Keep It Real

Objective: Make your choices based on God’s realities, rather than the world’s temporary ones.

Diamond Quotes:

“It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” – Dolly Parton

Dear Diamond,

We all know who is really a girl’s best friend.

Sincerely, Chocolate Cake.  –Anonymous

Pecos Diamond Factoid:  The best way to find Pecos diamonds is to look at the desert floor when the sun is at low angles. Look for small areas that seem to sparkle like diamonds.

 

            These days, it’s hard to know what’s real and what isn’t. Even popular reality shows are scripted and seldom what they seem to be (sorry if I’m bursting anyone’s bubbles). So, what makes the Christian real and authentic? How do we differ from others? I think it actually goes back to the basics of what makes man different from all other animal creatures—even though both man and animal creatures were created by one Creator God.

            When God created man, he set them above the other creatures. He gave man the capacity to reason; the capacity to choose between good and evil (the Garden of Eden is proof that we failed miserably on that one). Science can prove that some animals do have the capacity to choose good over bad, but God gave man something deeper. He gave man the ability to repent. Not only this, but to facilitate true repentance, he sacrificed his one and only Son, Jesus Christ. No other creature can accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

            To be a Christian is to repent of sin and accept Christ as your Savior. It is striving to be like Him in all you think, say, and do. That is not easy, and all too often mistakes happen. In fact, the Bible assures us that ALL of us are sinners and fall short of God’s grace. But God provides the means of forgiveness through his perfect GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, and dear friends that is what makes us an authentic Christian.

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

            The greatest temptation we face is being an authentic Christian on Sunday with our church-going friends, then falling short come Monday morning. If you struggle being a “real” Christian during the week; don’t worry, the apostle Paul struggled, too. His frustration with sin is recorded in a tennis-ball (or more contemporarily pickleball) style of writing, and although this first passage is a little lengthy, keep in mind the picture of back and forth action over the net. Two additional scriptures have also been provided.

Romans 7:15-19, 20-21, 25, and 8:1-2)  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. … Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. … Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! … Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 10:9-10, 13 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. … for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

1 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person (KJV: new creature / NIV: new creation). The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            Guide my choices today. Help me demonstrate to the world what it means to be a “real” Christian. Let the world see a difference in the forgiven and grace-filled me.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional Keep It Real  appeared first for a Pecos Diamonds Devotional series,

written and compiled by Dotty Willmon, August-September 2018;

updated and posted September 2024 on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

 

Pecos Diamonds

 

            During the summer of 2004, our youth group sponsored a church-wide trek to the Pecos River wilderness in search of Pecos diamonds. Many of you might be wondering what Pecos diamonds are or what they look like. Pecos diamonds are double-ended quartz crystals known for their varied size (often large) and their wide variety of colors (e.g., white, pink, rose, coral, red, deep purple, and variegated). They can be found in abundance along the Pecos River Valley in southeastern New Mexico. Anyone who is a true “Rock Hound” might be interested to know that they are rated as a #7 on the gems and minerals hardness scale.

            Pecos diamonds are crystalline structures formed from the inside outward. In other words, it might actually look like an ordinary rock until it shatters revealing the beautiful quartz-like structures on the inside. It is said the best place to look is a sandy, desert-like place that looks like several dishes or pieces of glass have been broken. There in the shiny fragments, one can find Pecos diamonds in abundance. Of course, there are other “diamonds” in abundance, too. The diamond-back rattlesnake is popular in these areas as well…but we won’t discuss that right now.

            Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Pecos diamond is in its hidden beauty. It must be broken open to be revealed. How ironic are the similarities between the Bible and Pecos diamonds! Until the Bible is opened, and read with frequency, we are unable to discover the wonderful truths it reveals to us.

            Here is a list of only just a few precious promises given to us in the Bible, taken from the New International Version (NIV).

The promise of a guide for everyday life:

Psalm 119:11  I have hidden you word in my heart that I might no sin against you.

The promise of a comfort by night and a guide for the day:

Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

The promise that He will be with us always:

Matthew 28:20  And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.

The promise that we shall be with Him forever:

John 14:2-3  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

And perhaps the greatest promise of all… that God loves us!

