These Go for the Gold devotionals, find us mining Scripture for golden lessons in life.
~ Go for the Gold: God's Word ~
—Psalm 19:9-10
An Olympic gold medal is mostly silver. It’s only gold-plated. That’s not true for the Word of God. Every single word is pure gold. In other words, every word has total integrity. Every verse shines. Every chapter is of utmost value.
Psalm 119 says, “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold…. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold” (verses 72, 127).
As of this writing, a single ounce of gold is worth more than $2,000. If you consider every verse in the Bible an ounce of gold, the Bible in your hands is worth more than 70 million dollars. Anything so priceless should be greatly treasured, deeply appreciated, and constantly handled. Take time to read it, to study it, to learn it, to obey it, and to share it. Whenever you grip your Bible, you hold a treasure in your hands.
The Bible our guide, far more precious than gold, the half of its glories have never been told; its wonderful words for the old and the young, the grandest e’er spoken by poor mortal tongue.
Franklin D. Barnes
~ Go for the Gold: Trials ~
—1 Peter 1:6-7
Matthew Henry made several points about this passage. First, all Christians have something wherein they may rejoice, no matter what. Second, we may still go through several trials at once. Third, the trials are fires that solidify our faith. Fourth, a tried faith is more precious than tried gold. Henry said, “Gold is the most valuable, pure, useful, and durable, of all the metals; so is faith among the Christian virtues; it lasts till it brings the soul to heaven.”1
No one wants to face anxious moments or difficult days. The strain is something greater than we can bear alone. But we can lean on Jesus, cast our cares on Him, claim His promises, and let Him carry us through the burden. As our faith grows, so do our peace of mind and our praise toward Him.
Jesus Christ will appear again in glory, and when He does so the saints will appear with him…and the more they have been tried the more bright they will then appear.
Matthew Henry
~ Go for the Gold: Wisdom ~
—Proverbs 16:16
Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Tolstoy said, “We can know only that we know nothing, and that is the highest degree of human wisdom.”
The world around us isn’t wise and cannot even define the term. Wisdom is a biblical concept that represents the viewpoint of God on every aspect of creation. In other words, wisdom is seeing the world as God does, evaluating every situation as God would, and responding to our circumstances just as if Christ Himself were responding. Wisdom is looking at life from God’s point of view.
Since the thoughts of God are assembled in His Book, it’s vital to get into your Bible so seriously that it gets into you. The more we study the thoughts of God, the more we’ll internalize them and relate them to life. We are transformed by the renewing of our minds—and that kind of wisdom is worth all the gold on earth!
Wisdom tells us how to live out the truth that we receive and impart it to others for both their eternal benefit and earthly blessing.
Charles Stanley
~ Go for the Gold: Words ~
—Proverbs 25:11
Actor Dean Cain said, “The best advice I ever got, and it’s the best advice I’d give anybody, is just don’t believe in the word no. Be persistent. Persevere. Keep going. Never, ever, ever give up.”2
Most of us can remember a sentence someone spoke to us, changing our lives in some way. The right words in the right settings represent the essence of expressed wisdom. A golden apple—either one of pure gold or of a golden variety—is beautiful, but it’s even more stunning in a hand-crafted silver bowl. In the same way, our words may be very lovely, but when we’re able to say them in just the right setting—at the right time, to the right person, and in the right way—they can be memorable.
The ability to speak golden words comes as we grow in the wisdom and words of God. Try praying: “Lord, give me the ability and wisdom to speak into the lives of others with golden words in settings of silver. Use me and my words for Your sake today.”
Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men’s souls, and a beautiful image it is.
Blaise Pascal
Sources:
1 Matthew Henry, “1 Peter 1:7 Commentary,” Precept Austin.
2 Emily Slawek, “Dean Cain on Conquering a Fear of Heights for Superman,” BETTER by TODAY, March 1, 2017.