Diamonds and stones

In southwest Arkansas there is a diamond mine. That's right, a genuine diamond mine. At the turn of the 20th century diamonds were mined commercially at the site, producing high-grade diamonds, mostly colored stones.

When the lode no longer yielded diamonds in sufficient quantities to be commercially feasible, the mining operation shut down. The land owner would then let folks hunt diamonds on the property for a small fee, and they got to keep whatever they found.

Over the years, many gems, large and small were found. Hunting was particularly good after heavy rains. In time, the site near Murfreesboro, Arkansas became a state park. Now visitors from around the nation come to have a day of fun (work!) digging in the fields of the mine, hauling the soil to the sluice boxes and looking for the precious stones. And, almost daily, some people are rewarded for their efforts by finding a real diamond. Most folks find only ordinary stones.

Human beings are like that, you know. Most folks spend their lives working to find something of value, something they can treasure. For some it is a physical treasure hunt for gold, silver, diamonds, money, power and prestige. They dig in the dirt and try to sluice away the worthless debris to find something of value. Most never really find the real treasure, though they may find physical riches along the way.

At the diamond mine that I described, the park rangers teach the intrepid searchers what to look for to guide them in their hunt before they start their quest. Mankind has some vital, necessary instruction available to give guidance about what to look for in life. It is found in the Holy Bible, which is the inspired revelation from the Creator God.

Most people have the book, but very few read it and even fewer do what it says. As a result, most people never really find what they are looking for. They look for "diamonds" and find only "stones." Since they haven't followed the instructions, they end up looking in the wrong places, or they don't recognize valuable things when they see them, so most end up only with stones.

Solomon, wise king of Israel, wrote long ago: "My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1–5).

He also wrote: "There is gold and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel" (Proverbs 20:15).

Knowledge of God's way and His instructions for living will enable you to find what is truly valuable in this life—"diamonds," if you will—and help you avoid spending your time on worthless activities or "stones" of no lasting value.

To help you in your prospecting for what is valuable in this life, and the life to come, we offer a Bible study course. It is easy to follow and contains 24 very interesting and informative lessons. It is available to you totally free of charge in either of two formats; a printed version or the online version.

Don't take a chance on missing the "diamonds." Enroll in the Bible Study Course today!