Is that a diamond I see?

Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles. (Thomas Browne)

I'd have to admit - there are a few 'diamonds' I have kicked in life, all the while thinking they were just rough-edged stones not really of much value. I didn't mean to just kick them aside, but I didn't see the value in them at the time. I think we might all do this from time to time, not even cognizant of the fact we are. One thing is for sure - we can overlook some 'gems' in our midst - but God isn't content for us to just 'overlook' them. He wants us to look over those 'stones' we might have only given a cursory 'once over' in life and see them for the jewels contained within!

God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries. There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. (Psalm 19:10-12)

We sometimes have a tendency to take God's Word for granted - like a pebble we might just casually turn over, but never really closely examine for all the worth within. The more we explore the depths of God's Word, the more we realize there are treasures galore. We find what was cleverly hidden and required just a little more effort to discover. Why does God sometimes allow some of his greatest treasures to be a little 'hidden' like what appears to be worthless stones? I think it is because he wants us to get very skilled at seeing the potential within what isn't immediately obvious. There is much revealed in our tenacity to find the 'gem' within - it requires committed examination.

Some of the gems in God's Word? Might one of them be the very thing that keeps us from dangers before they occur? Could another be the ability to 'clean the slate' in our lives so nothing remains that is shameful? Perhaps the hidden gem is really the Word's ability to keep us from those stupid sins in the first place! We don't always appreciate the gem until we see it on full display. It has always been there, but we didn't know the extreme value in the tiniest of gems until they were on display in our lives.

Scrubbed clean of the grime of sin - this is probably the most beautiful of the gems we can discover in God's Word. Yes, we will make dumb mistakes in life, but let none of those mistakes be the overlooking of one of these beautifully disguised gems in God's Word. They are meant for our adornment and will always contribute to our beauty more than we realize at first glance. Just sayin!