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Greater Than Gold
By Ken Reid

Throughout the ages, gold has had an incredible pulling power. In 1855, it called men across continents and oceans to the gold fields of Otago, New Zealand. Is it possible that there exists something more powerful than gold?

here can be few places on earth that have so many contrasts of scenery jam-packed into such a small area as the South Island of New Zealand. Whether you are a fan of snowcapped mountain peaks, rolling country plains, lakes or glaciers, God seems to have created this garden to emphasize His imagination.

Thousands of overseas visitors from far and wide pass through every year to explore this wonderland designed and created by God.

Gold rush!

In 1855, a different influx of visitors took place. They also came from far and wide, yet the scenery was the last thing on their minds. Their target was the newly discovered gold fields of Otago. Gold miners who had gained experience in California and in Ballarat, Australia, found themselves mixed in the surge toward this remote area alongside British miners and around 5,000 Chinese men who had left their wives and families behind. So many different people, but all with the same goal -- to improve their position and gain a better standard of life.

Yet there is something more important than gold.

Amazingly, there is something to be sought more than gold.
Skippers Canyon near Queenstown, New Zealand, was one of the more popular gold mines. The road winds around the cliff edge, threading its way deep into the canyon through rugged yet beautiful scenery. It must have been a struggle to build such a road by hand in such a remote area. The workers were obviously strengthened by the enormous pulling power of gold.

Yet there is something even more powerful than gold.

Toward the end of this narrow road lies a small graveyard where the journey for some of the miners came to an end. Poor living conditions brought fatal disease; others died because of accidents, while squabbles in lonely places led to murders. Many headstones show a single Chinese name -- the name of someone who traveled so far to fulfill a dream and make a fortune in the hope of returning home and providing his family with a better way of life.

Gold mines of wisdom

Amazingly, there is something to be sought more than gold. While gold is precious, wisdom is more so (Proverbs 16:16). It is even free for the asking (James 1:5). Solomon pleased God when he asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:7-13). His counsel was sought from far and wide (1 Kings 10:1-7), and his wisdom was shared to the benefit of others.

Wisdom is linked to every action we may take (Proverbs 1:2-7). Only God has all the answers to the many situations we are involved in, all of which He is happy to pass on. Time and again God underlines wisdom as the treasure to dig for. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are gold mines of treasure where we are guaranteed to strike it rich.

Taught wisdom through trials

Trials are necessary to clear out the dross within us so wisdom can begin to shine in all our actions.
When wisdom is learned by study and revelation, it will be tested through trials to determine if it has taken root. Wisdom needs to be cemented into place through experience. We are also taught wisdom through trials, and even though wisdom is freely given, God doesn't send it by courier post or in a box to be used at some appropriate time. If He did, wisdom wouldn't stick; it would have no base to work from.

When we ask for wisdom, we can expect trials because God needs to clear the way to install wisdom deep inside our authentic selves. Just as gold cannot shine until it is heated and refined to remove the dross (impurities), so trials are necessary to clear out the dross within us so wisdom can begin to shine in all our actions. Wisdom can then be called on at any given moment; indeed, it needs to be used constantly because the more we use it, the more it multiplies (Proverbs 3:14, New International Version). Wisdom flourishes through application.

So the beginning of wisdom is to fear God and to have an understanding and listening heart. Wisdom will then begin to make inroads when we have given up all rights to ourselves. Pride and arrogance have no place at the same table with wisdom because wisdom needs to be protected against contamination (Proverbs 8:13).

Sometimes we may have a situation where it is within the law to take a certain course of action, yet it may not be prudent to do so. This is when wisdom needs to call on discernment to lend a hand. Every situation needs to be carefully assessed according to its own merits. Wisdom knows the right time and the right circumstances to apply the right principle to the right person.

The same God who created the wonderland of the South Island, who created the precious metal of gold, also created wisdom...
The gold miners in Skippers Canyon went through hardship to achieve their prize. We, too, need to go through trials; however, we also know God is watching over us and taking notes (1 Peter 4:17). When we struggle in a trial and are hurting, remember that God is massaging the heart to create a place for wisdom to fit into its perfect slot. The same God who created the wonderland of the South Island, who created the precious metal of gold, also created wisdom; this same wisdom He is willing to share, if we are willing to seek.

Then we will shine, not like gold, but eventually like the brightness of the firmament in heaven (Daniel 12:3).

Recommended reading

For more information about the wisdom found in the Proverbs, see the Bible Reading Program beginning with Aug. 30, 2006, available at http://ucg.org/brp.

Copyright 2008 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved.


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