There was a little girl who loved her fake pearl necklace. It made her look like her mom. But one day her dad demanded her fake necklace. She said, “no!” But he kept on insisting and after a while, with tears running down her eyes, she said, “yes,” and gave him the necklace. Only then he handed her the REAL pearl necklace that was the family heirloom. 
It is when we give up for God, we gain. That is the principle throughout the Bible. 
Jesus Himself said, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” Matthew 16:25.
This was demonstrated in Jacob’s life. He had one last straw he was holding onto at the end of his life – Benjamin. He was one of two sons by Rachel, his favorite wife. Rachel died in child birth. And he lost Joseph (thought that he was killed by a wild animal), and Benjamin was the only one left that truly mattered to him. But his other sons told him that unless he would let go of Benjamin and send him to Egypt, they would all die. In the end, he relents, “If I’m bereaved, I’m bereaved,” and sends Benjamin. 
And what follows? Not only does he get Bejamin, but he also gets back Joseph, whom he thought died many years ago! This is something he could not have imagined! And it would not have happened UNLESS he gave up Benjamin.
What are you holding onto that God is demanding? Perhaps you are missing out on true blessings because of your insistence on fake necklace?
PH