2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV®)
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
He is changing us. Day by day, minute by minute, He is changing us … if we let Him. There is not a day that goes by that He doesn’t put us in a place to learn and grow. Sometimes it is a simple listening to that still small voice. Sometimes it is choosing to trust Him in the middle of a path we must take. Sometimes it is choosing to thank and praise Him for His presence and help in those times of trouble. Our growth is in direct correlation to how we respond in all of those times… but in the end He is changing us.
Just as diamonds are formed in the earth by extreme heat and pressure; sometimes the most beautiful representations of Christ on this earth are those who have endured hardship. Corrie ten Boom comes to mind. Most of us haven’t experienced anything close to what she did. But she is the perfect example of how God does not always spare His children from difficult things. He knows how much we can bear and what will make us into who He has created us to be. So hard days, months, years are nothing more than pressure chambers to bring about the beauty He produces in our lives as we trust Him.
I have had a song in my head all week. The chorus is written below as well as a link to the song itself. But it has been an encouragement to me this week that hard times serve a purpose. Oh we can endure them and become bitter, hard and full of self pity; or we can glean everything we can from them… learn to listen, trust, obey, and praise in the midst of them. The latter is where we are changed. We become diamonds that show His glory.
“He’s making diamonds, diamonds
Making diamonds out of dust
He is refining in his timing
He’s making diamonds out of us”*
Be encouraged. Trust Him to change you into what He desires. Experience His presence in the pressure. Learn, lean, and love. You are not alone. He is at work making something beautiful.
*“Diamonds” by Hawk Nelson from the album “Diamonds”. Release date March 17, 2015. Writers: Jason Ingram, Matthew Ryan Bronleewe, Jonathan Steingard