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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Rock,minerals, gems, rockhounding, lapidary

  • Grace That Transforms

    Grace That Transforms

    From Rough Stone to Precious Jewel

    Rough and faceted garnets. An illustration of God's transformative grace.

    Over the past few days, I have been marveling at the incredible scope of God’s patient, loving mercy and grace. It really astounds me when I think that Jesus gave up His life to redeem people who were His enemies. Redeeming them was grace beyond measure, but He goes beyond that and, by the Word and Spirit, transforms us to be more like Him every day.

    The garnets on the left are rough stones as dug out of the ground. The ones on the right have been carefully faceted to reveal the inner jewel that resided in the rough stone.

    That’s what Christ does. He digs us out of the dirt and mire of our sin-filled lives and rebellion, while we are still His enemies and loves us.

    For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die — but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:7-8 ESV

    That would be unimaginable grace if He stopped there. It’s far more than any of us deserve. But He extends it further. The Lord sends the Spirit to dwell in the new believer.

    Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV

    The Lord conforms us into the image of Jesus.

    For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29 ESV

    Sometimes the Lord cuts off huge pieces of waste material. He often does that through suffering and trials.  Then He carefully considers all the facets and angles and shapes us. Lastly, He polishes each facet into a thing of beauty.

    We were made to be precious stones for the King of Kings and bring Him glory. Each one of us is unique; no two will be alike. We are all given differing genetics, personalities, circumstances, gifts and talents. Each of us is a separate piece of rough being worked in the Master’s hands.

    It’s an ongoing process that He promises to complete in us.

    For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV

    The process isn’t always easy, but hold fast. The finished product that will be our glorified life will be beautiful beyond anything we can imagine.

    Be blessed, my friends,

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    I’ve been marveling at how far God’s grace goes: it saves us while we’re still His enemies, and then patiently transforms us facet by facet into the image of Christ. Like rough garnets cut and polished into jewels, each of us is being shaped into something beautiful for the King.

    TAKEAWAY

    Christ’s grace redeemed us while we were still His enemies, dying for the ungodly rather than the righteous (Romans 5:7-8).

    The Spirit now dwells within believers, making our bodies a temple bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

    Like rough garnets faceted into jewels, God patiently cuts, shapes, and polishes each of us into the unique image of His Son (Romans 8:29, Ephesians 2:10).

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  • Thundereggs – Picture of God’s Hidden Work in Us

    A split McDermit Thunderegg showing the rough exterior and the polished interior

    Thundereggs (or thunder eggs) are one of God’s natural wonders. 

    They are rock nodules that form inside rhyolitic volcanic ash layers, kind of like a filled-in geode. Most are about baseball-sized, though they range from under an inch to over three feet across. On the outside, they just look like plain rocks, but inside they usually have a center of chalcedony, sometimes fractured and filled back in with agate, jasper, or opal. Quartz and gypsum crystals show up often too, along with other mineral growths.

    The real payoff comes when you cut one in half and polish it. What looks like nothing on the outside can reveal intricate patterns and colors inside. And like other agates, thundereggs from the same bed can still vary quite a bit from one to the next, even while keeping a kind of family resemblance. No two are identical.

    Today’s image is of the exterior of a thunderegg beside the cut and polished interior. It’s courtesy of North West Rockhounding. The inside looks far more dramatically beautiful than what we see from the outside.

    For me, they are a great visual reminder of the state of people. From the outside, even on our best days, we don’t seem very much like Christ; it’s even a less attractive picture for non-Christians.

    All people are created in the image of God (Imago Dei), but we are scarred and marred by sin. Believers get a makeover. We are born again and have the imputed righteousness of Jesus, but it takes time, effort and the loving work of the Holy Spirit to transform us.

    There will be a day, though, when all that we were created to be will show through. I can hardly wait.

    He will finish the work He has started in us.

    I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 ESV

    We come to Him rough, unfinished and unattractive, but He transforms us.

    As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5 ESV

    The beauty of being transformed into His image will be seen by all of His children. What a moment that will be.

    I can hardly wait to see the finished you and me. The world’s finest gems and thundereggs will pale in comparison.

    My God richly bless you.

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    I share how a thunderegg looks like nothing but a plain rock on the outside, yet holds dazzling color and pattern once it’s cut open and polished. It’s a picture of how we come to Christ rough and unfinished, but He is doing the patient work of transforming us into what we were created to be.

    TAKEAWAY

    Thundereggs form as rock nodules inside volcanic ash, appearing plain outside but often hiding chalcedony, agate, jasper, or opal within

    Believers are made in God’s image but scarred by sin; through Christ we receive imputed righteousness and undergo ongoing transformation by the 

    Holy Spirit

    Philippians 1:6 promises God will finish the good work He started in us, and one day that inner beauty will fully show through

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