God Is Preparing His Diamonds

Just over a hundred years ago, it was found in an African mine, the most significant diamond in world's history. It was discovered one late afternoon in January 1905 by a gentleman called Frederick Wells. He was the mine superintendent during a mine inspection. The mine was a mine near Pretoria, which is a city just north of Johannesburg in South Africa. The name of the mine is called Premier Mines. He was walking through the mine at the end of the day when he happened to notice a glare, a shining glare that came in as it shone through, because of the reflection of the sun. And then he went into this deep pit of about 30 feet, and with his penknife dislodged the gemstone of the wall. It actually folded his hand. At first he thought it was a big piece of glass. Embedded by some joker. Somebody had made a joke and embedded the glass. But then he examined closely, and the stone at three natural crystal faces and one large cleavage. It was a huge diamond. It was four and a half inches by two and a half inches by a quarter of an inch.

And it weighed one and a half pounds, and it was an incredible 3,006 carats.

Frederick Wells received a bonus of ten thousand dollars for finding the diamond. And the diamond was named Cullinan after the mine's owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan. It was sold to the government of Transvaal. Transvaal was a province, but at that time was like a state in South Africa in 1907. And the government of Transvaal presented the stone to King Edward VII of Great Britain on his 66th birthday. So there were special security measures taken to ship the diamond in a special box to London. There was great press coverage surrounding the security measures. They shipped it by parcel, and it cost a big part of the shipping down. However, they did not ship the diamond through that route. They shipped it by normal post in a little box, and it cost three shillings for the stamp. So it actually went through normal mail. Meantime, they made this big fanfare. That's where the diamond was. So it's interesting. The stone then was sent to Asher Brothers in Amsterdam by the Royal Navy with appropriate security and fanfare. So there's the Navy, big fanfare, security, sending the stone to Asher Brothers. However, again, it was sent in a separate way because Asher Brothers himself went to London and took the stone in his pocket. So the whole Navy thing was just a diversion as well. Now these brothers were amongst the best diamond cutters in the world. In fact, it was Abraham's brother, Joseph, that undertook the task of cutting the diamond. Because he was so worried about the possibility that he could ruin the stone, he studied it carefully for several months before attempting the first cut. He studied the stone from every angle. Then finally, on February 10th, 1908, three years after it was found, he then took the blade, the steel cleaver's blade, to make the first cut. And when he did it, the blade broke. And the diamond stayed intact. So he made three more attempts before finally the diamond split exactly as he had planned. Now, did he do this carelessly? No. It was no mistake. There was no care. He studied carefully for several months. He looked at its lines, at its strengths, at its weaknesses, and he wanted to maximize the potential of what he was going to cut. And indeed, the man that did it was the most skilled person in the known world at that time to do that job. The most skilled person to do the job. So was that blow that he did to cut the diamond a mistake? No. It was deliberate. It was planned.

