Taking a closer look at God's gifts...



Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Are You a Rock or a Gem?


At first glance, this picture looks blurry, a bit fractured,  maybe even confusing. But it drew me in like a piece of pecan pie when I saw it. I like taking this kind of photo because I can use them to demonstrate things I think God is trying to tell me. 

This is a picture of the creek bed at the Discovery Center nature trail at Murfree Spring, Murfreesboro, Tennessee—not that this particular location is unique to scenes of this kind. All around our planet, large and small bodies of water hide treasures beneath their surfaces. Sometimes depth conceals what’s down there. Other times it might be sand or the murkiness of troubled waters riled up by high winds, choppy waves, and swift currents. Nevertheless, at the bottom of all bodies of water, no matter how deep, shallow, murky, or clear, lies treasure. 

But even this scene would look unremarkable and drab without the play of the sunshine tiptoeing across the water. Ordinary river rocks which, for the most part,` are flat in color and nondescript, take on nuances of intricately-detailed, exquisite gems. Colors explode, and ripples on the water alter their hues and brightness, reflecting the glimmering rays of the sun in ways that man will never duplicate. 

Are we any different than the lowly pebbles in this stream? No. We too can be dull-looking, sharp with our family, colleagues, and friends, and certainly not sparkling like gems. But when we belong to Jesus, we help to manifest His glory and be seen by others as He would have them see us—reflecting His glory and His power. As with everything else, we’re more beautiful, serene, faceted, reflective, and ever-changing as we bask in the glory of the Son.

See you along the trail.