HSD: You are Costly

Come here. Come take a walk with me. I want to tell you a story.

A man carefully begins the project of constructing a desk to meet his every need.

He levels the desk to meet his exact sitting height.

Burmese blackwood, though rare and exotic, was used to craft its body and afford it rustic charm.

He then created extra drawers for his specific needs.

In his eyes, the desk was perfect.

Over the years, though, it lost its shine a bit.

Stains from his family’s overuse appeared on its face.

An accident caused one side to be held up by books.

It creaked when it was pressed on, but to its owner, it was still perfect. Just needed a little maintenance.

His wife, however, did not feel the same way.

She just could not understand why he would not get rid of it.

“Leave my desk alone,” he would say to her. “I made it for a reason, and I’m still using it.”

She considered his commitment to this desk for a while.

He has long since retired, so he does not technically need it.

He visits the table often but does not actually sit there anymore.

For his wife, there was no obvious reason for this man to keep what she perceived to be a piece of junk.

Finally, she initiated a garage sale. As items began to move off of their lawn, she was thrilled by how much they were able to sell and clear out of their house.

A man who carried a similar frame and height of her husband quietly looked around at what was left.

“May I help you?” she asked.

“It doesn’t seem so,” he said. “See, I was actually hoping to find a desk for my new office, but from the looks of it you’re fresh out,” he said.

She paused for a minute.

“Come inside with me. I may have something you’d like to see.”

As soon as she brought him in view of the table, his face brightened. As a carpenter himself, he knew the wood was rare and any defects could be fixed.”

“I’ll take it,” he said. “It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

So, the man left after carrying out the table. He was seventy-five dollars lighter, and the man’s wife was now seventy-five dollars richer.

The man finally came home and was deeply disappointed. He could hardly speak upon hearing the news.

“Who’d you sell it to?” he said with his palm clutching his forehead.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to find the guy and buy it back?” she retorted.

He sighed and looked deeply into her eyes. “Who. Did. You. Sell. It. to?”

Finally understanding how serious he was, she glided a note toward him that was resting on their kitchen counter.

“Here, I took down the name of the construction company on his truck.”

The man took his keys and left.

When he finally arrived back home, he slowly carried in the table.

“I really do not believe this. How much did you pay him to buy it back?”

“1,000 dollars.”

“Why would you do that?” she cried. “We could have used that money! That is all the money I made today!”

He looked at her, shook his head, and took out a crowbar that was projecting from his back pocket.

He crawled under the table and used the crowbar to access a secrete compartment that his wife had not realized was there.

He pulled out a box that read, “life savings” on its face.

In that box was one single sapphire stone which had been handed down from generations to generations throughout his family. He was cautioned by his family to never disclose the existence of the stone to anyone outside of the bloodline because responses to its existence could attract more harm than good.

Estimated value? Twenty million.

The man intentionally built an invaluable looking vessel to house and hide something so rare and special because he knew that if anyone knew what was hidden in it, he would be a target for ingenuine relationships and potential attacks.

And when someone unrightfully pursued it? It was bought back at a hefty price because greater was in it than what could be found in a store.

I need you to realize something…

You were created for a reason and bought for a price. Just because people cannot recognize the value in you, this does not mean you are invaluable. Your value has been shielded for an appointed time, and in the name of Jesus, you will not be revealed a day sooner than you are meant to be. Not one second sooner.

God created your body, the vessel you carry, to house something so valuable that you face constant intrusions of forces attempting to convince you otherwise.

But that is more than all right.

You are a target because our common enemy recognizes your value in Christ Jesus.

You are fine. Focus on going to your Creator to find out what has been placed within you and what you are meant to do with it. Once this is revealed, make no announcements. Walk like God Himself gave you an assignment.

…because He did.

Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.

Walk like royalty.

Holy Spirit, we thank you for inspiring this story. We honor You, The Father, and The Son on this day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.