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

            Wow! These are amazing promises. We say that it is “hard to put a good book down.” We also agree that the Bible is the best book of them all. So why is it then that we tend to disregard the Bible as “the daily bread of life” and treat it more like cake “for special occasions?” Because he died when I was only 12, I have only a few memories of my father, George Raymond. But one of the best memories is that Dad made sure a Bible was in our hand when going to church; but it was also a part of our daily lives as well. My grandmother, Helen Wrigley, spent many winter months each year in our home and I have many more memories of her. One of the most special memories will always be her dedication to daily reading of the scriptures.  Additionally, I have heard it said many times, “The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

            I truly believe that we are being called as a Christian people to once again renew our dedication to daily reading the written Word of God. It is our guide book for daily living. It is also an invaluable source of comfort and hope for whatever our current circumstances may be. I am confident we would all agree that the promises contained in the Bible are worth far more than Pecos diamonds! They are worth far more than silver, or even gold! One of our older hymns reminds us of just how precious the Bible’s promises are:

Far More Precious than Gold (Franklin D, Barnes, 1905)

The Bible our guide, far more precious than gold, the half of its glories have never been told; Its wonderful words for the old and the young, the grandest e’er spoken by poor mortal tongue.

The Bible our counsel, reveals precious truth, support for the aged, the guide of our youth; A comfort by night and a guide for the day, and glorious things at the end of the way.

Exceeding great promises here do we see, and they are most precious to you and to me; the promise that He will be with us always, then we shall be with Him forever to stay.

The wonderful things in the Bible contained, most heart-stirring tidings man ever proclaimed; The wonderful things of the Bible are true, and this is the dearest, that Jesus loves you!

Far more precious than gold, far more precious than gold, The wonderful things revealed to us are far more precious than gold.

 

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            Thank you for the precious gift of your Holy Word. May we never take for granted the privilege we have in owning and reading our own Bible. May we humbly seek your Word for daily guidance, comfort, and hope in the coming days.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional Pecos Diamonds  appeared first for a televised devotional series,

written by Dotty Willmon, October 2004 and read by Marian Wrigley on closed-circuit

ACV TV-2, Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL;

updated and posted September 2024 on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

 

What Are Pecos Diamonds?

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Hebrews 10:22-25 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

            In October 2018 I was asked to present morning devotions for a ladies’ retreat to Branson, MO. That trip was amazing and the fellowship we shared strengthened many friendships. However, rather than “teach lessons” each morning, I decided to write a small devotional packet that the ladies could use individually, with shared groups in the hotel rooms, or together as a whole group, and at any time during the day. The idea was to share our thoughts with each other during the day as opportunities presented themselves. The goal was that we might be encouraged, strengthened, and blessed as we shared time with one another while we participated in the various Branson activities scheduled for each day.

            One additional comment; our leader, Stephenie B., had specifically requested of me that the topic for the devotions be centered around the theme of Pecos Diamonds. She remembered a Sunday School series I had taught years prior to our ladies’ retreat. Through the years I have revisited those Sunday School lessons and the devotionals written on that topic; and now I feel led to post those devotionals on Write From My Heart in the hopes that you, dear reader, will also find peace, strength, encouragement, and discover ways of putting into practical application the truths from God’s Word.

            Blessings to you, dear reader!

What are Pecos Diamonds?

 

            As we journey together through the next several days on our theme, we will discover many fascinating facts about Pecos diamonds. You will discover a little more each day. For now, my favorite facts are that each diamond has its own unique characteristics, and so do we. The Pecos diamond must be shattered to reveal the inner hidden beauty of the quartz crystal, and sometimes that is what happens to us. It is persevering through the difficult times, the shattering times, that the inner beauty of belonging to Christ is revealed in our lives. And it is through these times we find the most opportunities to encourage one another.

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            Thank you for the beauty we find in Pecos diamonds and all the other wonders of your creation. Thank you for providing friends who encourage us through shattering times. But most of all, thank you for your constant abiding presence in our lives.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional What are Pecos Diamonds?  appeared first on Write From My Heart at

https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com