"Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law." (Psalm 119:18)
An ancient legend tells of three merchants crossing the Arabian desert. Traveling in darkness to
avoid the intense heat of the day, they were passing over a dry creek bed one starless night when a
voice from the blackness commanded them to halt. They were then ordered to stoop, pick up
pebbles from the creek bed, and put them in their pockets. After obeying the strange command,
they were told, "In the morning you will be both happy and sad. You are to leave this place, and
camp nowhere near it."
Shaken and confused, and obeying the mysterious intruder, they traveled through the night. When
morning came, the men anxiously looked into their pockets, and rather than finding pebbles as
was expected, there were precious jewels. They, indeed, were both happy and sad. They were
happy they had picked up the jewels, but sad because when they had the opportunity, they did not
pick up many more.
This story beautifully expresses how Christians feel about the unsearchable riches of God's holy Word. We are thrilled we've absorbed as much as we have, but sad because we've not absorbed much more.