Precious Jewels

Jewels or gems are precious and beautiful stones that have been used as adornment, placed in crowns of kings.
Exchanged or sold in place of money, jewels and gems have been used in the building of the temple during Biblical times. Jewels are often placed together with precious metal, like gold or silver, to make a valuable treasure.
There is a careful and painstaking process that is done before a jewel can show its beauty and luster. A jewel actually begins as a rough stone that is excavated deep inside the earth. The stone must be hewed, squared and later pressed firmly down on a polishing wheel. It is a harsh, meticulous process, but slowly, the stone will begin to show its true shine. The value of the stone depends solely upon the polishing it receives.
Precious metals also must forego an intense, yet vital purification process. They must be refined in the ore and smelting method to separate the pure molten metal from the many impurities. Before any refining, the stones and metals look like useless material. A skilled craftsman knows, however, that careful polishing and purifying of these stones and metals will transform them into valuable and exquisite adornments.
In the Bible, precious metals and jewels have been used to illustrate spiritual truths as well as to describe God’s chosen people. We are the workmanship of God. We are taken from the quarry of the world and polished and refined by our Lord, the skilled and experienced craftsman. Through various experiences of life, and through His leading and guidance, God is forming our character after His likeness. Like the polishing and refining process of jewels and precious metal, sometimes the process of refining us is tough and difficult. Only through God’s refining can we be rid of the evil and sin in our lives. But remember, God would never permit any unnecessary trial or hardship to come our way, except for the benefiting and strengthening of our character. In His love and wisdom, God knows exactly what we need to become a true Christian—a precious jewel for His kingdom.
In Malachi 3:3, 17 it says, “And he [God] shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. . .”
Someday we, as precious jewels, will shine bright and beautiful in character and our reflection shall be of Jesus Christ.
Ly Lan Nguyen