“This is so cool,” said the gentleman behind me as we were stepping off the tour bus. We were touring Alaska, and one of our excursions was an old gold mine. The mine itself was not profitable except for the tourist draw. Each of us was given a bag of dirt excavated from the mine, and we panned for flakes of gold on a trough of running water. Every now and then you would hear an “o-o-o-h-h” or “a-h-h-h” as someone found a flake of gold, or occasionally a minuscule nugget. It was a fun day, but no one went home with any substantial increase in their net worth. The small plastic vial with our minuscule flakes is currently in a box somewhere in the attic (I think).
Going after shiny objects is part and parcel of our current church culture. Pastor and author Brandon Guindon refers to it as the “shiny object culture,” where church leaders “chase after the latest and greatest of what’s popular.” (Disciple-Making Culture, p. 37) Many pastors have this idea that their church members are going to take their Sunday morning sermon and go out and change the world. I am not diminishing the Sunday morning sermon. I am always having “o-o-o-h-h” or “a-h-h-h” moments on Sundays as gems of wisdom frequently come from the pulpit. There will always be a flake or nugget of spiritual truth or insight to be found if you have “ears to hear.” But Sunday morning is equivalent to the bag of dirt I panned through in Alaska looking for a few flakes of gold.
In Scripture, it is God’s wisdom and His commandments that are referred to as gold. “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” (Proverbs 3:13-15, ESV)
We see that wisdom is more precious than jewels, but what about God’s law and commandments? The Psalmist declares, “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (Psalm 119:72) He goes on to say, “Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.” (119:127)
“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.” (Proverbs 16:16) Gold, silver, and precious jewels are rarely found lying on the ground. You need to go mining to find them in abundance. You need to dig in the location that will yield the best results. When it comes to God’s wisdom and commandments, you need to dig into His Word.
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5) In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul ties this to Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2-3)
We live in a world sadly lacking in wisdom. God offers His people all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; all we have to do is ask (James 1:5). As much as I love the Sunday morning “flakes” and “nuggets,” they will not sustain me for the week, nor are they intended to. They are to create a desire in our hearts to mine the Word of God for the treasures it contains. If you have a Bible, you have a treasure map of wisdom and knowledge, and the Holy Spirit is your treasure guide. Time to start digging!
What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!