It actually is reported that when the stone split, Mr. Asher fainted. When he struck that blow, he did the one thing that would bring the gem to its most perfect shape, radiance and splendor. That blow, which seemed to ruin the superb stone, was in fact its perfect redemption. The skilled eye of the diamond cutter saw hidden in the rough, uncut stone the true potential of the diamond. Just like this stone, you and I, at times, take blows in this lifetime, which can devastate each one of us. It could be health blows, could be financial blows, could be emotional blows, whatever. It could be words or insults that others that really cut deep and hurt. And we may ask, does God really know what he's doing? Does he even care? Of course he does. Sometimes, God lets a stinging blow fall on our lives. Yes, we are knocked down. Yes, maybe we kind of punch drunk and wonder what's happening. We are dizzy. Blood comes out from inside us. Our nerves are in shatters, and our soul cries out in agony. And we say, this must have been a mistake. What's going on? Surely, God is not aware of it. But just like the Cullinan diamond, it was studied carefully where the blow would be allowed for the benefit of the end result. And you and I are priceless jewels. We are a priceless diamond, or diamonds, in our shaping process, in the hands of the most skilled craftsman in the world, Jesus Christ himself and God the Father. And they are carrying out the supreme master task of diamond cutters, which is our spiritual lives. And he knows what he's doing. And so today, brethren, I want to talk to you about diamonds and what God is working with. And by using the analogy of diamonds and their characteristics, how we determine the value of a diamond. And look at some of the characteristics related to that. We're going to apply those principles to our own lives and to see how we can draw some lessons from that analogy. There are, brethren, four characteristics used to determine the value of a diamond. The cut, the color, the clarity of that diamond, and the actual weight, the character weight, of that diamond. How they cut it affects how the light will reflect on the diamond. The color shows the varieties of the diamond. The clarity shows whether the diamond is perfect or not, or flawless. And the weight shows a lot of its value and what it can be used for, because the larger ones are even rarer, and therefore they can be used for something very special. So let's look at those four areas. They call them the four C's of a diamond. Cut, clarity, a big apart cut, color, clarity, and carrot. The four C's. So the first one is cut. Diamonds are cut to shape them, to shape them, to perfect them, so that they can reflect the most light. And likewise, we are to reflect the light of Christ's glory, by Christ living in us, and to be a beautiful, glory reflected through us.

Further cuts to the color of the diamond produced three principal parts, and these, in turn, were cut into nine additional segments, major gems, let's put it this way. Out of them, there were then 96 smaller brilliance and 9.5 carats of unpolished pieces, out of one diamond piece. So it went through many stages before the final product. Much cutting wasn't just one cut, there were many cuts.

And you can have different shapes coming out from cutting a diamond. Obviously, it's according to the inherent potential in the original stone at the hand of the diamond cutter. As the diamond cutter sees the potential of that stone, he will then cut and shape that stone to maximize its beauty, natural beauty that's inherent in there, that it can come out if it's cut properly. God is working with us like a diamond, and we must be cut and shaped through the different trials and difficulties that we encounter, and they are varied until we are just right, cut just the way you'd like us to be. Look at this rough stone. This rough stone was found in Congo, Zaire, by a little girl playing in a pile of rubble. Yes, it was amongst the rubbish, amongst the rubbish, rejected from the old mine dumps. They saw it and they threw it away. They didn't see any value in it. Just like us, not many wives, are we? Turn with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Here we have 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 26 through 29. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wives, according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. And just like this stone was just in a rubbish dump, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. And the vast things of the world and the things which are despised, God has chosen, and the things which are not, the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. You see, God looks at this Jew, which is you and I, and sees some potential. Yes, maybe originally we looked like this, but God sees a lot more than that in us. And therefore, this jewel specifically was worked through the Zail Corporation, and they worked with this diamond. They bought it. It is a 890 carat diamond, and a team studied this diamond for four years. Four years, a team of people carefully studied this diamond, and finally decided to cut it into a beautiful diamond of 407 carats. Would you believe that out of this stone that did not look all that nice? What came out of it? Just through some careful cutting, careful shaping. And it was given the name of the incomparable, and indeed it is incomparable. And you and I are going to be incomparable in God's hands, because you and I are His special people, and He has studied you carefully maybe even before calling you and I. He has studied carefully and has identified there is potential for you and I to lead in the world tomorrow. And therefore, He is working with us so that you and I can reflect the light of Jesus Christ, His glory. And therefore, He is working in shaping us to ultimate perfected cut just right for us. So brethren, it is our life is a lifelong experience of being shaped by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Turn with me please to 1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 to 7. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3 to 7. It says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us against to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled that does not fade away.

