Why Just Polish Stones When You Could Create Jewels
A man walked up to three laborers digging in the ground. As he approached the first man, he asked inquisitively what he was doing, the man looked back with a “you-should-know-this-yourself” attitude and said, “Digging a ditch.”
He walked up to second man and asked the same question. The answer was only slightly better: “I’m earning a living. Just making a living. You know, I’ve got to feed my wife and kids.”
When he asked the third man what he was doing, the man answered with a very positive attitude and with great pride, “Sir, I’m building part of a great irrigation system that will transform this old barren valley into a fertile garden that will produce food for a hungry world!”
We should all be approaching our endeavors with the same attitude as that last man, looking beyond what may seem like meaningless tasks and minor failures today, and see the bigger picture — the ultimate vision — the image of serving others.
You’ll find greater satisfaction in your daily work when you see yourself creating jewels for the crown of God, not just polishing stones, setting long-term goals to keep yourself from becoming frustrated by short-term failures.
Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision is yet for an appointed time ... though it delays, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay.
Saved by the Bell
There is a fascinating histroy to the phrase “Saved by the Bell”
Today, this expression is commonly used to refer to any event where someone is rescued, just in time, by circumstance.
Did you know its history traces bact to an event in 1696, involving a guard named John Hatfield stationed at Windsor Castle in England?
In that era, a guard’s duties were taken very seriously, which essentially meant remaining fully alert.
However, Hatfield was accused of sleeping on duty and neglecting his post. He was put on trial for this charge. Hatfield defended himself by claiming he hadn’t slept at all; instead, he said he heard the bells of St. Paul’s Cathedral—some 20 miles away in London—ring thirteen times. [Of course, that would be a rather uncommon claim, since bells don't ring beyond the 12th hour].
It was an extraordinary defense, and Hatfield was still found guilty. In those days, guards found guilty of dereliction of duty faced the death penalty by hanging.
Fortunately, a kind or curious soul—or perhaps both—pondered Hatfield’s remarkable defense long enough and decided to investigate. This person discovered that yes, the bells at St. Paul’s Cathedral had indeed rung thirteen times. Others in the community also heard and counted the thirteen bell strikes.
Hatfield’s sentence was ultimately postponed, and he lived to the age of 102. Truly, Hatfield had been “Saved by the Bell.”
This story echoes a deeper spiritual truth: we, too, stood guilty, unable to defend ourselves from the weight of our sin. But just in time, grace rang out—not from a bell tower, but from a cross on Calvary.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 (NKJV)
Jesus intervened right on time. Not because we earned it, but because God, in His mercy, made a way when none seemed possible. Just as John Hatfield was saved by a bell that validated his innocence, we are saved by the cross that validates God's love.
And even when life accuses us or we feel condemned:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
— Romans 8:1 (ESV)
So, the next time you hear the phrase "saved by the bell", remember: you’ve been saved by something far greater—by a Savior whose timing is perfect and whose grace is enough.
Truly, it is an uncommon defense, but our ONLY defense, offered by our Great Defender, indeed our Advocaate before the Father!
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1, NIV).
Seven Foot Tall and Bulletproof
History is replete with examples of bad people with bad intentions doing bad things to people. But have you ever noticed how often those bad intentions are turned on their proverbial heads, resulting in remarkable good? A quick AI search brings countless cases in point:
John Bunyan’s Imprisonment – Arrested for preaching without a license in 17th-century England, Bunyan spent 12 years in jail. During that time, he wrote The Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the most influential Christian books ever published.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – A German pastor and theologian, Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and eventually executed for his resistance to the Nazi regime. Yet his writings from prison, especially Letters and Papers from Prison, have inspired generations with their depth and courage.
The Apostle Paul – Much of the New Testament was written while Paul was imprisoned. His letters to early churches—written under duress—have shaped Christian theology and practice for centuries.
Richard Wurmbrand – A Romanian pastor imprisoned for 14 years under a communist regime for his faith. While suffering in solitary confinement and torture, he composed sermons in his mind to stay sane. After his release, he founded The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that now supports persecuted Christians worldwide.
Harriet Tubman – Born into slavery, Tubman endured unimaginable hardship. But after escaping, she returned again and again to rescue others via the Underground Railroad. The evil of slavery became the backdrop for her extraordinary courage and legacy of liberation.
In each of these examples, we see men and women stripped of their power, laid wholly vulnerable to the forces bearing against them for their harm.
These stories remind us that while evil may intend to destroy, it often becomes the very soil where resilience, purpose, and grace take root.
So what do these stories all have in common? In each of these cases, we see men and women of God submitting themselves to His higher purposes.
Submitting ourselves to God is important for many reasons, but chief among them is the key role it plays in allowing us to experience God's goodness.
In one classic OT example, we read the story of how Joseph's brothers became jealous of him and sold him into slavery. They perpetrated this crime against Joseph with nothing but bad intentions.
The remarkable part of the story was how Joseph chose to respond to his circumstances. Rather than becoming angry or bitter or playing the victim, Joseph submitted himself to a God Who had nothing but his best interests in mind. Because he submitted himself to God in the midst of his trial, it really didn't matter what his brothers’ intentions were.
By committing Himself to God, Joseph allowed God's good intentions to override the bad intentions of his brothers.
It is important to note that it was only because Joseph responded the way he did that he was able to overcome his circumstances and experience God's good intentions. The same is true for all of us.
As we live out our lives, we will be met by forces that do not have our best interests in mind. And just as Joseph was outnumbered and overpowered by his brothers, so it will be for us. At these times, we will seem to have no choice but to be subject to the forces that have marshaled themselves against us.
But we will have a choice!
Like Joseph, we will still have the option of committing ourselves to God, the choice to endure our circumstances with an attitude of humble submission.
The bottom line is God takes care of whatever we entrust to Him. So long as we yield ourselves to Him, it really doesn't matter what bad intentions come our way. We don't have to outsmart or outmaneuver every bad guy in our world. All we have to do is dedicate ourselves to God, without reservation.
When we have given all that we have and all that we are to God, the bad intentions of others can't possibly prevail against us. We are seven feet tall and bullet proof!
As Joseph explained to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (Genesis 50:20, NLT).
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).