Mike’s Musings …

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

   The statement originates with Shakespeare, but the sentiment is much older! Solomon wrote, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Man seems to want more than he has; his satisfaction/contentment is seemingly never gained! (See also Ecclesiastes 4:8)

   The Hebrew writer said, “And be content with such things as ye have, for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5) We must realize there is a remarkable difference between need and want. The Lord has promised to provide us with what we need, but not with what we want. (Matthew 6:25 – 24) Granted, He does bless us well beyond our needs, but such is often the reward of our labor (Psalms 128:2). We are blessed to have food and raiment, and with this, we should be content (1 Timothy 6:8). Read that passage carefully, and note it says nothing about shelter, or cars, or acreage, or stocks or bonds or other such “comforts of the flesh.” God permits us to have them, but not without our laboring for them.

   Too often, our minds are excited by dreams. Fashioned by our knowledge of what is coupled with what we wish it was, we enter the world of glittering hopes that are so soon dashed on the rocks of reality. Then we realize, frequently with shame, “all that glitters is not gold.” Sadder still, many surrender what they have as they gamble to gain what they cannot have. The result is worse with them than at the beginning. (See 2 Peter 2:20) Indeed, it happens in the spiritual world as well as in the temporal!

   I muse on how blessed we are to have what we need and immeasurably blessed to have many comforts of what we want. But for them all, I muse more on the amount of thanksgiving to God we render for these blessings! Do they equal the quantity and quality of the possessions we hold dear? If not, why not? I muse also on the degree of contentment we express. Do we realize the only thing we can take with us when we die is our record of service to the God of Heaven? If we have devoted our time to the glittering things of this world rather than the indescribable glories of heaven eternal promised to God’s faithful ones, then we shall be sorely disappointed when Christ returns!