United Church of God

Letter From Dan Dowd - May 15, 2020

Letter From Dan Dowd

May 15, 2020

Sabbath Thought - Diamonds

Carbon comes in three configurations, there is the one-dimensional (powder carbon), two-dimensional (graphite carbon - similar to the lead in a pencil), and three-dimensional carbon - which is diamond - the hardest natural substance known to man.  A diamond is formed under extreme heat and pressure deep within the Earth's crust - more than 1,000deg C/1,832degF and 40 kilobars (400,000 times normal atmospheric pressure).  The melting point of a diamond is 1,878degC/3,412degF - two and a half times higher than that of steel.  Under immense heat and pressure, diamonds crystallized and then are brought to the earth's surface through volcanic explosions of magma.  This magma cooled and solidified as kimberlite ore, the primary sources where rough diamonds are still found today.  

Because diamonds can withstand extremely high temperatures and corrosive conditions, and because they are transparent to most forms of light and electromagnetic radiation, they are ideal for many industrial uses.  Every copper wire in your computer, television, and house has been shaped with a die - the device that squeezes wire to the desired diameter - made from diamond.  Diamond scalpels are particularly effective because their sharp, hard edges never dull, and, because diamond's hydrophobic surface - its resistance to being wetted - ensures that wet tissue does not adhere to the blade.

Think about the strength, the hardness, the resistance to great heat and how that diamond is made under such great pressure.  The refining we face as a Christian is so that God can make of us something far more than we could be on our own.  We are like diamonds - valuable to God, created under pressure but refined by Him.  Common carbon turned into a beautiful, resilient diamond.

We must be refined to diamond-like hardness to endure the terrible times to come. The world economy is teetering on the brink of disaster.  The U.S. is quickly losing its influence around the world.  Modern intellectual leanings are moving further and further away from Godly positions and actions.  Our own government is moving from serving the citizens to seeking to control their lives.

We know that God ultimately desires for all of mankind to be in His family (Hebrews 2:10), but in order for Him to give us eternal life He needs to know what we are made of.  For each of us individually, God can see where we are regarding our spiritual fruit and the potential we have, but it is not until the final harvest that the quality and quantity of our fruit will be revealed.  This is the lesson of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. 

But God is not just passively watching and waiting for our fruit to develop, He is actively working with us to develop worthy fruit.  We rehearse being God's first-fruits with the observance of Pentecost, but God is actively working with us to be the best harvest possible.  God is refining His people.  This refining will make us stronger spiritually and better equipped to reflect His nature so that we will be in His Kingdom and family.

Our role is to remain steadfast and growing in God's grace and knowledge.  We can be reassured that God will never forsake us (Isaiah 42:16) in our refining process, and He will not allow a trial be more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).  As much pressure as we might feel, it is a light affliction working toward something much more wonderful (2 Corinthians 4:17).

We have only about two weeks until the Feast of Pentecost.  God has given to His Church His Holy Spirit so that we can begin the refining process in order for us to be in His Kingdom. As we are refined, let's always remember to see beyond our difficulties, so that we will see the work God is accomplishing in us.  This refining is for a short time and - like the simple carbon being refined as a diamond - worth the effort.

I wish you a profitable and value filled Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

15 May, 2020