The Cut

I read of a diamond found in an African mine that was so magnificent it was presented to the King of England to adorn his crown of state.  The King sent it to Amsterdam to be cut.  It was taken to an expert lapidary (diamond cutter), who cut a notch in it and struck it hard with his cutting tool, splitting the gem in two.

To the untrained eye it looked too much, it seemed careless and wasteful, if not criminal to split such a superb jewel.  But far from reckless, the lapidary studied the uncut diamond for weeks.  Drawings and models were made.  The diamond's qualities, defects and lines were mapped out to the smallest detail.  The man who was to make the cut was one of the finest lapidaries in the world.  His cut was not careless, it was care-filled.

The diamond cutter knew exactly how to bring out the best in the gem, creating the twin jewels that only his trained eye saw in the stone, which would adorn the King's crown of state.  What appeared to have been the destruction of the diamond actually was the redemption of the rough, uncut stone taken from the mine.

Although Job did not truly understand it himself, in response to the accusation that he was evil, told told his friends to ask the animals and the birds, for "Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? (Job 12:9).  Not understanding why it was happening to him, he knew it was God's hand upon him.

Like the diamond in the rough and Job who went through such rough treatment, perhaps you have been going through rough times as well.  Maybe you feel like you have been sliced and diced, cut asunder.  Perhaps you cannot believe just how roughly you've been treated or deeply you've been cut. But perhaps it is just that you do not have the eye of the Master Lapidary, who knows exactly what needs to be cut away to allow you to properly adorn the King's Crown.

Maybe what appears to be your ruin is instead your redemption.  As the apostle Paul put it, we "glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Rom 5:3-5).   Jus' Say'n.