In February 2021 a rare find was auctioned off at Sotheby’s of New York City for $721,800. What was the item? A lotus bowl from the early 15th Century reign of the Yongle Emperor (1360-1424), third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is one of only six such bowls that have survived from this era.
What made this particular sale so news-worthy was that the 600-year-old Chinese antique had only recently been purchased at a Connecticut yard sale for $35. Despite its beauty and workmanship, this floral bowl had come 600 years and 10,000 miles only to be sold so cheaply – 1/29,000th its true worth. Fortunately, there was someone with brains enough to recognize its value and rescue it from the landfill or life as a dog dish.
But there is also someone smart enough to recognize your true value and it’s not who you think. Haven’t your many spiritual attacks, trials, and afflictions ever made you wonder, “What’s the big deal? Why are Satan and his demons putting up such a ferocious fight to destroy me, to deceive me, and to make me feel so worthless? Why does he target me so much?”
Could it be that the devil considers you a danger to his kingdom? Could it be that he knows you are so precious to God that he can hurt God by causing you pain? Could it be that Satan is insanely jealous of you because God showers you with His love, spent all of heaven to save you, and invests His eternal resources to prepare you for heaven – and heaven for you? Yes, Satan knows your value – that’s why he hates you.
Fortunately, God knows your value as well. That’s why He marshals all His angels to guard you (Psalm 34:7; 91:11-12; Hebrews 1:12). That’s why He did not withhold His only Son to save you – to bear your sins upon the cross, then suffer all of God’s judgments and wrath in your place (Romans 8:32). And it is because of your immense worth to God that He invests so much training and discipline in you (Hebrew 12:4-11). You’re worth perfecting. Now, none of this momentary discipline is pleasant, but painful. But it will make us shine in heaven like the stars of heaven forever and ever (Daniel 12:2-4).
Don’t base your value on how other people treat you. People are poor judges of other people. They’re far better at estimating the value of antiques – and they’re not very good at that. Consider the $720,000-bowl sold for $35. And when it comes to assaying the worth of their fellow human beings, people are bat-blind. Besides, humans look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart where our true value lies (1 Samuel 16:7).
There’s a war being fought over you. Satan seeks your destruction and he mustn’t even allow you to discover your value to God. You’re of noble birth (1 Peter 1:3, 23; 2:9), but he must convince you you’re nothing but a slave. So, if you are to survive the onslaught of his lies, you’ve got to pay attention to God’s love letter to you, His holy Scripture. Trust God, not the devil’s lies. Keep stepping in God’s direction. Keep trusting in His love. Keep dwelling in Jesus’ healing and loving embrace.
PRAYER: Dear Father in heaven, through all the hail of Satan’s fiery darts and poisonous lies, help me to focus on Your holy word and on Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith. I choose to believe in Your love for me and in Christ’s sacrifice for my sins. Day by day, strengthen my faith in You and draw me into a closer walk with Your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Information from: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/03/18/Chinese-lotus-bowl-yard-sale-auction/1711616093124/; https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2021/03/03/Sothebys-auction-Chinese-lotus-bowl-yard-sale/1351614800279/)
