"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:.." - 1 Peter 2:7
A rock hound named Rob Cutshaw owned a little roadside shop outside Andrews, North Carolina. Like many in the trade, he hunted for rocks, then sold them to collectors or jewelry makers. He knew enough about rocks to decide which to pick up and sell, but he was no expert. He left the appraising of his rocks to other people. As much as he enjoyed the work, it didn't always pay the bills. He occasionally moonlighted, cutting wood to help put bread on the table.
While on a dig many years ago, Rob found a rock he described as "purdy and big." He tried unsuccessfully to sell the specimen, and according to the local paper, kept the rock under his bed or in his closet. He guessed the blue chunk could bring as much as $500 dollars, but he would have taken less if something urgent came up like paying his power bill.
That's how close Rob came to hawking for a few hundred dollars what turned out to be the largest, most valuable sapphire ever found. The blue rock that Rob had abandoned to the darkness of a closet two decades ago -- now known as "The Star of David" sapphire -- weighs nearly a pound, and could easily sold for over $3 million!
The Apostle Peter gives us a study in geology in 1 Peter 2. He tells us that Jesus Christ is the Living Stone, Cornerstone, Rejected Stone, Stone of Stumbling, and Rock of Offense. All of these titles show us that Jesus is valuable only to those who recognize His great worth. I love the word that Peter uses, precious! The word precious literally means "unique and one of a kind." In other words, there is nobody like Jesus! He is exclusive, wonderful, dazzling, amazing, incredible, indescribable, magnificent, breathtaking, and wholly desirable! That is my Jesus, that is my Lord, that is my Savior! He is precious!
Why is it that like Ole' Rob, we sometime treat the most precious person in eternity like something that we would put under the bed or in the closet and only look at Him once in a while? Jesus is precious, but He is only precious to those who will gaze upon Him and embrace His value! Do you know how valuable Jesus really is? Do you remember how you felt when you first met Him and He told you that you are His and you are forgiven? Don't forget His value!
A writer once approached famous evangelist Gypsy Smith and asked him: "Mr Smith, it seems that you have such joy when you speak of your conversion and your Christ, how do you maintain this?" Smith replied, "I have never lost the wonder of it all!" May God help us to never lose the wonder of Jesus living in us! He is precious! Open God's Word today and digest it as a newborn baby desires milk. That is what Peter tells us to do! When we dig into the fertile grounds of God's Word, the gems, diamonds, and rubies named Jesus will come alive in our hearts again and again! Don't sell out cheap today and let your Bible collect dust! Fall in love with your Savior all over again and never forget His precious value!