Tuesday, October 22, 2024

PART TEN: THE QUARRY STAGE, THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER

 

Microsoft stock photo

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10

A place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted.

1 Kings 5:17

At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.

King James Version (KJV)

17 And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

New Living Translation (NLT)

17 At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple.

The Message Bible (MSG)

17 Following the king's orders, they quarried huge blocks of the best stone - dressed stone for the foundation of The Temple.

American Standard Version (ASV)

17 And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with wrought stone.

GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)

17 The king commanded them to quarry large, expensive blocks of stone in order to provide a foundation of cut stone for the temple.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Throughout this bible study, great emphasis was given to the right foundation. And this stage is not built at the temple site—which is your end destination but shaped at the quarry.

Each of the underlined words in 1 Kings 5:17 has a specific meaning that indicates the qualifying features of the stones.

The moment that you agree to follow, the shape process begins. The moment you say, not my will but your will, God begins to strip you of all humanistic emotions and beliefs. You will become one of the stones that will be put into the foundation, fearing nothing, overcoming every trail and temptation thrown your way, and ready to be used. A perfect stage.

You cannot be effective before this stage is done in your life. Here you learn the necessity to listen, read and study the scriptures, be obedient to God’s Word and know who you are in Christ.

We call it the quarry stage.

This is not the moonshine-and-roses stage.

This is the blood, spit and tears stage.

This is the reason Jesus says often throughout the Bible, “Do not be afraid.” Because He wants you to grow in faith and stature.

And when you become tired and weak, you will hear the words, “My grace is sufficient for you,” to sustain you through the journey.

Another word you will also hear to the point of irritation and annoyance is “Wait”. More than you would like, but this one-word instruction will keep you on guard the entire narrow path towards the temple.

Why? Because God knows what you need to guide you to the overcoming part of your walk. The quicker you listen, the quicker you will be placed into the temple’s structure. Ready to be used for His kingdom.  

1 KINGS 6:7

And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. (NKJ)

At the quarry, you will be cut into shape. This is a painful experience; nothing will be left for later. It will be dealt with; whether you like it or not. Remember; you are not meant to stay here. So, get it done quickly.

This experience must be done outside the temple area. Here you must be aligned with the right people (string line) who will help you to get healed. Here, God will appoint a set man (who follows Christ) over you to be shaped. And through the father-son wineskin connection, you will to be used as a perfect stone within the Kingdom. Here, you will get to know your weaknesses and your strong points, here, your blind spots will be exposed, and all schisms removed. Everything will be smoothed away for you to fit in perfectly.

Let’s look at the features again.

· Hewed: hew something (out of something) (formal) to make or shape something large by cutting

· Expensive blocks: you have been bought by a price; a very expensive price.

· Costly stones: only one person paid the price because it was so costly. You cannot pay that price no matter how good a person you think you are.

· Dressed stones: no cuddling will take place here. You will be pinched, struck, pulled and measured.

· High-quality stones: you will be unearthed, washed, burned, even chiselled some more until Christ’s image is revealed in you.

· Best stones: you must be the best stone this quarry produces.

2 Timothy 2:19

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

We must bear the seal of God to qualify.

This qualifying test involves:

· You will be weighed.

· Make sure your balance is correct

· Your intellect will be tested

· Your ears will be pierced.

· Your tongue restraint.

· Your eyes washed.

· Your dress code changed

· Your life examined

· Your speech polished

· Lies exposed

· Mindsets challenged

Here, you must learn to overcome. This is not a suggestion either. You will go through these tests until you learn to reign amid your enemies. Until you are dressed, polished and hewed like David’s smooth stones.

A word that has come several times in the last couple of the weeks and has to do with this stage, as well, is not to use God’s Word as a COMMON THING.  

Sometimes we get to blaze with the Word, and we become dispassionate with God’s presence that the word begins to fall at the wayside. Lukewarmness is one of our biggest enemies there. You must make sure that God’s Word is always fresh every day. We must be aware of every day. We should examine our hearts regularly to not fall into this trap of apathy. Especially when we think God is taking too long or when you question God’s timing.

We must endure with the finishing line in our sight. We must not try to rush things or even to sidestep it. We must be provoked to really test ourselves to the full extend of God’s Word. That is our Source.

I pray that as you examine yourself during this time that you will truly fall in love with God, once again. That your eyes will be open and that you will act quickly to every instruction you receive.

May your chiselling be swift.

Grace and peace to you. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

PART ELEVEN: PRACTICAL WAYS TO APPLY THE CONCEPT OF THE PLUMB LINE IN MODERN LIFE.

  Microsoft stock photo After asking ChatGPT about this topic, the AI came up with some very practical ways to apply the plumb-line process ...