A chip off the rock...........Part 2 by Ruth Johnson

“Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!”  Psalm 95:1 

I have continued my February theme as 500 words were not enough to make a joyful noise about being a ‘chip off the old block’ in representing my heavenly Father, and the rock of my salvation.  Each of us is a living, precious stone, a gateway to His coming Kingdom on earth, and one day to be built into that city of God where many precious stones are mentioned, but not diamonds.  Are we His diamonds being honed to take our place?    

We know His promises, and His desire to fulfill them, when we abide in Him and He in us.  As writers’ our desire is to bless people, yet over the years many of us know little of who has seen, let alone read our words.  Habakkuk complained to the Lord about the times he lived in and He answered that the revelation, or vision, awaits an appointed time and although it lingers it will certainly come and will not delay. 

I asked, “Lord, when will I see the fulfillment of my dreams?” My mother’s antique engagement ring came to mind, pictured above.   An expert informed me new techniques today would have more finely honed the diamonds, as even the smallest chip can now catch the maximum light.  The valuation described it as a 13 stones ring, but only five are seen by the naked eye, here enlarged!  In the four corners of the round diamonds tiny diamond chips lend support and light to the larger stone.  

As a precious stone I could be a diamond chip, hidden but supportive and help others sparkle in their walk with the Lord.  If the bigger diamond, and seeing God doing a new thing, am I willing to be finely honed and repositioned in a new setting enabling me to reflect more of Him in my life?  Or, like the antique ring, stay as I am where I am valued, safe and without risk. My choice is for His Will to be done for then, whatever happens, His joy will rise up within me to touch others with His love and truth.

I doubt Paul writing to the Romans, Ephesus etc. ever envisaged the world would still be reading his letters 2,000 years later!  The same goes for Tolken and Lewis whose writing reflected God’s truths bringing sales far exceeding those when they were alive.  Those stories made into films have gone beyond anything they could have hoped or imagined.

With new technology Christian books are being self-published in every genre, mostly sold in their hundreds rather than thousands.  But let’s not deride that, for there are only a few Christian authors who make big sales, and see God has opened the way for the diamond chips to write their autobiography, biography, fiction, poems, songs etc.   Be encouraged for the variety and potential of all those small sales added together can equal and change more lives than any one book.