Proverbs 3:13-14 – How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. (NASB)

The Californian Gold Rush of 1849 is surfacing again, though in a reduced form. It pales in comparison to the real thing in the mid-1800s, when prospectors sometimes just bent down and plucked nuggets of gold off the dirt. It is more than a hobby and less than a rush — more like a fever. With gold selling upwards of $1,250 per ounce and the current drought in California, USA, many of the mountain streams have become shallow, making it easier for enthusiasts to pan for gold.

My remembrance of going for gold takes me back to the 1950s, when I went panning for gold in the Knott's Berry Farm theme park in southern California. The original Pan for Gold attraction at Knott's opened in 1947 in a sunken ravine on the edge of Ghost Town near the lava-rock volcano. There, I panned for real gold flakes and took home the results of my effort in a little glass vial.

During the original gold rush of the 1800s, the discovery of gold in California led many up to the rivers of the Sierra Mountains in search of wealth. Some left with pockets full of gold while others left broken and penniless. Holding a piece of gold in their hands, be it flour gold, gold flakes, or a nugget, filled their minds with fantasies of promised riches.

Just as prospectors pan for precious gold by washing gravel with water in a pan, so Jesus washes us as Christians in His blood and makes us precious in His sight. Furthermore, we do not have to work for it!

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (NASB)

As we journey through this life, we will encounter various trials.

1 Peter 1:7 – These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (NLT)

An eternal nugget of truth: Let us keep our eyes on Jesus so that we do not allow earthly riches to blind us to spiritual riches.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the revelation that our faith is more precious than gold. May we find wisdom and gain understanding as we continue to search and study Your holy Word. In Jesus' precious name, we pray. Amen.

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