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Stuck at the Bottom of a Box
"For
this is what the Lord says . . .without money you will be redeemed.”
Isaiah 52:3
"Better to sell it for
a quarter than keep it for nothing." This was the motto purported by the
coordinator of our church rummage sale. So, when I found a small saucer hidden at
the bottom of a box of donated items, I ignored its appearance and dutifully
stuck it with a twenty-five cent label. The plate soon found itself on a
folding table holding numerous other cheap things.
Fortunately, another worker
with a keener eye than mine saw possible value in the plate. She took it to an
antique dealer who gasped when she saw the beautiful flower painted in the
center of the dish. “Why this is an original Majolica!” she exclaimed, ripping
off the twenty-five cent sticker. “This plate is worth at least $35!” And she
bought it. How unfortunate that such a beautiful, valuable plate would end up relegated
to the bottom of a box of devalued stuff.
The Lord reminded me of
another time when I failed to recognize true value. Only this time it involved
a person, not a plate. A woman attended our church for a short time. Her
outward appearance was not attractive and her hygiene was—well—in need of
serious attention. Her hair was stringy and her clothes ill-fitting. A couple
of times I gave her a ride home and, even though it was wintertime, I kept my
window down to avoid the unpleasant odor coming from the passenger’s side. The
day she told us she was moving and would have to find a closer church, I
secretly rejoiced—much to my shame.
Several months later, she
called to tell me a woman at her new church was taking her for a complete
make-over, including new clothes and a fresh hairstyle. “Wow,” I said,
suppressing a little tinge of guilt. “That’s wonderful. What’s the occasion?”
“No special occasion,” she
responded. “The woman said she saw value in me and wanted to help me look
good.”
Obviously, I had a serious
flaw in my vision. I couldn’t recognize beauty when it stared me in the face,
and I couldn’t see potential when it
sat next to me in my car! Thank God He can spot both beauty and potential,
whether He’s looking at an individual—or an entire nation, like Israel.
No matter how rebellious
the Israelites were, God never lost hope in them. He always recognized their
true value and often spoke through the prophets to underscore that truth. In
their original form, the Israelites were God's chosen people, highly favored
and set apart from all others. However, they compromised their covenant with
the Lord and, after resisting numerous opportunities to repent, ended up in Babylonian
captivity for seventy years.
In the midst of their
bondage, God looked at the bottom of the box and saw more than a discarded
nation. Despite the Israelites’ defects, the Lord acknowledged their true worth
and tagged them with a promise to redeem them without money (a prophetic word
about Jesus who paid the ultimate price by giving His own life). They didn’t
deserve it, but God couldn’t help Himself. He’s drawn to devalued throw-aways
because He knows the original value.
Sometimes we may feel like we’re
stuck at the bottom of a box—forgotten and worthless. How did we get there?
Whether someone else did it to us, or whether we did it to ourselves, it’s not
too late to be rescued. The Master is dying to retrieve us and restore our
natural beauty. If we let Him, He’ll remove the old labels and mark us as His
originals. We may not deserve it, but He just can’t help Himself.
Are you ready to get out of
the box?
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for seeing enough value
in my life to redeem me with yours. I give you permission to pull me from the
bottom of the box so I can fulfill your purpose for my life. Help me treat
others with the same kindness you have shown me so I can help them fulfill
their purpose as well.
______
Copyright 2015, Mary K. Selzer
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