“Your faith [is] more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire.” I Pet 1:7 (ESV) Consider how joyful many of us would be if we discovered a stash of gold in our yard. We could get rid of our mortgage, help the needy, do whatever we want in ministry and not need any income from it, give donations to other ministries we value and put our kids into the best schools. But as valuable as that gold is, it will perish. This is in spite of the fact that someone went to a lot of trouble to purify the gold with fire. Most things – like people, animals, plants – can not survive a fire. Gold can. And yet, as valuable and strong as gold is, our faith is more precious than that. In fact, gold will perish one day, but the fruits of our faith will not. Our faith connects us to God and to the eternal happiness He has promised for us. It is a great encouragement that our faith is so valuable to God; it makes God smile. What a motivation to continue to feed our faith in Him.
