God or Gold

God or Gold ?

Shelby G. Floyd

May 25, 2009

Our Pilgrim ancestors came to the shores of America in search of freedom to seek and serve God according to their conscience. Others came seeking gold and material wealth. While God has given us all good things to richly enjoy, he wants us to put the spiritual above the material world.

About one hundred sixty years ago when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California, it caused the stampede of the Gold Rush. Many found fortunes and spent it all in worldly pursuit. The same thing happened on the Klondike at Dawson City, Canada and on the golden shores of Nome, Alaska in 1898-1900. Today the worship of wealth is called American Greed. Many who have trusted in their gold have been wiped out by the present economic crisis. If one does not have God in his life what is left but despair and death?

Jesus taught his disciples to lay up their treasures in heaven where moth and rust does not corrupt and where thieves do not break in and steal. In an old folk song someone had the refrain, “some will rob you with a gun and others will rob you with a pen!” Many have been robbed by the pen of hucksters, greedy bankers and investment brokers. The greed and love of money is as old as man. Paul admonished Timothy to preach about this:

1 Timothy 6:10, 17-19

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

NIV

We do not need to be rich to miss heaven. All we must do is covet money and then after our coffers are full, worship it as our idol god. Let us all remember that God is worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. Jesus taught:

Matthew 16:24-27

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

NIV

If we could become as rich as old King Midas and then be lost for ever what would we gain?

Matthew 6:31-34

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

NKJV