"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 3:7). When God asks us to surrender something of temporal worth, He does so for the purpose of replacing it with a prize of eternal value.

It is said that Richard Cecil taught this lesson to his daughter in a very dramatic way. As she sat upon his knee one day he asked her to remove the inexpensive glass beads she was wearing and throw them into the fire. She could hardly believe he meant what he said, but his steady gaze convinced her that he was in earnest. As she walked slowly to the fireplace with trembling step, she clutched her cherished possession. At last she reluctantly threw it into the flames. Then, sobbing, she flung herself into her father's arms, not knowing why she had to suffer such a loss. A few days later on her birthday she found a little package on the table in her room. When she opened it, her eyes grew wide with excitement as she beheld a lovely necklace of genuine pearls. Immediately she ran to her father and cried, "O Daddy, now I understand. I'm sorry I didn't trust you more!"

If the Lord is calling you to sacrifice something you treasure, it is because He is seeking to wean you from the cheap trinkets of this world in order to give you precious jewels of lasting worth. Why cling to earth's "colored glass" when you may have God's "pearls" of eternal gain?

—P.R.V.