It is indeed an inheritance that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through the faith of salvation ready to be revealed in the lost time. Yes, when we're resurrected, God will show that beauty that He has created in us. In this, you can greatly rejoice, though now for a little while it need if need be you are being grieved by various trials. Yes, this cutting and shaping is grievous. It's painful. But in the end, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold than perishes, much more precious than a diamond, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Indeed, we are being tested by fire. Our trials and difficulties are not easy, but we are being tested. And so, brethren, as we are being tested, we are being shaped into different jewels, into different diamonds in God's hands. Turn with me, please, to James chapter 5, which is just a few pages back, maybe one, maybe the same page in your Bible, James chapter 5, verse 7 and 8. Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord, see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient to establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. So, we just have to be patient. Yes, Christ is coming here soon, and yes, we go through trials, but we just have to be patient and establish our hearts through this.

Continue reading in verse 9. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the judge is standing at the door. My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we can't be blessed who endure, and brethren, we will be blessed to endure till the end. We have to endure till the end, but there is a great reward. There is a great reward that God is developing through us by shaping our hearts so that we, our hearts, are a jewel in front of God so that we can reflect God's glory completely. The second value of the diamond comes through its color.

A diamond of value increases dramatically with each different level of color quality. So it's not just the color, but it's the quality in a color. Although many diamonds appear to be colorless, most contain tints of yellow or brown in various degrees.

Due to their quality, some diamonds have, in fact, a history of drama. If you look at the one on the top right, the Sancy diamond is a 53 carat diamond shaped like a shield, was first purchased in Constantinople by the French ambassador to Turkey, whose name was Nicholas Arry, the sonor of Sancy. James I of England bought it, and it is registered in the inventory of jewels in dated 1605 in the Tower of London. Then in 1792, it was stolen from the royal treasury, and it reappeared in 1828 in Paris. In 1906, it was bought by William Waldorf Astor, and it's now displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. So it just shows how things happen, because they're so precious people look for them. Just like the diamonds have different colors for variety, you and I have different talents, different abilities, and different gifts, which we have to develop so that we can do a work, God's work, more effectively. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians, please. 1 Corinthians 12.

1 Corinthians 12.

We start in verse 1 and then read 4 through 6. Now, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant, so we're talking about different gifts, different talents, different abilities. Verse 4, there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. There are diversities of ministries but the same Lord. There are diversities of activities but it's the same God. There are many different jobs to be done, many different functions to be performed. Verse 7. Okay, we're going to read there at a moment. Let me just show you a few additional varieties of color that God has put into diamonds. And just like the diamonds, you can have black diamonds, you can have green diamonds, you can have red diamonds. They all show beautiful variety. Likewise, God has given us different talents to have varieties of work that we need to do. Continue then in verse 7. But the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the profit of all, so that all can benefit. For one is given the word of wisdom through the spirit. So one has wisdom which maybe reflects a certain color, example of a certain color, to another knowledge which maybe is a different color in that diamond, but it's also through the same spirit, to another fight by the same spirit, to another gift of healing by the same spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discerning of spirits, to another speaking in different languages, to another being able to translate those languages. But it's all in one and the same spirit, and God distributes these talents, these skills individually as He wills for us to do the work.

And indeed, brethren, our big work is going to be in the world tomorrow, because we're going to be doing a wonderful work in the world tomorrow, because then we'll be shaped as beautiful diamonds to do a work. And that, brethren, is our hope. That is our hope into the future. Continue reading in verse 18.

Chapter 12. But now God has set the same members, each one of them, in the body, just as He has pleased. God has put each member in a body exactly as He's pleased. And so here we have a setting of diamonds. There is different diamonds put together into a setting, and making a lovely pendant with 16 white diamonds surrounding it, and a chain of 45 white diamonds. To do a specific role, to do a specific function. So the diamonds are put together as the cropsman sees fit so that he can have the most effective result. And likewise, God is going to put us together in the kingdom with our own variety of skills to do a work as He pleases. And that, indeed, brethren, is our hope. That is our hope in the kingdom. Indeed, we have different personalities, we have different talents, we have different backgrounds. And indeed, God loves this variety in us and these skills. We all have different capabilities. Brethren, we need to develop them. We need to grow in the capabilities God's given us. Even if our capability, if you and I think it's a small capability, use it, develop it, enhance it, because God is going to use it even more by putting it together into a beautiful, let's call it, diamond necklace, spiritually speaking, in the world tomorrow. In verse 25, there will be no schism in the body. In other words, there will be no division. This whole body with all the diamonds put together into this lovely necklace or whatever it may be, there will be no schism in the body. But that the members should have the same care for one another. We need to have genuine, outgoing concern for one another, because we all are valuable, we all have good skills and competency, and so we all work together to do a job, to do a work. And if one member suffers, all members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ and members individually. Together we'll make a wonderful body which is actually the body of Christ. We can't see it today, we can't visualize it today, but we will be able to see it and understand it in the world tomorrow.

