Caterpillars And Diamonds
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.
— Ecclesiastes 7:8
–––
Look at David’s Lord and Master; consider His beginning. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Then look at the end! He sits at His Father’s right hand, waiting until His enemies are made His footstool. ‘As He is so are we also in the world.’ You must bear the cross or you will never wear the crown; you must wade through the water or you will never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian. ‘Better is the end of a thing than it’s beginning.’
View the creeping worm — how contemptible its appearance! It is the beginning of a thing. Mark that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunbeams, sipping at the flowers, fullness of happiness and life — that is the worm’s end. You are that caterpillar, wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; but when Christ appears, you will be like Him, for you will see Him as He is. Be content to be like Him, a worm and no man, so that like Him you may be satisfied when you wake up in His likeness.
The rough-looking diamond is put upon the wheel of a gem-smith. He cuts it on all sides. It loses much — much that seems costly to itself. The king is crowned; the diadem is put upon the monarch’s head accompanied by the trumpet’s joyful sound. A glittering ray flashes from that coronet, and it beams from that same diamond that was so recently fashioned at the wheel. You may venture to compare yourself to such a diamond, for you are one of God’s people; and this is the time of the cutting process.
Let faith and patience have their perfect work, for in the day when the crown is set upon the head of the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, one ray of glory shall stream from you. ‘They shall be mine, says the Lord of Hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession.’ ‘Better is the end of a thing than its beginning.’
- Morning and Evening, December 30, Morning (C.H. Spurgeon)
O, beloved!
There are days when you just want to be at the end already, yes? When your body, mind, and heart are weary, and you long to lay your head down in a soft, safe space? I know, beloved; I know…
The end will be glorious, won’t it?! It’s a joy to be able to anticipate such never-ending gladness Together!
But, beloved? The butterfly? She doesn’t start out as such, does she? Nay, sweet one. She begins her life as a caterpillar, inching along the ground, so very slowly; weak, a wee bit slimy, looking something like a small serpent, perhaps? Unnoticed at best; contemptible to most? (Of course, not to me - you know how much I love insects!)
We’re like her, beloved - not much to look at really at the start, and as we grow, we too become wrapped up in the chrysalis of death, still and slow. It looks like nothing is happening in that translucent sack. Time drags on and on. We’re tempted to fret - what is even happening in there?! But O beloved! What joy when she emerges - absolutely beautiful and full of life, vivid in color, delicate but strong, able to fly! She’s been transformed, beloved! Been given wings to soar ever upward, toward her good and merciful King!
And beloved?
So too are we like the rough stone, yes? His image, it’s there, hidden inside of us somewhere, somehow since before Time began…but it’s temporarily obscured by sin. It’s not yet as breathtaking as it will One Day be! We aren’t as breathtaking as we will One Day be!
But His chisel is at work even now, beloved. Can you feel it, carefully, rather painfully, cutting away all that separates us from Him and threatens to destroy us? He’s trying to get rid of all the ugly, needless bits, so the glorious bits can be more fully revealed and shine forth for His pleasure, yes?
He asked His very own Son to bear such pain, did He not? Not that He was sinful, of course - and yet, He willingly took on all our sin, all our pain. Christ Himself underwent such a transformation, from a wee, helpless babe in a stable to the reigning, victorious King of all of heaven and all of earth! And by what means, beloved? By the bearing of His cross.
And so, the end is better than the beginning, sweet one. Aye, it is indeed so!
But, beloved, let us not lose sight of the truth that the chrysalis, the chisel, the cross…these are His necessary tools, His merciful instruments, which He uses expertly to take us from a less desirable state to a more desirable state. Please, let us not despise or shrink from His work in us, as painful as it may be. He is as tender as He can be, while still accomplishing His purposes, is He not? He only wants our ultimate good. The pain cannot be helped, but only serves to further the glorious transformation He so desires for us.
We will let faith and patience have their work, will we not? Gladly?
We’re still at the beginning, beloved! He isn’t finished yet! But the end will come! And when it does, I pray that He will look upon us Together with tenderness and whisper gently in our ears, ‘Well done, my beloved boy, my beloved girl - well done indeed! Come! Dwell with me forever! All I have is yours! You have asked and now, now is when I grant your every desire! Enter in and be at Peace!’
May it be so.
Amen.