All That Glitters
“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined
in the fire, so you can become rich.”
Imagine the prospector tirelessly mining in the mountains out west, patiently pursuing the vein of gold that so many others have found, in search of a wealth that will bring security to him and his family for the rest of their lives. Finally, he sees the shiny, glittering yellow rocks he has been working so hard to find and the pace of his labor increases even more. Each rock dug out is carefully hidden from those who would get rich off of his discovery, his awareness of the dangers that are present to those who find gold in this lawless region of America’s west growing stronger with each shiny rock found.
The trip into the nearest town to cash in his treasure and to stake his claim to the mine he has been digging is filled with both apprehension at every sound and excitement thinking of his newfound wealth. The sigh of relief that comes from deep within when he enters the claims office is audible to everyone around and it is with deep pride that he places the bags of gold on the counter. But his joy is quickly turned to bewilderment followed by despair when he’s told that what he, like so many before him, has worked so hard to accumulate may look like real gold but its only pyrite, or fool’s gold as it has come to be known. Despite its shiny look, it is only a common rock worth nothing.
The Frenchman Alain de Lille wrote “do not hold everything gold that shines like gold” and Shakespeare coined the phrase “all that glisters is not gold”. And while we may have substituted the more modern word glitters in his phrase, the meaning is in no way lost. We far too often invest our time, energy and resources in what looks good on the outside and has the appearance of gold but which, in the reality of life, has no real, lasting, intrinsic value. J. R. Tolkien, in The Lord of the Rings, worded it another way saying “all that is gold does not glitter.” In the same way, all that God counts success does not look like success in the eyes of the world. And, conversely, what looks like success to the natural eye, the fool’s gold of life, is often not success in the eyes of God.
The Lord’s counsel to “buy from me gold refined in the fire” was given to a people who were saying “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” The Lord had to give them the bad news that all they considered wealth was worthless in heaven’s economy. One day, we will all lay our earthly accomplishments on the counter of heaven. Some will find that they have laid up priceless treasures in heaven by investing in that which moth and rust can never corrupt while others will face the disappointment of having been deceived by “all that glitters.” Let’s live our lives for that which is of great price in the eyes of God, investing in the lives of those He sent His only Son to die for.
God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church
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