Continue in verse 28. And God has appointed these in the church. First apostles, second prophets, third teachers. It does not mean that one is more important than the other. It just means that functions that need to be performed in certain sequences, in certain ways, but it's not that one is better than the other. And after that, different other jobs, such as miracles and gifts of healings and helps, illustrations, varieties of tongues, all of these are functions that God has in the body. Are all apostles? No. Are all teachers? No.

Are all workers of miracles? No. But we all work together towards one goal. And it says in verse 29, I beg your pardon, yeah, verse 30, it says, do all have gifts of healing? No. All do all speak in tongues? No. Do all interpret the tongues? Do all interpret? No. But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet, I'll show you a more excellent way. And what is the most excellent way?

It's love. Though I speak to you in tongues, love is the most excellent way. And brethren, so we've seen these values of diamonds. We have the cut that reflects the light and will help us to reflect the glory of Christ. We've seen the color, which is the variety, which we have beautiful variety that God has given us in various talents that will help us to do work.

And the third C in the diamonds are the clarity, the clarity of diamonds. With powerful magnification, we can look at diamonds in a way that makes them and shows them how clear they are. Yeah, is a diamond. It's a flawless diamond action, as I've got demonstrated there. It's by Christes of Geneva. It's a flawless diamond. Basically, a flawless diamond is one that when they look at it through microscopic by looking at it with a lens, they see that there are no flaws in there. And because there are no flaws, they call that inclusions. Because there are no flaws, they write it from some degree of imperfection to a flawless diamond.

So they are very rare, very rare. And indeed, brethren, God sees our imperfections, our sins, but He sees our potential. And through that, He has to maybe turn up some heat, whatever, to actually remove some of those imperfections so that we become flawless. Those imperfections, He has to remove. But then when we become flawless, it will be beautiful. It will be a wonderful clarity of that diamond to God.

Because God wants to remove all those sins so that we are perfect in character. So indeed, this flawlessness leads to holy, godly, righteous character, which is what God wants to develop in us.

Turn with me, please, in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11 through 16. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some adventures, some pastors, some teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for their defying of the body of Christ. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, till we reach that perfect, flawless stage, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. That is the aim that God is working on us to reach that status of flawlessness, to be perfect like Christ is perfect.

That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every window of doctrine by the trickery of man, but in the cunning craftness of the seekful plotting, but seeking the truth in love, grow in all things, and to Him who is the head, for whom the whole body joint and knitted together by what every joint supplies, according to the effect of working by which every part does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

And that means that growth is edifying our self in love in Godly character. And that's what we've got to be growing for. Verse 17. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their mind. And so we are, as we chose YAH, we are to put on the new man. Various scriptures YAH shows us putting off the old man, putting on the old, the new man, modifying. There's a number of areas, a number of things that we need to develop.

A number of floors that we need to take out and become clearer, become showing that clarity and showing that flawlessness that a diamond has, that God is working in us as diamonds. So that ultimately, as it says in Ephesians, chapter 5, verse 1, Be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us. So we are to imitate God. We are to actually become flawless like God. We are to put on godly, holy, righteous character.

Just as we're driving today, YAH, Kathy and I were talking about this, and she was reminding me how many years ago, just before we got married, we went to a jeweler that was in the church, and we worked with him to get a diamond for a ring. And he was showing to us that diamonds have certain flaws, and the only way you can find the flaw in this diamond, because we looked at it and said, oh, it's beautiful. He said, oh, but it's got some flaws. And the only way you can actually find some of these flaws is with a magnifying glass, and you've got to look at intensely to see its imperfections.

