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Don't ever doubt that He is with
you through the greatest times of darkness
.
Deep
in our darkness, we think no one sees. But God sees. He knows. And He is
building greatness. Rough edges hewn. Raw. Real. Lasting. New things come, from
the heat, the pressure, the darkness. All elements of what it takes to bring
lasting beauty. The cracks and scars allow us to most beautifully reflect His
light. And under the careful hand of our Master Craftsman, held up in the light
of His Son, we glimmer, and shine, and sparkle, refined. Bringing purpose and
beauty through it all. He's still in control. He calls you by name. A new day
dawns... and He has good in store... for you. Shine on
Debbie
McDaniel
Greatest beauty is often formed in dark
places.
Many times we want to shine, without the pain
and uncertainty of what the hard stuff brings.
We long to reflect beauty without the glaring
weakness of deep cracks that line our stories and fill us with holes.
We want to cover what was broken and scarred,
masking the struggles of a past that took us down difficult pathways.
And yet, embracing the beauty of the broken
is what enables us to live free.
Really free. With greater purpose. Changed
hearts. And renewed vision.
She looked closely at my hand that wears my
wedding ring, turning it round and round.
It glistened in the sunlight, catching rays
that made it shine. "Mom, is this real?"
"Yes, it's real," I answered.
"Did it cost a lot?"
"Diamonds do cost a lot."
Because things crafted during dark times
often bring great treasure...
Deep within the depths of the earth, where no
one can see but God alone, rough edges are hewn, raw beauty is formed from
crushing pressures and intense heat.
Diamonds are created.
With cracks and crevices that shape its
existence, the master craftsman adds his touches, cutting lines through its
flawed state, polishing, perfecting, enabling this treasure to most beautifully
reflect the rays of the sun.
The lines, the crevices, the cracks, are what
allow diamonds to reflect the most light.
Under the careful hand of the craftsman, held
up in the light of the sun, they glimmer, and shine, and sparkle, refined.
Deep in our darkness, we think no one sees.
But God sees.
He knows. And He is building greatness.
Rough edges hewn. Raw. Real. Lasting.
New things come, from the heat, the pressure,
the darkness.
All elements of what it takes to bring
lasting beauty.
The cracks and scars allow us to most
beautifully reflect His light.
And under the careful hand of our Master
Craftsman, held up in the light of His Son, we glimmer, and shine, and sparkle,
refined.
Don't ever doubt that He is with you through
the greatest times of darkness. Bringing purpose and beauty through it all.
He's never forgotten. He's still in control.
He calls you by name.
A new day dawns... and He has good in
store... for you.
Shine on.
11 Verses of Hope, that remind us God is
faithful, and can bring good through the darkest times:
"I will give you
the treasures of darkness, and hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may
know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your
name."
- Isaiah
45:3
“Arise shine, for the
glory of the Lord has risen upon you…” - Isaiah 60:1
“The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:5
“But we have this
treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and
not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but
not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” - 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
“Consider it all joy,
my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of
your faith produces endurance.…” - James 1:2-3
“… No eye has seen,
no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who
love him."
- 2 Corinthians
2:9
“For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:10
“The steadfast love
of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every
morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23
“Now to Him who is
able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to
the power that works within us, to Him be the glory…forever and ever. Amen.” - Ephesians 3:20-21
"I have told you
these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
"He who dwells
in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I
will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’"
- Psalms
91:1-2
Debbie
McDaniel
is a writer, pastor's wife, mom to three amazing kids (and a lot of pets). Join
her each morning on Fresh Day Ahead's facebook page, DebbieWebbMcDaniel, for
daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. Find her also at
Twitter and Web Site.
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