[Diamond]

So. . .its been a while. . .

One of the guys that goes to youth group (will keep his name anonymous because I'm not sure he wants it put up here) has been having some trouble with temptation of all sorts. He is so easily tempted and I have been trying my best to just be a friend to him; talk to him, hang out as often as possible at church, etc. I have noticed him grow a lot spiritually, he has been learning a lot and I know he has a heart that wants to change and mold itself according to God's will.

Well this last Sunday, we got into some pretty intense worship at Velocity. I was just getting to into it and eventually collapsed face down. When the last song ended, I looked back and noticed this guy was on his knees, face down in worship, and crying his eyes out. he talked to me about it a few minutes after CJ's message was over, and he described an image to me that God put into his head during worship.
He described it as a cave scene; CJ, Tim, and myself were standing there with pick axes. The three of us were staring up at this huge, spotless diamond. As CJ, Tim, and I walked closer to it, it started to get covered in dirt, grime, muck, anything that can un-shine a diamond.
He interprets the image as himself as the diamond, and the grime, muck, etc. was all these things that have tempted him and possibly will tempt him in the future. After he said all that, the image moved to the three of us running around the diamond, chipping off all the dirt/grime/muck that was un-shining the diamond.
He was the diamond. CJ, Tim, and I have tried to become close to him and are trying to help him and protect him from all these temptations that surround him.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this post, so I'll probably just leave it here.
Jesus lives. Temptation is out there and its not gonna go away unless you are willing to change and willing to let people know about it so they can help you through it.

[psalm 151. . .]

I have placed the fate of my life in Your hands, Lord.
Rid me of all these impurities that the devil has used to weaken me
and cover me in darkness,
for in You there is light, there is hope, there is life.
I cried to You for help, Father,
and You placed before me a path to rid myself of impurity forever.
I am walking a path of brightness
and feasting on the living water that keeps me going day by day.
No matter how terrible my sins, the love that You have shown me
and the blood that covers me,
it liberates me from the past and from the darkness that surrounds it.
We will meet You face to face someday in Heaven,
but not because of what we have done,
but in spite of what we have done.
We are so undeserving of the grace You have given us
and we are forever Yours, Lord.


Statistics show that upwards of 99 percent of men struggle with the 'impurity' discussed in this psalm. I want to throw a prayer request out; that I, as well as anyone else that this applies to, would live out the words above.

These lyrics echo around me whenever I reread this psalm.

"How I long to be broken
How I want to be near you
How my heart skips beats when
Your love accepts me as I am"

The Glorious Unseen