You and I just cannot see them with a naked eye. Sometimes from outside, it looks very nice, but when you look deeper inside, there are some imperfections. And we have to look at ourselves and ask God to show us our secret faults that you and I cannot see. Turn with me, please, to Psalm 19. Psalm 19. The 19th Psalm, verse 12 through 14.

Psalm 19. Who can understand these own errors? In other words, who can understand their own flaws? Cleans me from secret flaws. Yah is David putting in a song in this palm, let's call it, in the psalm, saying, God, please cleanse me from secret faults through this prayer. Keep back your servant also from presumption sense. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless. In other words, then I shall be faultless, flawless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, God, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. It is a beautiful prayer for us to approach God and to say, God, show me where I'm imperfect, but in your mercy, please. Show me a little bit at a time. We need to look into the perfect law of liberty, which is God's law, which is like a mirror to us, and we'll be able to see our secret faults and sins. And we need to ask God to show it to us, but again, in mercy, a little bit of a time, because if He shows us everything in one go, it'll kind of be too much. So we just have to say, God, please, just gently, please help me to go through it. In the same psalm, look in verse 7. Psalm 19, verse 7 through 11. It says, the law of the Lord is perfect. Covering the psalm, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise and simple. The statue of the Lord are right, rejoicing hard. The commandments of the Lord is pure, enlightening eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous together. More to be desired are they than gold. He has done fine gold. You know, God's law and God's principles and God's value system is more to be desired than the most beautiful diamond. Sweeter also than honey, and honeycomb. Moreover, by them, your servant is warned, and in keeping them, there is great reward. In keeping them, keeping God's laws, there's a great reward, there's a great gift, and then we will be able to be used by God. Look at Matthew 16 verse 27. Matthew 16 verse 27. For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each according to his works.

Brethren, the size of your reward and my reward is going to be according to our works. Sure, eternal life is a gift, but on top of eternal life, over and beyond eternal life, there is a reward, and therefore, according to your works, you will be rewarded. And so, we will then be able to serve Christ by being in the hands of Christ, like a ring is in the hands of a person with a diamond. We'll be able to serve Christ by being in his hands and to be able to do his work with him. So, the value of diamonds is based on the three C's, the cut, the color, the clarity, and its carrot weight, which is its size. The color, I beg your pardon, the cut reflects light, and therefore, we ought to reflect the glory of Christ. The color is our different talents, our variety of gifts that we have to use to serve, and the clarity is, in analogy, the flawless character of Christ, which we ought to develop. And the weight, as the fourth point in how to select and how to identify the value of a diamond, that ties directly to its size. And size is the most visible or noticeable factor that determines the value of a diamond, simply because larger stones are just rarer. They're more rare than smaller ones. The Kalinan diamond that we saw at the beginning of this sermon, here we have one of the cuts of the Kalinan diamond. That's called the Kalinan one, because it's the number one, the major one that they did. That is the largest gem produced from that rough stone. It is a pear-shaped stone of 530 carats. It is the world's largest cut diamond. And it's interesting to note that it's actually part of the British royal septa. In other words, it took a very special royal place. So the value of diamonds is something to draw some analogies from. And indeed, the beauty of the size ties in to the actual Christian growth. Turn with me to Colossians 1. Colossians the first chapter.

Colossians 1. Verse 9 and 10.

