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According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of a jewel is “a precious stone, typically a single crystal or a cut and polished piece of a lustrous or translucent mineral.” Off the top of our heads we can probably think of quite a few jewels, also referred to as gem stones, such as sapphire, ruby, emerald, topaz, onyx, amethyst, opal, jade, garnet, turquoise, pearl, lapis lazuli, aquamarine, jasper, and chalcedony. There are many others too numerous to mention here, but today I would like to take us on a journey to examine our inner diamond.
A diamond history
After a little research with the aid of Mr. Google and reading various reference materials, the following information was selected as pertinent to this article and hopefully will be of some interest to the reader.
The ancient Greeks believed that diamonds were splinters of stars fallen to earth. The word diamond in the Greek language translates as “adamas” which means unconquerable and indestructible. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great brought the first diamond to Europe from India, the land where diamonds were first discovered. Romans believed that diamonds had power to ward off evil spirits and wore them as talismans. In 1477, Mary of Burgundy received a diamond engagement ring from Archduke Maximilian of Austria; thus was born the tradition of the diamond engagement ring.
The largest ever diamond discovery occurred in 1905 and weighed in at 3,106 carats and is named the Cullinan, after Thomas Cullinan, owner of the Premier Diamond Mining Company. Its nickname is the Great Star of Africa. The Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is the world’s only diamond mine open to the public where one can experience a dig free operation for tourists and rock enthusiasts. A diamond nicknamed Uncle Sam was found there in 1924.
The diamond is the hardest of all gemstones known to man. It is also the simplest in composition and is made up of only one element—common carbon. Approximately 250 tons of ore need to be mined and processed from the average Kimberlite deposit in order to produce a one carat polished diamond of gem quality. Kimberlite is the name given to volcanic rock.
Diamonds are carried to the surface of the earth by volcanic eruptions; only very few diamonds survive the hazardous journey from the depths of the earth to reach the surface. Diamonds are brittle; if hit hard with a hammer a diamond will shatter or splinter. Even though a diamond can be broken, a diamond seemingly lasts forever.
God is forming His jewels
We have all most likely seen diamond rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings through well-lit windows of jewelry stores. The jeweler has displayed these fine diamonds carefully to take full advantage of the lighting above the padded boxes or display stands so that the shoppers will be impressed with the sparkle and clarity. The jeweler will tell you it is all about the 4 C’s: carat, cut, color, and clarity, which dictate the final value of each diamond.
Did you know that God refers to His people as precious jewels? In Malachi 3:17 God declares, “’They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ’On the day that I make them my jewels.’” God is referring to all those who fear Him and who meditate on His name—those written in the Book of Remembrance. The manner in which God lets us know He wants to possess us is so intimate, loving and beautiful.
God’s love for us is so passionate. Do we fully meditate on the depths of His love? Do we fully comprehend that when we live in a world full of lust, envy, and greed, God declares His love for us over and over again in the Bible? Examples of this can be found in Ephesians 3:14-19 and in Romans 8:38-39.
Most of us have probably heard the term, “Diamond in the Rough.” This phrase is used when someone refers to a person who has exceptional hidden characteristics and future potential, but currently lacks the final touches or finesse that would make him or her stand out from the crowd. It is a metaphorical phrase used to demonstrate that the person may seem ordinary at first glance, but their true beauty as a diamond is only realized through the cutting and polishing process. In other words, they have tremendous potential but need finishing off to be the complete package. God sees all of us with tremendous potential. We are all different physically just as diamonds are shaped into many different designs, but God sees the ultimate product of what we can become under His expert care (Jeremiah 29:11).
Becoming a brilliant twinkling jewel
Just like a diamond, we are formed from one simple element, the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). In essence we have come from a very basic material, humble beginnings, a substance in abundance. The Hebrew word for dust is “aphar” and correlates with dust, ashes, mortar, and clay. We would all agree that dust by itself does not make life, but the way it is put together with purposeful design and complex organization is only possible through the mighty power of God, our Father and Creator.
One only has to read the scientific data on helixes and DNA to consider the utter complexity and sheer genius of God’s design. Indeed science is still catching up to creation. As God tells us through King David’s writings in Psalms 139:13-14 (NKJV), “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”
As a first generation Christian called out of the world, I came with huge clumps of dirt and clay wrapped around me to the point of smothering me completely. I was filthy and dirty, unable to see where I was going, totally in the dark, clogged with the passage of worldly living and a whole heap of bad choices. Nobody would have identified any semblance of a diamond buried beneath the layers of polluted decay. My sinful ways were suffocating me to the point of death. However God changed all that by rescuing me. He has been chipping away at all my imperfections, to reveal facets that I would have never thought possible (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Do we trust Him enough to grind back the flaws in our character, to polish our surfaces after we come to identify our weaknesses with His help through trials knowing that He will not cause us to break (1 Corinthians 10:13)? Do we allow ourselves to sparkle by shining our lights in service to others through the development of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 6:10)? Do we readily shine bright light each and every day as we go about our business giving hope to others in a darkened world (Matthew 5:14-16)? Do we delight in being corrected by God for our own good (Proverbs 3:12, James 1:2-3)? It is a process which involves the remainder of our lives to daily resist and overcome the pulls of this world, but God is always with us. He will never leave us even to the end of time (Matthew 28:20).
I may have started out as a diamond chip encased with gross refuse, but with God’s help and dedicated unfailing love, mercy and the gift of salvation I have every hope to finish the race of achieving perfection as God’s plans never fail. He is perfect; He will finish what He has begun (Philippians 1:6). With the Helper (John 14:17), we can reach the ultimate level of brilliant and beautifully crafted diamonds whose quality and design by the Master Creator surpass the physical realm of this age until we sparkle and shine forever in His glory to reach our ultimate destiny.
The ultimate diamond setting
As God’s potential jewels, the apostle John reveals to us through inspiration the New Jerusalem resplendent with all kinds of precious stones (Revelation 21:9-21). The rich descriptions of the New Jerusalem which God has prepared for us surely will contain only the jewels that are perfected by their Maker (Revelation 21:27).
So, we have some work to do before we attain the status of a fine jewel. Will we allow God to shape, form and polish us into a finished product worthy of serving others in the Kingdom? Allow God to transform us by going to Him on our knees each and every day as we rise up, as we go out, and as we come in, and in all the in-between times when He is just waiting for us to cry out to Him. Philippians 3:20-21 says, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”