Last week while on family vacation, we had the pleasure of visiting a place called Ron Coleman’s Mining & Crystal Digging. Fun experience if ever in Hot Springs. I watched my son, dear friends and lots of other folks dig in these mounds and piles of red clay for crystals. It was obvious that some people had been there most of the day and many that seem to go frequently by the red clay stains on their vehicles, their clothes, shoes and even their hands and skin. In this experience I was reminded of God’s power and wonder in creation that in the deepest, darkest and dirtiest places, these beautiful crystals were formed. I was reminded of the joy in our works that He allows us to experience as I watched the excitement of my son find these beautiful stones of different shapes and sizes. Finding these is just part of the process. The next step was harder than finding them and that was washing and cleansing away the red clay and the stains from being embedded in this deep, dark, dirty environment for however long that may have been. I have decided that it’s impossible by our own efforts to get all the dirt and stains off. My son and I have soaked, scrubbed and pressure washed his crystals and they are still stained. In this I was reminded of God’s love and the ultimate sacrifice He gave for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that offers us the gift of salvation and washes us clean when we confess our sin and submit our life to Him in faith. Only He has the power and authority to do that. We can’t do it on our own. I pray this devotion encourages and reminds you that no matter how deep, dark, and dirty the world is there are countless precious treasures in it. Allow God to work in and through you with the gifts and talents He has given you to uncover these treasures. When He leads you to them, care for them by ministering to them and share Jesus and His gospel with them. Pray that they will put their faith in Him and experience the only washing and cleansing that will remove their stains completely, and realize that they can’t do on their own.

Posted by Danny Bracey at 2022-01-05 14:57:24 UTC