And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬

My wife and daughters love to hunt for rocks. When the girls were younger we would often find rocks in the washing machine, rocks in cup holders in the car, rocks seemed to appear most everywhere! We even took a camping trip to Michigan for the primary purpose of finding one particular type of rock! (We were successful by the way)

The most cherished rock to be found was an agate. We have way more pictures than needed (I tend to get carried away) of the girls laying on beaches along Lake Superior hunting through many different colors, sizes and shapes of rocks looking for the perfect agate!

I have to admit, I’m not a rock hound. I try, but most of time I’m unsuccessful at the art of determining what is an agate and what isn’t among all the other rocks on the beach.

My wife has an eye for agates. Years of practice, a keen eye for what to look for, and patience quite often pays off. The same is true in our walk with Jesus.

We need to know what to look for by studying His Word. We need to put ourselves in situations which allow us to focus on our mission to share the gospel. We need to keep from being distracted by all the other rocks (voices calling for our attention and drawing us away from Him).

Jesus tells the story of a man who found precious stones in a field. He was so excited he sold everything he had to buy that field so he could cash in on the precious stones that were there.

In the same way, we have been given precious stones through Jesus. Stones of forgiveness of ourselves and others. Stones of promised guidance. Stones of power to live the way we know He wants us to live. Stones of fellowship through the body of Christ. Stones of a promised life with Him beyond the grave.

Sometimes, living for Jesus can be like rock hunting. It’s easy to lose sight of God’s promises (rocks) in the noise and clamor of the world. There are so many things that distract us from the mission of living for Jesus and sharing the good news.

Continue to seek them. Stay true to the facts as told in His word through His Spirit. Pursue them as you would precious stones on the beach.