Women of the Nations (WON), was birthed in 2007, a ministry appointed and anointed to Gather,  Equip and Mobilize (GEM) women to carry out God’s command to “Disciple” (gather and equip) and to “Go”(mobilize). (Psalm 68:11)

As an alumni of Haggai Institute (HI), I would like to quote the heartbeat of HI.. “HIS LAST COMMAND, OUR FIRST PRIORITY.” (Mark 16:15)

Many lives have been impacted by WON, not only in my nation but in other nations of the Body of Christ. Although I am no longer a part of WON today, I would like to give honor to God’s vessel, the WON ministry, and to all the ladies who have poured out their God-given time, talent, treasure and tenacity for other women, by sharing this article written by Fraulin, one of the many faithful WON leaders.

                                                                 “THE PEARL, THE GEM”

       “Jesus saw us as PEARLS when He told the parable in Matthew 13:45-46: “Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought.”

       I remember my interest in pearls. I learned that a natural pearl is formed when an irritant, such as a piece of sand, works its way into a particular species of oyster or other bivalves. This irritant actually gives way to the rise of the valuable gem. As I thought about this, God reminded me of where we came from. Genesis 2:7 says that God formed man from the dust of the ground. That means the pearl and the man’s origin are from a similar material: a substance from the earth. Although this irritates the oyster, that PIECE OF SAND DESTINED IS FOR SOMETHING GREAT! The oyster secretes a material called nacre which covers the irritant until it is fully covered and a lustrous shine radiates from the pearls within. This is so true of us! A GREAT FUTURE AWAITS US ALL! God was hurt when we sinned but He covered us; clothed us with His righteousness in Christ. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and recognize His Kingship over our lives, we then radiate the very glory of the Lord.    

Furthermore, pearls can only flourish in clean and well-nourished environments. They are used as indicators of the cleanliness of water. Similarly, God’s women flourish in the love and mercy of God. We grow as God’s children when we surround ourselves with the knowledge that God’s mercies and loving kindness are always present. Our very lives and THE FRUIT WE BEAR ARE THE VERY INDICATORS THAT GOD IS WORKING IN US.

      An oyster’s shell is hard and can withstand time. It has the ability to fossilize. The pearl inside an oyster is protected and sheltered. It’s the same with the way how we are sheltered and protected by God. Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5 both stress the truth that God will never leave us nor forsake us. He is our protector, shelter, shield and strong tower. 

      Nowadays, pearls are highly valued. They are associated with the powerful, influential, and fashionable. Good quality pearls are sold in great amounts making them very special. History tells us that pearls are the favored gem of the wealthy during the Roman Empire. Women wore pearls to bed so they could be reminded of their wealth immediately upon waking up. We are far more valuable! God purchased us with the very blood of Jesus!

       Among the many gems, only pearls are formed from living organisms. Almost all gems are formed below the Earth’s surface from heat and pressure. Among the many organisms that God created, only men were created in His image and likeness. Not only that, we also received God’s breath of life, His very Spirit.

      The use of pearls to refer to women is so true. We may have come from the dust of this earth. We may have fallen short of God’s expectations. We may have caused God pain when we sinned. But the truth remains that God took us from these states. He clothed us with the very righteousness of Jesus through His grace and mercy. He faithfully hid us under His protection. He bought us with the costly price of the blood of Jesus. HE MADE US WORTHY TO BE CALLED HIS CHILDREN, AND MADE US CARRIERS OF HIS GLORY-VERY MUCH LIKE A GRAIN OF SAND CAN BECOME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LUSTROUS PEARL”

The largest pearl in the world named the Pearl of Allah, or what is now called the Pearl of Lao Tzu, was discovered at Brooke’s Point, Palawan, Philippines. It is not a gem-quality pearl or the “true pearl” but it is instead what is known as a “clam shell” or a “tridacna pearl” from a clam. Only those pearls that have the luster and the iridescence caused by the nacre are considered as “true pearls”, yet the Guinness Book of Records had declared this Pearl to have a value of over US $40M Dollars. Gemologist Michael Steenrod in Colorado Springs has appraised the Pearl at US $60M Dollars (1982) and UD $93M (2007) and recently at Today’s Auction, posted in 23 Aug 2016, the Pearl is valued at US $100M!!! Posts have shown that there are people since time past, buying and bidding for this Pearl.. for such a great price! WOW!

Matthew 13:45-46 states that when a merchant (God the Father) found a PEARL OF VALUE (that is you and I!), He sold everything he got (He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the world) and he bought (Jesus bought us with His own Blood) this PEARL OF GREAT PRICE. His Blood made us worthy to be more than 100M US Dollars! The Blood of Jesus has set your appraised value!

Please confidently confess this now: “Because of the Royal Blood of Jesus that purchased me, my value is more than the most expensive pearl in the world! And my value continues to increase every day because of His abounding grace and mercy toward me. I will not allow guilt and condemnation to deceive me of my value and make me feel worthless. Devil, you are a liar! Jesus has made me worthy and valuable. I believe it! And it shall be so.”

Beloved women (and men) KNOW THAT YOU ARE JESUS’ PEARL OF GREAT PRICE and JESUS IS OUR PEARL OF GREAT PRICE!