Go! And Shine Like Diamonds In The Darkness - Malachi 3:17 Series

Go! And Shine Like Diamonds in the Darkness - Malachi 3:17

Malachi 3:17 (NLT): “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child.”

Introduction: Diamonds in the Dust

Imagine walking through a muddy field after a storm. The ground is dark, the air thick — yet suddenly, you notice a tiny glimmer catching the sunlight. You stoop down, brush away the dirt, and find something precious: a diamond! Hidden beneath the grime, yet radiating beauty once revealed.

That, my friends, is a picture of what God does with us. He takes us — broken, buried in sin, seemingly worthless — and through His grace in Jesus Christ, He cleanses, refines, and transforms us into something of eternal worth.

Today’s message — “Go! And Shine Like Diamonds in the Darkness” — reminds us that God not only redeems us, but He polishes us to reflect His glory in a dark world.

1. Diamonds: Symbols of God’s Unbreakable Covenant

Ezekiel 28:13 (NLT): “You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone—red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone, blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper, blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold.”

This verse describes the splendour of Eden and the adornment of the anointed cherub before his fall — but the imagery of precious stones reflects the beauty and value of God’s creation and His covenantal glory.

The Hebrew word for diamond, “yahalom” (???????), comes from the root meaning “to strike hard” or “to be unbreakable.” It symbolises strength and purity, characteristics of God’s covenant — unbreakable, eternal, and unchanging.

Isaiah 54:10 (NLT): “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

God’s promises are like diamonds — imperishable and brilliant. His Word will not fade, His love will not fail, and His covenant stands firm.

Charles Stanley once said, “God’s promises are like stars; the darker the night, the brighter they shine.”

And as I’d add — and the longer they’re held up to the light of Christ, the more brilliant their beauty becomes.

When life pressures you — when trials feel crushing — remember, diamonds are formed under pressure. The same God who redeems your soul uses life’s challenges to shape you into a reflection of His steadfast love.

2. Diamonds: Refined by Pressure and Fire

Zechariah 13:9 (NLT): “I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them.”

Though diamonds are not refined like metals, they form deep in the earth through extreme heat and pressure. Spiritually, the same principle applies — God uses pressure to perfect us.

The Hebrew word for “refine” — tsaraph (?????) — means to smelt, to test, or to prove genuine. God doesn’t crush us to destroy us; He presses us to produce purity.

James 1:2–4 (NLT): “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

The Master Jeweller

A story is told of a jeweller refining gold. A young apprentice asked, “When do you know it’s ready?” The master smiled and replied, “When I can see my reflection in it.”

That’s exactly what God is doing with us. Through trials, through refining, through the heat of life — He is bringing us to reflect the image of Christ.

John Piper once said, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

In suffering, our satisfaction in Christ becomes the clearest. Like diamonds, we shine brightest against the darkness.

Don’t despise the pressure. Embrace the process. Because every trial you face is an opportunity for the radiance of Jesus to shine through you.

3. Diamonds: Chosen and Set for Display

Malachi 3:17 (NLT): “They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure.”

In Malachi’s day, many doubted God’s justice. Yet God declared that those who feared Him were His “segullah” (????????) — His treasured possession, His chosen jewels.

We are not worthless stones cast aside — we are selected, cleansed, and set by God to radiate His glory.

1 Peter 2:9 (NLT): “For you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.”