Jewels
The Upward Look PG 372
Shine with Living Brightness
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that
day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
Mal. 3:17
Christians are Christ's jewels, bought with an
infinite price.
They are to shine brightly for Him,
shedding forth the light of His loveliness.
And ever they are to remember that all the luster
that Christian character possesses is received
from the Sun of Righteousness.
The luster of Christ's jewels depends on the polishing that they receive. God does not compel us to be polished. We are left free to choose to be polished or to remain unpolished. But everyone who is pronounced worthy of a place in the Lord's temple must submit to the polishing process. He must consent to have the sharp edges cut away from his
character, that it may be shapely and beautiful, fitted to represent the perfection of Christ's character. . . .
The divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the precious jewels does He
polish after the similitude of a palace. With hammer and chisel He cuts away the rough edges,
preparing us for a place in God's temple. The process is severe and trying. It hurts human pride. Christ cuts deep into the experience that man in
his self-sufficiency regarded as complete, and takes away self-uplifting from the character. He cuts away the surplus surface, and putting the stone to the polishing wheel, presses it close, that
all roughness may be worn off. Then holding the
jewel up to the light the Master sees in it a reflection of His own image, and it is pronounced
worthy of a place in His temple.
Blessed be the experience, however severe, that gives new value to the stone, enabling it to shine with living brightness!
The Lord has workers whom He will call forth from poverty and obscurity. Engaged in the
common duties of life, and clothed with coarse raiment, they are looked upon by men as of little value. But Christ sees in them infinite possibilities, and in His hands they will become precious jewels,
to shine brightly in the kingdom of God. "They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Host, in that day when I make up my jewels." (Mal. 3:17).
Christ's perfect knowledge of human character fits Him to deal with minds. God knows just how to treat each soul. He judges not as man judges. He knows the real value of the material upon
which He is working in fitting men and women for positions of trust.