For this reason, we also, since the day we heard it, we do not cease to pray for you and to ask you that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work. And that's the beauty about our spiritual is that we can grow. And by growing, by bearing more fruit, we're growing. And our Christian growth, it values that diamond in God's sight. So fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy. And so the weight is the how a diamond is its size. But the beauty about us that is that we can grow. We can be fruitful in works. We can grow in knowledge. And therefore, by growing in these gracious works, works that are pleasing to God, we become a more valuable diamond in God's eyes. And brethren, Christians will therefore be rewarded according to their growth as well, as they use their abilities and their talents and they take therefore different roles in the world tomorrow in the kingdom as kings and priests, just like the larger the diamond, the more important role, quote unquote, which is a role of service because it's a more valuable role of serving closer to Christ. And so we will have different sizes of rewards. And as we grow, building our character in the body of Christ, which is the church, we are growing into that building. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. verse 9 and 10. For we are God's fellow workers, and you are God's field. You are God's building.

According to the grace of God, which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid a foundation and another bowls on it, but let each one take heed how he bowls on it. We are building. We are building a special building.

And that special building, in the end, will turn to be something very special that God can use, just like in diamonds they put together into, for instance, a beautiful diamond necklace. So we are being put together into a special building. Verse 11. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if anyone bowls on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, or if it bowls on it with wood, hay, or straw, yes, we can bowl with different type of works. Some of our works may be diamond-related type of works, like gold, silver, precious stones. Other works may be wood, hay, or straw. Each one's work will become clear, for the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will catch each one's work of what sort it is. And it is. Brethren, we have to do works, Christian works. Christian works will endure, that endure. And our Christian works could be works that are really like precious stones, and our works could be works that are just straw. Each man will receive a reward according to the works. Now, if verse 14, if anyone's work which he has built on endures, in other words, if the work endures the fire, in other words, if it's work of precious stones or gold or silver, like diamonds, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is like wood or hay or straw, that work will be burnt, and he will suffer loss. So his reward will not be as great, but himself will still be saved. Even if our works are just straw and hay, you'll still have the gift of eternal life. God is very merciful in that, yet so as through fire. So salvation is a gift, but they are works, works for a position of service in the kingdom of God.

God's building, the most precious and the most glorious jewelry ever to be created in you and I, which we are going to be the temple of God. Continuing in verse 16, do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? And if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. And so brethren, using God's soully spirit, we gotta develop ourselves and grow so that we can be in that temple, can be part of that temple. So brethren, in summary, we've looked at the value of diamonds. We looked at the cut and the shaping of the diamond, which is through trials, which helps us to reflect the glory of Christ. We looked at the color and how God loves variety and color. And also that represented in the analogy I've given you to different gifts and abilities that we have and the talents to serve. And the biggest gift there and the biggest talent is love. And then we looked at clarity, which is opportunity of developing God's holy righteous character. And last but not least, we looked at the weight, the carrot weight, which is opportunity that we can grow to a bigger quote-unquote weightier servant in service, in the capability of works to serve. So brethren, when the next blow comes, remember that we are being shaped into the world's most famous diamonds, diamonds to be. We are being cut out of a chunk of imperfect stone, maybe found in a rubbish dump, where we may have come from. But God is working with us. Have hope, have the vision, because God has got a big... He sees a great potential in you and I. And therefore, He is going to shape you, He's going to cut you, He's going to polish you, He's going to work with you so that the cut that reflects the beautiful glory of Christ, that the talents that you have may be used, that you will have the holy righteous character, and that you can grow in the works, because He sees great potential in you. He is the master jeweler, and He will bring you into that. Look at Malachi, chapter 3, verse 17. Malachi, chapter 3, verse 17.

He is talking about writing a book of remembrance of those that fear the Lord. And then verse 17, he says, They shall be mine, says the Lord, on the day that I will make my jewels. You and I are God's jewels that He is making, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. God is going to spare us from difficult days ahead. If we are really in that book of remembrance, if we are really, if you read that in verse 16, the book of remembrance that He is writing, and if we are really fearing and being close to Him, if we are growing to be those jewels of God that He is shaping us to be. So, to conclude, let's look at James, chapter 1, James, chapter 1, verses 2 through 4. James, chapter 1, verses 2 through 4. My brethren, count on all joy when you fall into various trials and difficulties and tests, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect like a perfect diamond and complete lacking nothing like God's own diamond.