DECEMBER 8 - You're a Jewel!

DECEMBER 8 - You’re a Jewel!

 

The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. — ZECHARIAH 9:16

 

 

The Bible gives us this unusual detail about the construction of the Lord’s temple: “In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built” (1 Kings 6:7). An unbelievable amount of scraping, hammering, and chiseling had to be done on those mighty rocks that were used in the construction. But it was all done out of

view and out of earshot of the temple site. It’s a little like the way God “dresses” us, fitting us for heaven. The apostle Peter reminds us that you and I are living stones, and we are being mined in the quarry of earth, a place of noise, chiseling, and clouds of dust. God is using our sufferings and afflictions to hone and shape us so we might fit perfectly into heaven’s landscape, where there is “no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool.” Where there is no suffering. No tears, pain, sorrow, or death. As polished stones, not only will we fit in heaven, we will fit as glittering jewels in his crown. Soon we will enter the utter serenity of heaven — a place of peace and quiet — and God will set us in his diadem as sparkling and dazzling jewels.

 

 

God’s quarry is still busy. He is active with his hammer and chisel in your life, honing you and shaping you for a high and eternal destiny. The shaping isn’t always easy. How well I know! But take heart today, friend. Bear a bit longer with the noise and hammering. Serve others while you wait. One day all of heaven will be in awe over what the Master Jeweler has accomplished in your life.

 

 

Lord, even though I am still in process, still being shaped and chiseled, I pray that your radiant beauty would shine through my life today.