Philippians 2:13-For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
“She’s a diamond in the rough”, is a familiar way of saying somebody has potential to become far more than she is right now. But I believe that we are much more like opals than diamonds. Did you know that an opal is made of desert dust, sand and silica and owes its beauty not to its perfection but to a defect? The opal is a stone with a broken heart. It is full of minute fissures that allow air inside, and then the air refracts the light. As a result, the opal has such lovely hues that the stone is called “the lamp of fire” because the breath of the Lord is in it.
As opal will lose its luster if it is kept in a cold, dark place, but the luster is restored when it is held in a warm hand or when light shines on it.
In so many ways, we can compare the opal to ourselves. It is when we are warmed by God’s love that we take on color and brilliance. It is when we are broken inside ourselves-through our defects-that we can give back the lovely hues of His light to others. It is then that the lamp of the temple can burn brightly within us and not flicker or go out.
Without God’s touch in our lives-His work in us to will and to do His good pleasure-there is no sparkle or scant joy. But when we allow Him to work within us-when we feel His hand upon us-we are no longer hidden treasures, we become sparkling jewels that beautify His kingdom.
Receive our prayers and hopes, God of mercy and justice, for we pray in the name of Christ, the light of the world. Amen. Written by Barbara Johnson
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Susan says
Wow, this is so powerful! What a perfect analogy. How beautifully written. We are meant to shine in His light, seek Him with eyes of faith, and pure hearts. I loved the line, the opal being “the lamp of the fire” because the breath of the Lord is in it! Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this!