God loves to teach using analogies, and one of the best that I have heard came from a wise teacher at his seminar in Illinois.
He said that God is like a skilled diamond hunter and cutter. What everyone else sees as worthless junk, he sees as potentially a gorgeous multifaceted diamond to reflect his light and bring delight to others as they see his glory shining off of us. I Timothy 1:15
It is not that I want to be seen as beautiful, but I want to reflect God’s light, so that others see God and not me . 2Corinthians 4:7
First the rough diamond must be purchased. For we are not our own but are bought with a price. I Corinthians 6:19-20
Then the diamond has to be firmly held in a clamp for the refining process. If the diamond shifts during the faceting process, it will have a big chunk broken off and will never be what it could have been. Yes, he can make something good of that also but when the Lord comes at us with hammer and chisel, we must trust and let him do his refining work. Let us hold fast to our profession of our faith without wavering. Hebrews 10:23
What are the chisels that the master wields? Why: family, spouse, children, finances, health, the church, his word, the Holy spirit, etc. These might come as chastenings or just so that God might be better seen and glorified. Either way I need to see that God means it for good and is a master diamond cutter so I need to thank him for working in my life. Hebrews 12:11/ John 11:4
We think that we are being diminished by the trial and by the chips being knocked off. However, each chip reveals a little mirror to shine another spark of God’s glory into a dark world. The more facets, the more we sparkle and the more we beautify our “wearer” and delight the people living in darkness.
I look for the beauty in old people who now are multifaceted diamonds from letting God work on them for years and ask God to do whatever it takes to fashion me into such a diamond.
My mom and dad were letting God continue to work on and through them right up to their last days in their 90’s.
Remember that the diamond can not generate any light itself and must live in the light of God’s presence in order to be seen at all. This should help me “lighten up”. He found me, bought me, chipped off the rough edges and lights me up. All that I do is to rest and trust and live in his presence. John 15:5
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