Gold

When earthly worth fades, “Gold” reminds us to live for eternal value, letting God weigh our hearts instead of our possessions.

“How dark the gold has become, how the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are spilled out. … The precious sons of Zion, weighed against pure gold, how they are regarded as earthenware jars, the work of a potter’s hands.”—Lamentations 4:1–2 NASB

Sometime around 1662, Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer finished a painting now known as Woman Holding a Balance, one of only about 36 paintings he completed.

Pictured is a woman holding a balance and preparing to weigh jewelry and gold and silver coins. Weighing coins was a common practice for people of that time, as it was the only way to learn a coin’s real value. But in his book about Vermeer, author Timothy Brook turns our attention behind the woman, to a painting about the Last Judgment seen in the background. While our superficial focus is on the woman and her balance, Vermeer is reminding us that God is weighing our lives, not just silver or gold.

The process of evaluating gold was important in Bible times too. Gold was a metal of substance. It could be used either to honor God or to create idols. It also symbolized worldly riches and wrong pursuits.

In the time of Jeremiah, the people had focused on gold and forsaken God. They once were “worth their weight in gold” but had become mere clay; their value had faded away.

Today, God continues to weigh people and nations in His balance. He wants to see what we value and where we invest our time and resources.

Make sure you are seeking the Kingdom that will never fade. Invest your life in the riches that cannot tarnish. Focus on God’s eternal Kingdom.

Reflection Question: What are you truly investing your life in today?