“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 pay off 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 gold is, it will perish. People treasure their gold and use it to make jewelry or to decorate their belongings. And someone has to go to a lot of trouble to purify the gold with fire. Living 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 with love, and it connects us to the eternal happiness He has promised for us. Isn’t it a great encouragement that our faith is so valuable to God? It makes him smile. For all these reasons we should be highly motivated to continue to stretch and develop our faith in Him.
Where in your life can you embrace more faith in God? Can you let the benefits of faith encourage you to do so?
