Fifty Two Weeks / Psalm 19

Better Than Gold 

A lot of people these days are skittish about the economy. They are concerned about stocks and what inflation can do to paper money. Many seek a safe hedge against bad times by buying gold. 

I admit that paper money is just paper. It has only as much value as people are willing to ascribe to it by their trust. Gold on the other hand is… well it’s just metal. It’s pretty if you like those colors. It’s useful for certain industrial purposes (as long as industry is happening). But it doesn’t taste very good and isn’t particularly nourishing. In fact, it only has as much value as people are willing to ascribe to it by their trust.

The Word of the Lord, on the other hand, has value whether people care to ascribe their trust to it or not. Here are some of the things it does.

• It is perfect and refreshes the soul. There are many things that claim to be refreshing and some actually are refreshing to the taste buds or even to the physical body, but the Word of the Lord actually refreshes your very soul. Now that is valuable.

• It is trustworthy and makes the simple wise. Many things claim to be trustworthy but aren’t. The Word of the Lord is completely trustworthy. What it says is true and will always be true. You don’t have to be particularly brilliant to make good decisions. Follow the Word of the Lord and even a simple person can be wise. That’s worth something!

• It is right and brings joy to the heart. Almost everyone and every cause claims to be “right”. They rarely are. The Word of the Lord is always right. This rightness actually brings joy to your heart. This isn’t happiness (a fleeting commodity that depends on what happens) but real joy. This is a rare commodity indeed, especially for those with a lot of gold.

• It is radiant and gives light to the eyes. There is a stunning film documentary that came out in 2003 about the Viet Nam War. It contained extensive conversations with Robert McNamara, the Secretary of Defense during most of the Viet Nam period. He discusses at length serious mistakes that were made because in retrospect things were so much clearer than they were at the time. This film is called The Fog of War. Most people walk around in a fog of life. The Word of the Lord gives light to the eyes.

• It is pure and endures forever. Paper burns and paper money is usually destroyed after so many years of service. Ah but Gold… Under normal conditions gold is stable; however, at certain pressures under certain conditions it will react with oxygen to form… uh… rust. As long as you can guarantee “normal” conditions your gold is safe. Therefore, gold doesn’t endure either. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word of the Lord remains forever.

• It is righteous. Of course. The Word of the Lord is consistent with, and in right standing with, the Lord Himself. Therefore it is righteous and those who follow it? Well, it is the road to being in right standing with the only One who ultimately matters. 

I’m not against money or gold. Just don’t get too worked up about them. There is something better.