A certain businessman desired to invest his monies and his time into something that would yield a great return, so he made an appointment with an Investing Firm and set out to meet with the Investor at the appointed time. 

Upon arriving at the firm, He introduced himself to the secretary and she took him into the conference room and sat him down.  After a few minutes, the Investor of the firm came into the room carrying his brief case, and a shiny red apple, and sat down at the table. 

After introducing each other, the businessman began to describe  to the Investor exactly what he wanted to do.  He explained how he had saved some monies, and wanted some advice on how and what he should invest. 

After a while of sharing some ideas and details, the Investor said, “I have just what you are looking for”, and got up from his seat, took the red shiny apple in his hand and carried it over to the businessman and set it right in front of him, and went back to his seat and sat down.

The businessman, bewildered and shocked said, “I don’t understand”, you want me to invest in apples?  The Investor answered, not in apples, in this one apple.  He went on to explain.  In this apple that is set before you, there are generations of apple trees, with the possibility of thousands upon thousands of apples to come out of this one apple.

If you were to invest into this apple with your time and effort, you could have the benefits of reaping a great return, and enjoy the fruit of your reward.

The businessman’s face began to redden in anger and he began to shout, “You have not only wasted my time sir, but you have given me bad advice”.  There is no way I am going to spend my time and monies on an apple!  In addition, with that he shoved his chair backwards and got up to leave.   

Now the Investor calmly and quietly answered back in his defense, “I think you have underestimated the worth, and the value that is set before you, hidden in this apple.  With time and patience, this could be the beginning of something good for you.

Nevertheless, to no avail, the Investor could not get the businessman to see the value and the worth of the apple.

A farthing is a small part of a coin, something of very little value, yet God knows and cares when one of His littlest creatures falls to the ground.

There are people today all over the world, who feel as if their lives are of little or no value to anyone.   

It may be that you have been hurt very badly, or put down by the things that someone has said or done to you, or you may have lost so much in your life and in your relationships, that all you can do is cry and wonder what is the purpose for your life? 

Maybe you are someone reading this today, who has been abandoned and left alone, rejected by those you may have at one time been very close to, or maybe feel  unloved or unwanted by those who at one time loved you, then this message is for you!  

You have underestimated the value and the worth of your life.  God has invested into your life, and you are of great worth and value to Him, even more that many sparrows! 

Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the thoughts I think concerning you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of hurt, to give you a future and hope. 

He has planned for you to be here at this time, He has placed within you some very special qualities, and gifts that are unique only to you.  He has purchased your salvation with the highest cost, His own Son’s life on Calvary’s cross, so that you may have a life worth living!  He has done all this for you because He loves you, and cares about every area of your life.  Did you know that you are the apple of His eye, and that He thinks about you constantly?

Psalms 139: 17-18  How precious it is, Lord to realize that you are thinking about me constantly!  I cannot even count how many times a day your thoughts turn towards me.  And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

In addition, just like the apple in this story, within your life, God has placed all the abilities, the talents, the gifts, and the love for you to become all He has purposed for you to be.  

Never allow others actions to degrade who you are.  Never let them cause you to underestimate the value and the worth of your life, even if some get up and leave like the businessman in this story. 

Embrace all the goodness that God has placed within you; nurture those talents, those abilities, those qualities that they may begin to grow up in you.  Then begin to invest those same qualities that are in you, into other peoples lives.  Watch the seeds in your life begin to bear fruit.

Let others see that no matter what they have done to you, or said to you, you are still a son and daughter of the Most High God, and that means you have all the rights and privileges as a member of the family of God.    

Psalms 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

Your life is of great worth and value to God.  Begin to see the truth and rise up to the stature that God desires you to walk and live in, the very example of who Jesus Christ is. He will take all the broken pieces, and make something beautiful of your life.