Diamonds

 🎧CoffeeTime Audio

Diamonds by Hawk Nelson, another song has inspired another blog. 

First a little about diamond formation;

"Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth about 100 miles or so below the surface in the upper mantle. Obviously in that part of the Earth it's very hot. There's a lot of pressure, the weight of the overlying rock bearing down, so that combination of high temperature and high pressure is what's necessary to grow diamond crystals in the Earth......"

"The diamonds that we see at the surface are ones then that are brought to the surface by a very deep-seated volcanic eruption. It's a very special kind of eruption, thought to be quite violent, that occurred a long time ago in the Earth's history. We haven't seen such eruptions in recent times. They were probably at a time when the earth was hotter, and that's probably why those eruptions were more deeply rooted. These eruptions then carried the already-formed diamonds from the upper mantle to the surface of the Earth. When the eruption reached the surface it built up a mound of volcanic material that eventually cooled, and the diamonds are contained within that. These are the so-called Kimberlites that are typically the sources of many of the world's mined diamonds...."

"Diamonds are made of carbon so they form as carbon atoms under a high temperature and pressure; they bond together to start growing crystals. Because of the temperature and pressure, under these conditions, carbon atoms will bond to each other in this very strong type of bonding where each carbon atom is bonded to four other carbon atoms." (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/diamonds-unearthed-141629226/)

I know that there have been other correlations of people to diamonds but from the first time I heard this song quite a few years ago, I have liked it!

I have stated before that we as Christians should expect trials, I have blogged several times on that idea.  

Trials are a part of living in a sin filled world, part of being human, and also part of our growth process, not just as a Christian, but as a person. Without hard times, those as consequences of our own choices and even those not caused by us, how would we ever learn how to cope (how to shine), how to make a wrong right, how would we learn how to learn!?

 Sometimes the trials that we have to endure are tremendous, for us....

remember EVERYONE has trials, but what you may suffer as a trial may not be as difficult for another, or maybe their trial doesn't seem to you to be "any big deal". We MUST remember that each person's trial and how they perceive it is as unique as each individual, even if they are in the same circumstance.

Ok I will jump off my little soap box now. 😉

Sometimes the trials we have to endure are tremendous; we feel we are buried, lost in a dark place, tested by fire from all sides.

Some of the lyrics to the song Diamonds speak to that.

Here and now I'm in the fire
In above my head
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Being held under the pressure
Don't know what'll be left
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Matt Bronleewe, Jonathan Steingard. For non-commercial use only

Scripture tells us we WILL face times like these.

📖 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

📖 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

But we can have hope! Through the trial we are being "moved to the surface"!  Moved from the darkness to the light. 

📖You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;

    my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm18:28

He shakes the foundations, moves the mountains and brings the beauty to the surface.

📖He moves mountains without their knowing it

    and overturns them in his anger.

    He shakes the earth from its place

    and makes its pillars tremble.  Job 9:5-6

📖 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,

    and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Psalm 102:25

📖   and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.  Isaiah 61:3

 He is in it all! No matter where we find ourselves, He is there! There is no place too far or too dark for Him to be there with us. 

📖 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,” 

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12

📖 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

I find this part powerful;

I'll surrender to the power of being crushed by love
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
'Til the beauty that was hidden
Isn't covered up
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Oh it's not what I hoped for (hoped for)
It's something much better   Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Matt Bronleewe, Jonathan Steingard. For non-commercial use only

We must surrender! Surrender to what God is doing in what is happening around us, to us, because it is in THAT that God's grace and power will be shown and He is going to bring about change, draw us closer to Him, bring strength and beauty despite...NO....because of what we have gone through!

He literally formed man from the dust of the earth (dust that He created remember).  He can create beauty from your circumstances!

📖Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7a (GW)

📖 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

📖Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

📖Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;

    in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Remember, things may turn out differently from what we had hoped, even prayed for, but in submitting to Him and His ways we know that it will be something much better!

We also need to remember that once a diamond comes to the surface, it is in its raw form, there is more work to be done to bring out all the facets of its beauty. 

We will continue to be worked on, to be chiseled (pruned), to bring out all that God has created us to be!

 📖He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  John 15:2

📖 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

🙏My prayer this week is that in whatever circumstance we are in we all surrender to the power of His love for us to allow Him to do a great work in us, to create diamonds out of dust!❤️

Listen to the song!

🎵Diamonds by Hawk Nelson