| Proverbs 8:19 – “My fruit is better than gold and precious stones, and my increase more worth than fine silver.” |
One of our family vacations took us to South Dakota where we had the opportunity to pan for gold. Each of us was given a small pie pan and we stood along a cold river sifting and rinsing the dirt while looking for pieces of gold. All of us dreamed of being lucky and finding something of value. After several minutes I got excited when I saw flashes of light and flecks of gold at the bottom of one of my pans. I was going to be rich! But it turned out to be Fool’s Gold, iron pyrite.
Unlike the real thing, Fool’s Gold is a relatively worthless commodity because of its natural abundance and lack of industrial use. I still thought it was pretty and brought it home in a sandwich bag. It was just enough to fill a small baby food jar. Even though it was shiny, the fruit of my labors was a cup of disappointment. But I kept it as a reminder to continue to search for the truth.
God wants the fruits of our lives to be pure gold, not worthless Fool’s Gold. We are to produce things that are of value, highly prized and sought after, and not be satisfied to be worthless jars on the shelf.
Prayer: Dear Father, I want the fruits of my life to be genuine and pure, not cheap imitations of your plan for me. And although others in my life may distract me by their flashy temptations, help me keep my focus on you and your pure love for me. Amen
– Betty Gossell
