fill our hearts and homes and show the love of Christ to anyone that God puts in our path today.
One of the central reasons for our recent travels was to attend our first cousin’s reunion. The last time many of us had seen each other was at our grandmother’s funeral in 1996, so to say it had been a while is certainly an understatement. As our adult lives were lived out hundreds of miles apart, we had gradually given up on ever getting together until my sister in cahoots with my cousin Katrina began lobbying to get us together. Before arriving at the restaurant for the first night of our reunion, my cousin Doug, who of all my cousins I knew the least, messaged me that he had something to give me privately after dinner. How surprised I was when he led me to his car and presented me with a small bag. “I think these belonged to our great grandmother and I figured you might like to have them.” Doug said.
On opening the bag, I found three aging hard cover books. by Billy Graham. “Wow, thanks Doug.” I said. “This is really amazing. “
“Yeah, and even better.” he added. “They are all signed by Billy Graham!” (Though it turned out only two of the three was signed.) Of course, I profusely thanked Doug, but somewhat forgot them until after returning home. While I was unpacking, I gently looked to find a good spot on the book shelf for these aging first edition books, but was so intrigued with the one named, “The Secret of Happiness.” that I took it out and began to read. What I thought was a rather innocuous subject about Christian happiness, actually turned out to be a wonderful exposition on the beatitudes and how they related to our modern age. Now you might think that a book written in 1955 would be terribly dated and have little to do with our 21st century culture. But I was surprised to discover that many of the same issues facing society back in the era of the idealized ’50’s were quite the same as today. This morning, I came across a paragraph from a chapter on Meekness that I found shockingly relevant to our headlines in August of 2025.
” This reversion to barbarism now effects whole areas of our social life. Neighbors quarrel with neighbors. Fighting is a major problem in our schools and the “gang wars” of the teenagers have come to present a serious menace in our cities. Fathers and mothers wrangle and bicker. Homes are disintegrating. High government officials in Washington engage in name-calling and in heated dispute, not at all in keeping with the dignity of their office.
Why and how has this savagery crept into our social life? It is because we have forgotten Jesus’s words, ‘ Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.’ ” *
* Billy Graham, “The Secret of Happiness,” Doubleday and Co. 1955
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