Gemstones have been fascinating people for centuries. Some of the most precious are the sapphire, ruby, emerald, topaz, aquamarine, and of course, the diamond. From what I have read, the more difficult it is to bring a gem to the light of day, the more attractive and valuable it becomes to us. There are three methods by which gemstones are formed. They are formed from the cooling and crystallization of molten rock, they are developed from a solution, or they are formed through the action of heat, pressure, and moisture upon rocks. Diamonds were born in dying volcanoes. They start out as melted rock and through a process I can’t explain, eventually become a diamond.
I find it fascinating that something as beautiful as a diamond would be born in a dying volcano. How incredible is it that something that beautiful would be formed from rock that has been melted down and as it cools, with lots of time and pressure, it becomes a diamond? A tremendous amount of heat and pressure are required in the creation of a diamond. It is not a short process, nor is it an easy one. Something so beautiful takes a lot of time, a lifetime you might say. In case you haven’t noticed by now, you are in fact a diamond in the rough my friend. All this heat and pressure you’ve been going through; it is necessary to bring out the beauty hidden deep within you!
“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” 1 Cor. 3:13. This fire you have been going through is not meant to destroy you beloved; it is meant to refine you! The unbearable heat of the fire is meant to burn off what is unnecessary and leave behind what is beautiful. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 1:7. The Master knows what He is doing; He sees the beauty you will become after the flames have cooled.
In its natural state, a diamond, like most gemstones, isn’t all that spectacular. They often appear dull or lie concealed with other ordinary-looking stones. They need a master gemologist to discover the beauty that lies within. In order for any stone to qualify as a gemstone, it must have beauty, it must be hard enough to take considerable wear, and it must be rare enough for people to prize. The beauty of the stone will depend upon its cut. With the correct cutting, brilliant reflections should appear across the entire stone. But first, a gem cutter must determine if the stone can survive the cutting process or if it will shatter into dust. If the stone is to be beautiful, it must survive the cutting.
The light cannot pass through correctly until the stone is cut. The beauty isn’t truly revealed until part of the stone has been cut away. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” Ezekiel 36:26. Sometimes God has to remove a few things from our hearts in order for us to become the jewel that He created us to be. Sometimes God has to cut away a few things before His light can shine brightly in our hearts and lives. In my own life, I can certainly attest to the truth that it is often the cuts that bring us closer to Him. It is in the cutting that I am made beautiful; it is in the cutting that He becomes most beautiful to me!
Until I came to the end of my own resources, until I came to the end of myself, I could not truly depend upon Him. It wasn’t until I was broken that I began to see most clearly my need for Him. It wasn’t until I had gone through the breaking, the cutting away of some things that I was able to allow His light to shine through me. As long as we are still full of ourselves, we cannot be full of Him. His light cannot shine through us if we are to full of other things. The brokenness that we go through is often the very catalyst that allows His light to penetrate through us and then shine forth into the world. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” Matt. 5:26.
Hardness is the gem’s resistance to scratching or wearing away. Toughness is its resistance to breakage. Unless a stone is tough, it is not fit for practical use. Some gemstones like diamonds and rubies are pressed or struck to test their hardness. Diamonds can take a steady, hard pressure without cracking or being worn down. Diamonds are so hard they cannot be scratched by any other known surface. Only another diamond can scratch a diamond. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed” 2 Cor. 4:8. Christ in us enables us to endure; He makes us strong!
On my own, I have no strength; I cannot endure the difficulties I face, but with my Savior’s help I can. With His help, I can overcome things that I thought would be the end of me. I can endure the blows that I thought would break me. He gives me the strength I need to do the hard stuff. “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” Phil. 4:13 (AMP). I may not look like much, but there is a strength in me because of the Savior in me!
The light with which you view a gemstone will determine what you see. It takes light to bring out the gemstone’s brilliance, fire, and sparkle. A stone’s beauty will greatly depend on how it handles the light. A white light is used to reveal the imperfections in the stone. Our white light is the Word of God. By carefully studying God’s Word, we see areas of our lives that are not pleasing to Him; we see areas of our hearts and lives that need to be worked on. His Word reveals areas we need to allow His Spirit to work in us. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” Psalm 139:23-24(NLT).
Not only do we need to allow His Spirit to work in us so that He can reveal areas of concern, we also need Him to work in us so that people can see Him in us. We are to be a reflection of Him. Brilliancy is a stones shininess or ability to reflect the light. We need some brilliancy in our lives! We need to learn how to be a reflection of His light! “He must increase but I must decrease” John 3:30”. More of You and less of me is my prayer! I want to be such a bright reflection of Him that people are drawn to Him because of what they see in me! I want to live in such a way that others see Him in me and want to know Him because of what they see in me!
There are a lot of fake gemstones out there but thankfully, there is a test that can reveal if a gemstone is real or not. There are tests that revel the true identity and nature of the gemstone. My friend, someday you and I will face the same test. We will stand before God, and He will then determine if our faith was genuine or fake. In that moment, one thing and one thing alone will matter. Are you covered in the blood of His dear Son Jesus Christ? Have you truly accepted Christ as your LORD and Savior? That will be the real test my friend. Beloved, when that day comes, are you certain you will pass the test? Is your faith real? Is your salvation genuine?
With all my heart I pray that it is, but if not, please don’t waste another minute without settling this issue! Don’t waste another minute without asking Him to forgive you of your sins and be LORD of your life! That will be the only way to pass the final test my friend! For those who already know Him as their LORD and Savior, why not take a moment and ask Him to test you and see how well you are doing at shining for Him? Why not ask Him to help you reflect His light like never before? And for those who find themselves in the flames and the pressure of life is getting more and more difficult… hold on my friend! You are not alone! You are not forgotten. You are being refined and purified.
Someday you will look back and realize that it was all worth it. Whether you are still in the volcano, being pressed down on every side, or beginning to see the sparkle of your jewel, remember; He is in control of the process. He knows what He is doing; He can be trusted. He is working on you and in you my friend, and someday, something beautiful is going to come out of all of this. “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified” Isaiah 61:3. Someday it will all be worth it!
One last thought before we part ways today my friend. Did you happen to catch what I said earlier about how only a diamond can scratch another diamond? Please remember that my friend! Unfortunately, no one can hurt a believer like another believer. It is my prayer that we will all learn to see and value each other the way our Father does. Each one of us is a precious child of God, whether we are still a diamond in the rough or a jewel shining brightly for Him. He loves us all; we are all important to Him. We are in this together my friend. Why not try to cut each other some slack and be a little gentler with each other? Why not try loving one another like He commands us to?
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:32. “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” Romans 12:10. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith” Galatians 6:10. Are you starting to see how important it is to God that we are not diamonds scratching one another? We are supposed to help each other, not hurt each other. We are meant to be lifting one another up, not tearing one another down! As His children, on our way to being beautiful reflections of Him, let us treat each other the way He commands us to!
Father I ask You to encourage each person reading these words. I ask a special blessing on those who are in the flames of their volcano right now. Show them that You are faithful and remind them that You will not forsake them. Give them a glimpse Father, of the jewel You see in them. I pray that no matter where we are in our walk with You Lord, You will keep us in the center of Your perfect will. Work in our hearts and mold us into Your image. Let Your light so shine through us that the most beautiful diamond pales in comparison to Your glory. And until the day we lay our jewels at Your feet, keep our eyes fixed on You and help us to be led by Your Spirit. Be glorified O Lord! Amen.
Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father… Matthew 5:43
(Previously titled Gemstones)
Revised 3/12/20
Katrina Douglas
