“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity; plans to give you a future and a hope.’” Prophet Jeremiah, Old Testament.
So many valuable things seem to be senseless or even worthless on the surface.
Let’s take diamonds, for instance. “Raw diamonds” or “diamonds in the rough” are formed deep within the earth and often resemble lumps of pale glass when discovered. They have an oily appearance and no spark. In essence, for the untrained eye, it is almost impossible to distinguish between a genuine diamond in the rough and a cheap piece of quartz. They both look shapeless, rough around the edges, and unattractive. But deep inside, the roughly shaped diamond rock hides the most valuable of stones.
The Cullinan Diamond, for example, is the largest rough diamond ever found, weighing 3,106.75 carats and valued at $400 million. But if you see a picture of this diamond when discovered in South Africa in 1905, you will find that the gem in its raw state was less than impressive. Nevertheless, its rough appearance hid a most precious stone, unrivaled to any gem in known history.
“What you see is what you get.”
Whether it’s raw diamonds or life’s circumstances, the adage “what you see is what you get” certainly does not apply, for God often hides some of his greatest blessings in the most challenging trials.
In the Old Testament book of the prophet Jeremiah, we find the northern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) exiled to Babylon after years of rebellion and idolatry against God.
When the Babylonian seize started, false prophets tickled the people’s ears with the promise that the exile would only last a short time before God would return his people to their beloved land.
But God had a purpose for the exile, which would not be accomplished overnight. And so Jeremiah gave the people the bad news: The Jews were to settle in Babylon because the exile would last 70 years.
At the end of this difficult news, however, God gave his people assurance and a promise:
“’I know the plans that I have for you (…), plans for welfare and not for calamity, (plans) to give you a future and a hope. (…) ‘You will find me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,(…) and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’”
The harsh and ugly reality of 70 miserable years in Babylon disguised a purpose that transcended the people’s understanding at the time.
The Jews had fallen into a state of such deep spiritual adultery that they forgot who they were. Therefore, as hard as the circumstances in Babylon might have been, the exile was God’s grace in disguise, for it caused the Jews to desire the long-lost intimacy with their maker, once again. And it was there that the people’s hearts started to turn back to the God of the covenant.
I cannot help but think about countless situations that looked like rough, shapeless stones, which turned out to be precious gems that changed the direction of my life.
These “rough diamonds” feel worthless, senseless, and painful:
A horrible diagnostic. Unemployment. Separation. Betrayal. Death. We’ve all had our “Babylons” — times when the hardness of our circumstances threaten to steal all hope. Months, perhaps years, when our faith was tested to its very limit.
But as children of God, we have two options:
We can choose to tie our hearts to Babylon, wishing for a short, painless exile; look away from the very lessons that God wants to teach about ourselves, his goodness, grace, and sovereignty. Or we can choose to trust the end of the prophecy, affirming our belief that the God of Abraham still honors his covenant and will certainly “restore our fortunes.”
Indeed, as I look back, I see the precious stone within each ugly trial. I see the polished rock reflecting a stronger, more authentic faith. And I see that it was not fate nor luck, but the father’s loving hands that masterfully chiseled the ugliness away, revealing the purpose and beauty of each trial. But not before I let go of what I could see… and trusted his promise and vision for my future.
What we see in the challenging parts of our earthy journey is definitely not what we get. There’s a beautiful, priceless diamond waiting inside the ugly rocks. Will you let him bring it out?
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, blogger and international speaker. Visit her website www.soaringwithHim.com to learn about her speaking ministry, Bible studies and book. For speaking engagements and comments, email pholbrook@soaringwithHim.com
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